Michael Francis Burbidge

MICHAEL FRANCIS BURBIDGE

Born : June 16, 1957
Deceased :

Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia, 2002-2006
Bishop of Raleigh, 2006-2016
Bishop of Arlington, 2016-present

Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia	Bishop of Raleigh
Bishop of Arlington

Official blazon

Origin/meaning

As common in US episcopal heraldry, the arms show the arms of the diocese impaled with the personal arms of the bishop. Above the personal arms are impaled with the arms of Raleigh and Arlington.

The fleur-de-lis and the star both represent the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is known by the titles "Lily among Thorns" (cf. Song of Songs 2:2) and "Star of the Sea." The lily also calls to mind the family name of the bishop's mother, Shirley Lilley Burbidge. The star, white on a blue background, appears in the arms of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where Bishop Burbidge was born and reared in the Catholic faith, and which he served for more than 20 years as a priest and bishop.

The flaming sword (cf. Genesis 3:24) is a symbol of Bishop Burbidge's baptismal patron saint, Michael the Archangel, who leads the hosts of God to protect His people from the Evil One (Revelation 12:7).

The ducal coronet is taken from the arms of Saint Charles Borromeo, the sixteenth-century Archbishop of Milan. As archbishop, Saint Charles worked tirelessly to restore unity in the Church and to serve the poor and the oppressed. He is the patron saint of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, where Bishop Burbidge studied for the priesthood, and which he served as Dean of Formation and as Rector

The motto, placed on a scroll below the shield, comes from the Book of the Prophet Micah (6:8):

"You have been told ... what the Lord requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God."

The shield is ensigned with external elements that identify the bearer as a Bishop.

A gold processional cross appears behind the shield. The galero, or "pilgrim's hat," is used heraldically in various colors and with specific numbers of tassels to indicate the rank of a bearer of a coat of arms. A bishop uses a green galero with three rows of green tassels.