Christie Albert Macaluso

CHRISTIE ALBERT MACALUSO

Born : June 12, 1945
Deceased :

Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford, 1997-2017

Official blazon

Origin/meaning

The blue shield reflects his devotion to the Blessed Mother. The cross is the type that was used on the invitation and prayer cards that were used for the priestly ordination of Bishop Macaluso, and so it is particularly appropriate as he receives the fullness of Christ's priesthood as a bishop.

The gold lion represents Saint Thomas Seminary, where the Bishop served as Rector, and the gold deer ("hart"), holding the silver banner of Christ, for which the city and the See of Hartford are named and which Bishop Macaluso has served for all of his priestly ministry.

The silver wavy barlets, that signify the water at the "ford" of Hartford, recognize the impact that water has had on the Bishop's life and on his heritage. By means of water we enter the Body of Christ in Baptism. Water is also very much a part of the lives of those who live, work and recreate in the Archdiocese of Hartford, located on the Connecticut River and abutting Long Island Sound.

The silver shamrock and a golden pine cone honor the Irish heritage that he has received from his mother, Helen Meaney Macaluso, and the Italian heritage that he has received from his father, Albert Carl Macaluso. While the use of the shamrock is commonly used for Ireland, it must be understood that on the Palermo side of Sicily, especially in the mountain regions, the pine cone, because it is so rare, is a prize. Used in special cooking the pine cone has become a symbol of special honor for the people of this region to which Bishop Macaluso traces his heritage.

For his motto, Bishop Macaluso has selected the Latin phrase, "VERITAS LIBERABIT VOS." This phrase, taken from the Gospel of St. John (John 8:32), is translated to express the deepest of Christian beliefs that "the truth will set you free." For it is in believing, and in making those beliefs part of our lives, that we become free from the evils that surround us and try to ensnare us each day, as we move to the blessed eternity that Christ won for us by his death on the cross.

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