Gregory John Hartmayer

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GREGORY JOHN HARTMAYER

Born : November 21, 1951
Deceased :

Bishop of Savannah, 2011-2020
Archbishop of Atlanta, 2020-present

Bishop of Savannah

Archbishop of Atlanta

Official blazon

(personal arms) Per pale argent and azure a chief wavy of one crest depressed in the center of one point and issuant in base throughout a pile reversed enarched all counterchanged, overall an eagle or and in chief at dexter a triquetra interlaced with circle of the last and at sinister a tau cross sable.

Origin/meaning

As common in US episcopal heraldry, the arms show the arms of the diocese impaled with the personal arms of the bishop.

The personal coat of arms of Bishop Hartmayer is intended to symbolically represent the Bishop's heritage and vocation as a Conventual Franciscan Friar. The background of wavy blue and white is a heraldic symbol for water. The Bishop is a native of Buffalo, NY - the Queen City of the Great Lakes. Water is also the key symbol of Baptism - the first Sacrament of Initiation as a Christian. This helps recall the Bishop's ministry as the primary sacramental minister of his diocese.

The eagle serves as a two-fold symbol of both the Bishop's German heritage and of St. John the Evangelist. The Bishop's father was named John and this is the Bishop's middle name. The Celtic Knot, known as a Triquetra, represents the Bishop's Irish heritage on his maternal side.

And finally, the Tau is a reference to Bishop Hartmayer's vocation as a Conventual Franciscan Friar. St.Francis would sign his writing with a Tau, often painted it on the walls and doors of places and he stayed, and would remind his friars that their habit was in the shape of a Tau cross illustrating to them that they must go into the world wearing this cross like an incarnation of Christ.

Behind the arms is placed a gold processional cross - the symbol of Episcopal office. For the processional cross, Bishop Hartmayer as selected the Cross of San Damiano. The entire Franciscan movement began when St. Francis, whilst praying at the Chapel of San Damiano, heard the crucifix speak to him and say, "Francis, go rebuild my Church for it is falling to ruins." St. Francis thought this was a literal command to rebuild the chapel that was in disrepair. Soon, however, he realized God was asking more of him.

The motto "Pax et Bonum"(Peace and Good) is taken from the words that were used by St. Francis in his greetings to others. It embodied the simplicity and goodness he saw in all of God's Creation.

The achievement is completed with the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop by instruction of the Holy See, of March 1969, confirmed in March 2001.