Robert Charles Morlino
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Born: December 31, 1946 |
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Previous arms:
Bishop of Helena
Bishop of Madison (1st)
| English | blazon wanted |
Origin/meaning
As common in US episcopal heraldry, the arms show the arms of the diocese impaled with the personal arms of the bishop.
Bishop Morlino has used two different personal arms.
In Helena and early in Madison he used a blue field on which is displayed a gold crescent that is surrounded by twelve silver stars, to reflect the bishop's intense devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the woman of Revelation Chapter 12 with "the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." Our Lady's Assumption and her presence in Heaven, body and soul with the Lord, is the goal that each Christian strives to achieve and it is towards that goal that Bishop Morlino, as a shepherd of God's Holy Flock, strives to lead those entrusted to his pastoral care. The dignity of the human body as sharing in the dignity of the human person, as destined for risen glory, is central to the-bishop's proclamation -of the Gospel.
In the upper left was a golden sunburst that is charged with the monogram of The Holy Name (IHS with cross). This is the seal of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits) and it is used to indicate that Bishop Morlino spent seventeen years, full time, in Jesuit education and formation, and was ordained a Jesuit priest, before answering God's call to serve the Faithful as a priest of the Diocese of Kalamazoo. That fact is represented by the use of the silver Native American "peace pipe," taken from the arms of Kalamazoo, and now joined with another pipe to acknowledge the bishop's service the people of the Diocese of Helena where native Americans were the first to receive the gift of The Faith.
For his motto, Bishop Morlino has selected the phrase 'VISUS NON MENTIETUR". This phrase, which is taken from the Second Chapter of the Old Testament Book of Habakkuk (Habakkuk 2:3), is translated "the vision will not disappoint." In these words, His Excellency, Bishop Morlino, expresses the solid foundation of all Chrispan doctrine: the revelation of Jesus Christ is the only sure anchor of our hope,the only vision which will never disappoint.
In Madison he changed his arms in ?? and the upper most part now contains a gold tower which symbolizes a place of refuge, strength and of safety. The book serves to reference the bishop’s thirst for knowledge of things that concern God and His Church.
The blue fess serves to recall not only the blue in which Our Lady is traditionally depicted, but also of water.
The lion passant in the lowest part of the shield alludes to the strength and liveliness of His Excellency in all that he does, but most especially in defending the faith. This charge further seeks to reveal His Excellency’s strong devotion to Pope Saint Leo the Great that began to develop during the formation of his master’s thesis.
The red background, overall, calls to mind the blood of the martyrs.
The motto was retained.
Literature: Information from diocesan websites of Helena and Madison
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