The eagle´s head is the traditional
symbol of St. John the Evangelist, honoring the
baptismal patron of the archbishop´s father and
the Archbishop. The eagle´s head represents the
higher vision which faith brings to life and the
hope we should have in the face of difficulties.
The silver roundel in the base is a symbol of
the Gospel, the “pearl of great price,”
and our striving for the Kingdom of Heaven as
recorded in the Gospel of St. Matthew, 12:45-46.
As the eagle’s head honors the archbishop’s
father, the pearl honors his late mother Margaret,
whose name means pearl.
The two silver crescents in the chief, or upper
part of the shield, honor the Blessed Virgin Mary
under the title of the “Immaculate Conception,”
patroness of the North American College in Rome
where Archbishop Myers prepared for ordination,
and the Catholic University of America, where
he earned his doctorate in Canon Law, and the
United States of America. These crescents memorialize
the Archbishop’s devotion to Mary, Mother
of God and Mother of the Church. The green surface
of the shield recalls the verdant fields of his
birthplace and his Irish heritage.
The Archbishop chose the motto, “Mysterium
Ecclesiae Luceat: translated, “Let the Mystery
of the Church shine forth,” as a succinct
summary of the central theme of the Second Vatican
Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,
Lumen Gentium. The first chapter of the document
is entitled “The Mystery of the Church”
and begins with the proclamation that Christ is
the light of humanity,” and continues to
state: “The Church - that is the kingdom
of Christ - already present in mystery, grows
visibly through the power of God in the world.
All people are called to union with Christ, who
is the light of the world, from whom we go forth,
through whom we live and toward whom our whole
life is directed!” The first encyclical
of Pope Paul VI, “Ecclesiam Suam,”
states that the Church “is a storehouse
of God’s hidden counsels which the Church
must bring to light!” Pope John Paul II
also states in his first encyclical, “Redemptor
Hominis,” that “The Church’s
fundamental function in every age and particularly
ours is to direct man’s gaze, to point the
awareness and experience of the whole of humanity
towards the mystery of God.” These papal
encyclicals inspired Archbishop Myers’ choice
of motto.
The external ornaments are composed of the green
pontifical hat with its 10 tassels on each side,
disposed in four rows, and a gold processional
cross.
The left side of the shield displays the jurisdictional
arms of the Archdiocese
of Newark, based on the coat of arms of Newark,
Nottinghamshire, England, to reflect the origins
of the name of the See City. The upper portion
of the arms of the Archdiocese includes a silver
crescent between two silver trefoils (heraldic
shamrocks). The crescent is to honor the Blessed
Virgin Mary, in her title of the Immaculate Conception,
patroness of the Archdiocese, the United States
of America and the major seminary of the Archdiocese.
This ancient symbol of Mary is derived from the
Book of Revelations 12:1: “And a great sign
appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun,
and the moon under her feet, and on her head a
crown of 12 stars.” The shamrocks are to
honor St. Patrick, titular patron of the Pro-Cathedral;
and the red background of the chief is to signify
the blood coming forth from Christ’s Sacred
Heart, the title of the Cathedral-Basilica of
Newark. |
