U.S. Heraldic Registry
Registration of contemporary and historical American heraldry
Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis, Tennessee
Registration number 20061022B
This certifies that the heraldic arms of Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis, Tennessee are registered and described by the blazon below
Source
Diocese website: http://cdom.org/areas/bishop/bishopoffice.htm
Design Rationale
The colors of the diocesan arms, a red field with white and blue accents, are taken from the State Flag of Tennessee; in heraldry, however, white is always shown as metallic silver. The principal charge, a silver pyramid crowned with the Christian cross, recalls the ancient city of Memphis, the capital of Egypt in the pharaonic age, from which the city takes its name. The cross, the sign of faith, is indicative of the Christianity of modern Memphis. The blue wavy bars on the upper division of the shield symbolize the two rivers that constitute the boundaries of the diocese, the Tennessee and the Mississippi. The small mountain - “montini” in Italian - are a play on the family name of Pope Paul VI, who established the diocese in 1971; they are also reminiscent of the mountains of Tennessee.
Registered by
Michael Swanson
Categories
Roll of Arms
Policies
