Francis Thomas Hurley

FRANCIS THOMAS HURLEY

Born : 12 January 1927 in San Francisco, USA
Deceased : 10 January 2016

Auxiliary Bishop of Juneau, 1970-1971; Titular Bishop of Daimlaig
Bishop of Juneau, 1971-1976
Archbishop of Anchorage, 1976-2001

Auxiliary Bishop of Juneau	Auxiliary Bishop of Juneau
Arms of Francis Thomas Hurley Archbishop of Anchorage

Official blazon

Origin/meaning

As common in US episcopal heraldry, the arms show the arms of the diocese impaled with the personal arms of the bishop.

The falcon is a symbol of St. Francis of Assisi, patron of the city of San Francisco, birthplace of the bishop and his parents.

The open frets are symbols of freedom taken from a Hurley family coat of arms of County Cork, Ireland and used here to symbolise the last name of the bishop.

The sailing vessel comes from the coat of arms of Keohane of County Cork and County Kerry a salute to the family of the bishop’s mother. The ship is also an ancient symbol of the church.

The concentric circles are from the official seal of the National Episcopal Conference of Bishops of the US where the Bishop served for 13 years.

The star represents the North Star, the navigators guide. The star also symbolizes Mary, Star of the Sea who guides to safe harbor all who take their bearing from her.