Richard Charles Patrick Hanifen

RICHARD CHARLES PATRICK HANIFEN

Born : June 15, 1931
Deceased :

Auxiliary Bishop of Denver, 1974-1984
Bishop of Colorado Springs, 1984-2003

Auxiliary Bishop of Denver

Bishop of Colorado Springs

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.

Bishop Hanifen has chosen his coat of arms and motto to symbolically depict his ministry as bishop of the Church. The overall color of the shield is blue describing the infinite wisdom, faithfulness, and love of God our Father. The silver dove represents the pervading presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives calling us forth to a constant response of openness. The gold cross in the center of the shield symbolically combines the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the living revelation of the Father's unconditional love for us, with the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Finally, the red and gold scallop in the lower section of the shield depicts the historical biblical symbol of the apostle James, by which Bishop Hanifen acknowledges both the inspiration of and his special allegiance to Archbishop James Vincent Casey.

In Denver he used the mooto De colores (of colors), in Colorad Springs this was changed to Ad Montem Sanctum Tuum (To your holy mountain)