 Symbolism of the Coat of Arms
A coat of arms identifies a person or an institution through the stylized arrangement of graphic symbols. In the case of a bishop, additional symbols are included to indicate his position: the processional cross and the tasseled hat. The hat takes the place of the military helmet found so frequently in the coat of arms of families.
Significance - Diocese of Dodge City
Looking at the shield, the left half displays the coat of arms of the Diocese of Dodge City. The Spanish colors red and gold predominate as a reference to the explorer Coronado, and the 16th century missionary Father Padilla who worked in the territory that is now the Diocese of Dodge City.
The vertical bar dividing this section refers to the longitudinal meridian that runs through Dodge City. This bar is again divided to indicate that the Central Time Zone also runs exactly through the See City.
At the honor point of this section a golden circle becomes a repository for the symbol of the Sacred Heart, the titular of the Cathedral. This medallion is composed of Gold, signifying the Divinity of Christ, and of red, the color of His humanity. On either side of the vertical bar are two Indian arrowheads. They represent both the Indian wars of Colonel Henry Dodge as well as the Diocese of Wichita from which the Diocese of Dodge City was carved in 1951. The embattlements in the upper section are the heraldic equivalent of fortifications that marked Dodge City as a frontier town. The hawk surmounting the embattlements represents the hero of the Black Hawk Indian War, Colonel Dodge, who brought peace to the Mississippi Valley.
Significance - Bishop Ronald M. Gilmore
The right half of the shield displays the personal coat of arms of Bishop Gilmore.
A silver (white) field is taken from the Gilmore family coat of arms and honors the life and heritage that has come from his parents Leo and Maxine (McColm) Gilmore. On this field is a tree which is taken from the coat of arms of the Diocese of Wichita, his home diocese in which he has served in many priestly capacities until the call to undertake the pastoral care of the people of the Diocese of Dodge City as bishop. This call is placed under the protection of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, symbolized by the blue star in the upper right of the design.
For his motto, His Excellency, Bishop Gilmore, has selected a phrase which is part of the 46th Psalm. Here in praise of the Lord, the Psalm tells the people to " 'be still and know' that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted over the earth" (Ps. 46:10). In using this phrase Bishop Gilmore expresses his deep belief that for all Christians it is necessary to stop and put the aspects of our humanity aside, to praise God and to realize that He is God and that we respect Him for everything that we are and everything that we do comes from Him who is to be exalted over all the earth.
The coat of arms is completed with a gold processional cross, and with the pontifical hat, called a gallero, with its six tassels in three rows, on either side of the shield, all in green. These are the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop by instruction of the Holy See, dated the 31st of March 1969.
|
Coat of Arms
