John Louis Morkovsky
JOHN LOUIS MORKOVSKY
Born : August 16, 1909 in Praha, Texas, USA
Deceased : March 24, 1990
Auxiliary Bishop of Amarillo, 1955-1958, Titular Bishop of Hieron
Bishop of Amarillo, 1958-1963
Bishop of Galveston-Houston, 1975-1984
 Auxiliary Bishop of Amarillo |
 Bishop of Amarillo |
 Bishop of Galveston-Houston |
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Origin/meaning
The Marian colors, blue and silver, predominace on the shield to honor the Mother of God.
The seven silver stars represent St. John Nepomucene, the baptismal patron of the bishop, who gave his life in confession of the Faith rather than permit King Wenceslas of Bohemia, to encroach on the rights of the ecclesiastical Church. The enraged Wenceslas had St. John tortured and then borne, half dead, secretly through the streets of Prague to a bridge over the Moldau River, Here, bound and gagged, he was cast into the waters. However, the cruelty did not long remain undiscovered. Over the spot where the martyr sank appeared strange lights resembling seven scars or luminous flames, and in the morning the body was washed ashore. On the old bridge from which he was thrown, there is a metal place adorned with seven scars, which has become the saint's emblem in art.
The stars have a further significance, too, a silver star is part of the flag of Texas, the Lome Star State, birthplace of both Bishop Morkovsky and his mother. A star is also part of the arms of Pope Piux X, who appointed him to bishop.
After becoming Bishop of Amarillo two stars were removed to make the impaled shield more appealing.
The base is taken from the Czech word 'morkov', small sea or lake. Bishop Morkovsky is of Moravian origin and the base thus is a canting element.
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