Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

DIOCESE OF FORT WAYNE-SOUTH BEND (Dioecesis Wayne Castrensis-South Bendensis)

Country: United States
Denomination: Roman Catholic

Established: 1857 as Diocese of Fort Wayne, renamed 1960

Arms (crest) of Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

Official blazon
English	blazon wanted

Origin/meaning

The upper half shows the original arms of the Diocese of Fort Wayne:

The crescent represents the Virgin Mary, mother of Christ, clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet. As the Immaculate Conception, she is the patroness of the diocese Fort-Wayne-South Bend and its cathedral in Fort Wayne.

The three crosses represent the Blessed Trinity. The Father sent the Son into the world; the Son sent the Spirit. It was the mission of Son and Spirit through missionaries that brought this diocese into being.

The crosses replace the swords on the family arms of General Anthony Wayne, the founder of the Fort that developed into the See city of Fort Wayne. The embattled line represent the fortified wall Fort Wayne.

The lower half represents South Bend.
The six-winged Seraph symbolizes the Inspired Word of God. Saint-Matthew is one of the evangelists who recorded this Word, the angel thus symbolises St. Matthew as the patron of the co-cathedral in South Bend.

The wavy line and blue colour represent the St. Joseph river, and the bend in which the city of South Bend is situated. The fleur-de-lys is the symbol of St. Joseph and thus also of the St. Joseph river. As the former Royal symbol of France it also recalls the colonization of this region by French catholics.

Arms of Bishops of Fort Wayne

No image

John Henry Luers (1857-1871)
Joseph Gregory Dwenger (1872-1893)
Joseph Rademacher (1893-1900)
Herman Joseph Alerding (1900-1924)
John Francis Noll (1925-1956)
Leo Aloysius Pursley (1956-1960)

Arms of Bishops of Fort Wayne-South Bend

Leo Aloysius Pursley (1960-1976)
William Edward McManus (1976-1985)
John Michael D'Arcy (1985-2009)
Kevin Carl Rhoades (2009-present)

Arms of Auxiliary Bishops

Leo Aloysius Pursley (1950-1955)
Joseph Robert Crowley (1971-1990)
Did not use arms

John Richard Sheets (1991-1997)
Daniel Robert Jenky (1997-2002)

Literature:

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