Bishop Zielinski’s Coat of Arms

Description:

Traditionally, a bishop's coat of arms has four parts: a shield with "charges," or symbols, signifying his family, home, or religious devotions; a green pilgrim’s hat; a processional cross representing his rank as bishop; and a scroll with his motto. The following is a basic explanation of Bishop Chad W. Zielinski’s coat of arms, which, upon his installation as bishop of New Ulm, is merged with the diocesan crest, which was established in 1957 under Bishop Alphonse J. Schladweiler. The diocesan crest is represented on the shield to the viewer’s left, and Bishop Zielinski’s personal crest is represented on the right.

Wide-brimmed Hat: The green, wide-brimmed pilgrim's hat is part of traditional heraldry or the design of a coat of arms. Also known as a “galero,” the hat was once commonly worn by Church prelates. The symbol includes chords and “fiocchi,” or tassels. A bishop’s coat of arms includes six tassels on each side of the shield.

The Processional Cross: The display of a cross behind the shield is used to denote a bishop. The cross of an ordinary bishop has a single horizontal bar or traverse, also known as a Latin cross.

The Thistles:

The thistles are reflective of the bishop's family background of his mother, whose roots come from Scotland and Ireland.

The Phoenix:

In the art of heraldry, the phoenix represents "Something that was thought to have been lost, but reappears in a new splendor." For the Christian faithful, this is fulfilled perfectly in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The bishop selected the phoenix rising from the fires as a reminder of the challenges of combat as he witnessed men and women make countless sacrifices for our country's freedom. "They still carry the memories of war within them, and I have the continued honor to walk with them in a journey of healing to be born again through the grace of God into a new path of hope and light." The phoenix is also similar in appearance to the Polish eagle, which is representative of the family background of the bishop’s father.

Field of Blue:

The field of blue on the right side of the crest is presentative of the deep blue waters of the Great Lakes. Raised in the small community of Alpena, Mich., located on the shores of Lake Huron, the bishop finds the water refreshing, peaceful, and life-giving - a clear reminder of our baptism. The water also produces a great amount of fish that sustain life as we hear about the Apostles in the Gospels going out into the deep at the command of the Lord and receiving an abundance. The blue background also reminds the bishop of his years of serving in Northern Alaska, looking at Mt Denali towering into the rich blue heavens.

Motto

Bishop Zielinski adopted the phrase expressing the words of John the Baptist (John 3:30), "He must increase, I must decrease."