Robert William Muench

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ROBERT WILLIAM MUENCH

Born : December 28, 1942
Deceased :

Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans, 1990-1996
Bishop of Covington, 1996-2002
Bishop of Baton Rouge, 2002-2018

Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans	Bishop of Covington
Bishop of Baton Rouge

Official blazon

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 pall in the personal arm symbolically represents the pallium, the special wool collar which signifies the rank of archbishop: Bishop Muench's patron, Saint Robert Beuarmine, was archbishop of Capua.

The crozier is a simple style, as used by an abbot, and so represents here the bishop's other patron, Saint William, who was an abbot. Yet the crozier also has a meaning as a symbol for monks and monastic life, therefore it symbolises the last name of the bishop, which is derived from the German word for monk (Mönch).

Above the pall, on a blue background, is a silver crescent that has placed between Its points a yellow fleur-de-lis, both symbols of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The lily, taken from the Coat of Arms of the Diocese o( Covington, recoils the bishop's six years as shepherd of that Sec, and Is a new addition to his personal arms. The crescent especially renects the "Crescent City" of New Orleans, the bishop's longtime "home" archdiocese. ln thls light, the triangular shape above the pall can be understood additionally to signify the Loulslan.a "delta• upon which the city of New Orleans is built. On either side of the pall, on a red field, arc M open book and a plate, both i.n white. The book ls charged with the flrst and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the" Alpha" and "Omega," signifying that Christ Is the beglMlng and end of aU thlngs (see Rev 22:13). The plate Is charged with the joined Greek letters "Chi" and "Rho,• an ancient Christian symbol for the Lord Jesus, as they are the first two letters of XPICTOC ("Christ"), meaning" Anointed." These symbols of the Lord represent the calling of all bishops, priests, and deacons to minister to God's People th.rough His Word and Sacraments. Bishop Muench's motto, placed on• scroll below the shield, is the phrase "Jesus Must Increase'," taken from Saint John's Gospel On 3:30).