Christian Riesbeck

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CHRISTIAN RIESBECK

Born : February 7, 1970
Deceased :

Auxiliary Bishop of Ottawa, 2014-present

Official blazon

Origin/meaning

The arching division line represents the Church's presence throughout the world.

The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit; the principal agent of the Church's evangelizing activity. The host in the dove's beak points to the importance of the Eucharist as the center of the Church's life. Saint John Paul II wrote about the close relationship of the Holy Spirit and the Eucharist in his Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia.

The roses represent the flowers given to St. Juan Diego in his time by Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas and Star of the New Evangelization, and they also commemorate Bishop Riesbeck's ministry to a predominantly Hispanic parish in Houston, Texas for nine years as pastor.

The lilies are a symbol of St. Joseph, the patron saint of the universal Church, of Canada and of the Archdiocese of Ottawa, and on whose feast day Bishop Riesbeck was ordained a bishop. Along with the blue color, they also refer to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the province of Quebec, Bishop Riesbeck's birthplace.

The cross at the bottom, symbol of Christ crucified, the Power and Wisdom of God - its red colour symbolizing the blood of Jesus - is taken from the emblem of the Society of the Companions of the Cross, Bishop Riesbeck being the first member of the Society to be made a bishop.

The motto Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) is the title of the Apostolic Exhortation issued by Pope Francis shortly before Bishop Riesbeck was named to the episcopacy. Sharing the joy of the Gospel is the focal point of Bishop Riesbeck's episcopal ministry.

The arms are shown with the traditional heraldic attributes of a bishop; a green galero, or ecclesiastical hat, with six green tassels suspended from each side, and a gold processional cross. Bishop Riesbeck's cross is in the form of a "cross-crosslet," which symbolizes the spread of the Gospel to the four corners of the earth. It has also occasionally been referred to as a "German cross" and thus alludes to Bishop Riesbeck's paternal German ancestry.

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