John Selby Spence
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Born: May 19, 1909 Auxiliary Bishop of Washington, 1964-1973; Titular Bishop of Aggersel |
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| English | Gules, on a fess embattled argent, between in chief a heart or, vulned of the field and ensigned by a crown of crosses pateé of the last, and in base an open book of the second, garnished of the third and charged with a chevron
brisé of the field, the whole accosted in nombril point by two mullets of the second, an Orsini rose beatween twe eagles' heads couped of the field. Motte: MINISTRARE NON MINISTRARI. |
Origin/meaning
Since the surname Spence can mean "enclosure,” the silver embattled bar is chosen to symbolise an enclosure. The red is the liturgical color for the Humanity of Our Lord, as a fitting background on which to place the crowned and wounded Sacred Heart in gold, the liturgical color for the Divinity of Our Redeamer. The heart refers to the Shrine of the Sacred Heart where Bishop Spence served his first assignment as curate, after his ordination, and where he served as pastor to the time of his episcopal consecration.
The heart also honours the family of the Bishop's mother, whose name was Harte.
The base of the shield bears an open book to denote the office of Director of Education which Bishop Spence holds in the Archdiocese of Washington. The book is charged with two broken chevrons (from the arms of Saint John the Baptist de LaSalle, to commemorate the parish which the Bishop established and developed.
One star above the book represents Saint Mary's Seminary in Baltimore where the Bishop received the early part of his education for the priesthood. The other star is taken from the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Baltimore where Bishop Spence was born.
The bar shows a co-called Orsini rose for the North American College where the Bishop completed his studies for the priesthood with degrees from the Pontifical Atheneum of the Urban College "De Propaganda Fide"” and the Pontifical Gregorian University. The gold Orsini rose between the antlers is derived from the coat of arms of the Orsini family, which built and founded a convent on the Via deli'Umilcta, later established as the North American College by the hierarchy of the United States in 1839.
At either side of the Orsini rose is an eagle's head, for an eagle is the emblem of Saint John the Evangelist, the baptisimal patron of the Bishop.
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