Diocese of Worcester (USA)

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DIOCESE OF WORCESTER (Dioecesis Wigorniensis)

Country : United States
Denomination : Roman Catholic

Established : 1950

Arms (crest) of Diocese of Worcester (USA)

Official blazon

Azure, a cross fieurettée or, on a chief argent, four torteaux gules.

Origin/meaning

The arms were originally designed by Dom William Bayne OSB of the Abbey of Saint-Gregory the Great in Portsmouth (RI). The golden fleur-de-lis-cross on blue comes from the arms of the Archdiocese of Boston of which the diocese Worcester in 1950 was created.

The fleur-de-lis endings refer to the first Bishop of Boston, Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus, a French bishop who later became cardinal-archbishop of Bordeaux, France. The employment of the Cross is to proclaim the major theme of the Preachings of Saint-Paul, titular of the Cathedral-church of Worcester.

The four red plates, called ¨Torteaux¨, are taken from the arms of the (Anglican) Diocese of Worcester in England, honoring the name of the See city.