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| ===Origin/meaning=== | | ===Origin/meaning=== |
| ""·• ............ -- - :i- -- ----.. ... .
| | The green oak tree is taken from the arms of an Irish O'Connor family of Roscommon, and is used here to symbolise the last name of the bishop. |
| ,. The shield? Lt divided by a line
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| drawn • t the angle of a chevron the
| | The eagle and rose represent St. John and St. Therese of Lisieux respectively. St. John is the second patron saint of the bishop. The rose appears because St. Therese was canonized during the reign of the late Pope Plus XI who had a special devotion to her and it was during his reign that Bishop O'Connor was ordained. |
| portion of the fie Id above the chev ..
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| ron being red and the portion be ..
| | The golden sword and helmet represent St. Martin of Tours, the main patron saint of the bishop. St. Martin was a Roman officer, bishop of Tours in the 4th century, who cut his cloak and gave half to a beggar. Hence the Roman helmet and sword to represent him in the arms. |
| , low beinR gold. In the upper left ..
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| hand corner, as one looks at the
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| shield. there ls an eagle with wings
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| adciorsed and inverted, preparing to
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| r fse. In the upJ)er right-hand corlier
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| appears a rose \\'ith a stnlk a.nd
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| two leaves.. The figures of tl1c eagle
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| and rose appear in gold.
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| A green oak tree issues from a
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| ,reen base in the lower portion ot
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| the chevron!, and on the base of the
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| tree ii a Roman sword placed in a
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| horizontal position with the point toTratd
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| the left. Superimposed on the
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| , ·word la a Roman helmet, facing
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| t ,e left. Behind and surrr1ounting
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| t ,e shield is a processional cross.
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| tet\veen R miter and a crosier. Sur-
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| - r ,ounting these ornaments is a pont
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| ficAI ha.t , with six tassels on either
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| 1 de. d ispc,scd in rows of one, t,vo
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| • . ,ci three.
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| - ThP. green oak tree, the central
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| flgure on the shield, is the traditional
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| heraldic charge of the O'Connor
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| family of Roscommon, the at.rony- | |
| 11 used to represent St. John, t e
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| ro1e tor St. Therese of Llsieux. better
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| known as the Little Flower. John
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| II Bishop o·connor's middle name
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| and the eagle is shown rising, be.
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| cause a bishop aa one · of the successors
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| of the ·a postlea. is commis- · | |
| 1loned and has the duty of actively
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| ~reading the gospel to those \\'ithin
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| hJJ ecclesiastical Jurisdiction.
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| - ----- ..
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| The rose, representing St. Tl1erese, | |
| appears because she was canonized
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| during the reign of the late Pope | |
| Plus Xl. w~o had a special d.evotio.n | |
| to her a_nd 1t wc1s during his 11lustr1- | |
| ous rei~n that Bishop O'Connor was
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| ordained
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| · The golden sword and helmet represent
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| St. Mortin of Tours, whos-e | |
| name Bishop O'Con11or \\'as given in
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| bJptism. St. Martin was a Roman
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| Q fficer who \Vas con \rerted to the
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| ( 'atholic f,t•ith and e\rcntuall\' became •
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| 1 l.shop of Tours, in 372 A . . D. Tradi~
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| t .on tells us that w l1ile still a ca techumen.
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| St. Martin cut his cloak in
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| halt -with his sword on a bitter cold
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| nl . ht and gave one half of it to a
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| Lord appeared to him with t e hall
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| of the cloak he had given to the
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| be~gar and con:plimented ~i~ _on his
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| · 1rit ot charity. The d1v1s1on of
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| angular e ect. since the tri a ngle
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| has alway~ .been" a symbol for representin~
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| the Blessed Trinity. | |
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| The achievement is completed with the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop. | | The achievement is completed with the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop. |