The reunited Diocese of Wisconsin has revealed its new seal and coat of arms, which were designed in consultation with a Roman Catholic priest in New Jersey.
“The seal and coat of arms incorporate meaningful Christian symbols and elements that reflect Wisconsin’s unique geography and heritage,” the diocese said in a statement. “While the official seal and shield follow traditional heraldic design, work is also underway to create a contemporary diocesan logo for broader communication and outreach.”
The diocese revealed the images March 12. “After months of reflection and refinement in conversation with Father Guy Selvester of South Amboy, NJ, an expert in heraldry, the team was ready to present the proposed design to the Diocese of Wisconsin Mission Council. After further refining in response to its input, the Mission Council approved a new seal and shield for the Diocese of Wisconsin. The official seal and shield are traditional in design. We are now working on a more contemporary logo that we can also use for diocesan communication and publicity.”
Selvester, pastor of St. Mary Star of the Sea Church in South Amboy, New Jersey, writes about heraldry on his weblog, Exarandorum, which he launched in 2013.
The diocese offered a two-paragraph explanation of the seal and coat of arms:
The two images are the seal and coat of arms, with the seal being the coat of arms contained in a vesica (the lemon shape) with the name and original diocesan date of establishment. The waves in the lower half of the shield in the coat of arms are the heraldic representation of water, an allusion to the many lakes and rivers that so influenced the history and culture of our state. The dominance of blue in the design also alludes to the blue of Wisconsin’s abundant lakes and rivers. In the top center of the shield are three intertwined fish, an ancient Christian symbol for the Trinity and a reference to the coming together of the three historic Dioceses.
The symbol of the fish is rich with further Christian meaning. It predates even the cross as a symbol of Christianity since the Greek word for fish, ἰχθύς (ikhthū́s), could be an acronym for “Jesus Christ, son of God, savior.” The fish has a connection to discipleship and mission, reminding us of Jesus’s calling the first disciples to be “fishers of people.” The fish even has a Eucharistic connotation, connected as it is to the story of Jesus’s feeding the multitude and that story’s foreshadowing of the Eucharist. Finally, these specific fish are walleye, connecting this ancient Christian symbol to a kind of fish with so much importance for our state. Flanking the fish are crosses fleury, meaning they are tipped with fleur-de-lis, a design carried over from the seals of the three historic dioceses of Wisconsin. Around the shield in the coat of arms is a mitre, crozier, and key, traditional elements in coats of arms for dioceses of the Episcopal Church.
