Blazon

Arms impaled. Dexter: Bary wavy of seven Argent and Azure; at the centre point overall an open crown Or and at the honour point a rose of the first with a center of the last. Sinister: Argent, on a cross Gules a cross Sable fimbriated Vert; between to chief dexter a raven Proper, to chief sinister a bear rampant of the third, to base dexter a fleur-de-lis of the second and to base sinister a phoenix Or issuant from flames of the second.

Significance

The archiepiscopal heraldic achievement or archbishop’s coat of arms is composed of a shield with its charges (symbols), a motto scroll and the external ornamentation. The shield, which is the central and most important feature of any heraldic device, is described (blazoned) in 12 th century terms that are archaic to our modern language, and this description is presented if given by the bearer with the shield being worn on the arm. Thus, where it applies, the terms dexter and sinister are reversed as the device is viewed from the front.

By heraldic tradition the arms of the bishop, who is “first among equals” of an ecclesiastical province, called a “Metropolitan Archbishop,” are joined, impaled, with the arms of his jurisdiction. In this case, these are the arms of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

These arms are composed of a field that is composed of seven alternating silver (white) and blue bars charged with a silver and gold rose and a gold crown.

For years, known as the “Crossroads of the South,” because it served as the hub of transportation in the region, Atlanta was originally known as “ Whitehall .” A succession of names, “Terminus,” in 1843 “Marthasville”, finally came to be “ Atlanta ,” indirectly referencing the Atlantic Ocean , signified by the wavy bars of the design, in 1847. Upon this symbolism are an open gold crown to honor the titular of the Cathedral Church , Christ the King and a Cherokee Rose (Rosa Laevigata), a white rose with a golden center, the state flower of Georgia .

For his personal arms, His Excellency, Archbishop Gregory has retained the design that was adopted upon his selection to receive the fullness of Christ’s Priesthood, as a bishop, when he was appointed as an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago and he retained the design during his tenure as Bishop of Belleville.

On a silver (white) field is a cross, of The Faith, that is composed of three colors; black on green on red. These colors are referred to as the African-American colors and by their use, His Excellency, Archbishop Gregory honors the religious and racial heritage that has come to him from his parents, Wilton and Ethel ( Duncan ) Gregory.

Within the quarters that are formed by the cross are a raven, to honor the Archbishop’s Benedictine education at Sant’ Anselmo (in Rome), and a black bear taken from the arms of His Eminence, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, His Excellency’s principal Episcopal consecrator. Also within the quarters are a red fleur-de-lis taken from the arms of the Mundelein Seminary in Chicago , where Archbishop Gregory was a student and faculty member, and a golden phoenix, coming forth from red flames, to honor Chicago , the city reborn after the famous Chicago fire.

For his motto, Archbishop Gregory continues to use the phrase “We are the Lord’s,” which is taken from St. Paul ’s Epistle to the Romans (Romans 14:8). By the use of this phrase, His Excellency, Archbishop Gregory expresses the deep Christian belief that all that we are and in all that we do, “we are the Lord’s.”

The achievement is completed with the external ornaments which are a gold processional cross that has two cross-members, that is placed in back of and which extends above and below the shield, and the pontifical hat, called the “gallero,” with its ten tassels, in four rows, on either side of the shield, all in green. These are the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of archbishop by instruction of The Holy See of March 31, 1969.

Reference:

• www.archatl.com