The Diocese of West Texas has given its shield a makeover. Brand by DC, a web development company based in Birmingham, cleaned up the details of the diocesan shield so that it will print more clearly across multiple platforms and stand out when used online.
The Rev. Louis A. Parker, former rector of Trinity Church, Victoria, designed the longstanding seal, which the diocese adopted in 1927. In the upper left, the Alamo, cradle of Texas liberty, represents the planting of the Church banner in the new world. The star in the upper right represents the Lone Star of Texas and the star of Bethlehem.
In the lower left is the lion of St. Mark, signifying the first cathedral site in San Antonio and the wild nature of Texas. In the lower right, the ox represents St. Luke the Physician and the cattle of Texas.
Six capped flags remember the number of flags over Texas during its history with the seventh being that of the Church. Within the bishop’s miter, a spray of lilies (for St. Anthony of Padua), and a field of bells (for St. Anthony of Alexandria) are reminders of the namesake of San Antonio, the diocese’s see city. Pearls for truth adorn the miter, and tabs for the Old and New Testament hang from it.
The motto quotes Mark 9:23 (“Everything is possible to one who has faith”) in Greek.
Adapted from the Diocese of West Texas
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
