Warren Louis Boudreaux

WARREN LOUIS BOUDREAUX

Born : January 25, 1918
Deceased : October 6, 1997

Auxiliary bishop of Lafayette in Louisiana, 1962-1971
Bishop of Beaumont, 1971-1977
Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, 1977-1992

Auxiliary Bishop of Lafayette in Louisiana	Bishop of Beaumont
Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux

Official blazon

• (Bishop of Beaumont) Impaled arms. Dexter: azure, out of a mount in base a vessel for the Holy Oils or, charged with the Greek monogram of Christ, Chi-Rho gules, in chief a mullet between two roses argent (Diocese of Beaumont). Sinister: Argent, on a pale engrailed azure two mullets one in chief and one on base of the field, over all infess point a crown of fleurs-de-lis or (Bishop Boudreaux). Motto: Servare Unitatem.

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 surname Boudreaux, derived from Boudier, has as its etymology, "Bod," messenger, and "hari," armed; in other words an armed messenger. The Boudreaux family emigrated from Normandy in France to Canada and thence to Bayou Teche in Louisiana. There are some family arms Boudreaux known, but any relation to the bishop is not clear. Nearly all the family arms bear stars in their coats of arms in one disposition or another. One of these has been chosen because of its simple beauty (two stars on a blue pale), and its adaptation to a crown to represent the bap­tismal patron of the Bishop, Saint King Louis IX.

The crown representing Saint Louis IX, King of France (1214-1270 A.D.) is placed over all in gold and replaces the crescent in the family arms. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he succeeded to the throne under the regency of his mother, Blanche of Castile in 1226. He reigned for 44 years.

The chosen Boudreaux arms are further differenced, to make them peculiar to the Bishop, by the wavy lines of the pale to designate the Atchafalaya River on which the Bishop was born, and into which the Bayou Teche flows.

The partition of the shield is similar to that of the personal arms of Bishop Maurice Schexnayder, and as such honors the prelate whom Bishop Boud­reaux served as Auxiliary Bishop.

The motto, "Servare Unitatem" ("To preserve unity"), is taken from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Ephesians (Ephe sians 4:1-6). The motto reflects the call to unity of His Holiness Pope John XXIII in Vatican Council II.

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Literature : Information Diocese of Beaumont