Samuel Joseph Aquila

SAMUEL JOSEPH AQUILA

Born : September 24, 1950
Deceased :

Bishop of Fargo, 2002-2012
of Denver, 2012 - present

Bishop of Fargo

Archbishop of Denver

Official blazon

• (personal arms) Azure, an eagle displayed Argent between, issuant from base, three hill and in chief a rose all Or.

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 arms are based on the arms of Italian city of L'Aquila. Through the use of this symbolism, His Excellency honors the heritage that has come to him from his parents Salvatore and Josephine Aquila. "Aquila" is the Italian word for eagle. The eagle is the classic symbol of St. John, patron of St. John Vianney, titular of the seminary in Denver where Bishop Aquila was Rector at the time of his nomination as Coadjutor of Fargo. It is from the Gospel of St. John the Bishop has taken his episcopal motto.

Below the eagle are three golden hills emblematic of the Rockies that are so much a part of the Archdiocese of Denver where His Excellency spent his priestly ministry. Above the eagle is a gold rose to honor Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, in her title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Empress of the Americas.

For his motto, Bishop Aquila has adopted the phrase "Do whatever He te lls you" (John 2: 5). This instruction of Mary about Jesus to the waiters at the wedding feast at Cana expresses Bishop Aquila's deep belief that in Christ Jesus are all of the words and instructions that mankind needs to live life in peace and harmony and to gain eternal salvation.

The achievement is completed with the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop by instruction of the Holy See, of March 1969, confirmed in March 2001.

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Literature : Information Diocese of Fargo