The Bishop's Coat of Arms
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OverviewThe dexter impalement (on the viewer’s left) displays the arms of the Diocese of St Thomas in the Virgin Islands.
The sinister impalement (on the viewer’s right) displays the personal arms of Bishop Jerome Feudjio. In the chief green field is the blue and silver (white) letter “M”, an emblem of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The fesse or center field of red speaks of the dignity of St Jerome, the patron of Bishop Feudjio. The base field of gold carries the tree of peace of peace of Cameroon.
The banner at the bottom carries the Bishop’s motto: "Vivit Christus In Me" from Galatians 2:20: "Yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me."
Read on to get deeper meaning of all the elements that are part of the personal arms of Bishop Jerome Feudjio.
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THE DEXTER IMPALEMENT
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Description
The display on the viewer’s left is the arms of the Diocese of St Thomas in the Virgin Islands. The Diocese is comprised of the islands of Saint Thomas, Saint Croix, Saint John, and Water Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The blue field and the silver (white) wavy border around the dexter side of the shield symbolize the Caribbean Sea where the Virgin Islands are geographically located. The thirteen five-pointed silver (white) stars represent the original thirteen colonies of the United States, of which the Virgin Islands is an unincorporated and organized territory. The Diocese of St Thomas was established in 1977 and is within the ecclesiastical province of Washington, D.C.
The crossed gold keys are an attribute of Saint Peter and represent the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:19); the gold sword, an attribute of Saint Paul, is a reminder of his martyrdom. Peter and Paul are the patron saints of the Cathedral in Charlotte Amalie, located on the island of Saint Thomas, which is the seat or cathedra of the bishop of the diocese.
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THE SINISTER IMPALEMENT
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The Background Colors
To the right is the personal arms of Bishop Jerome Feudjio. The field carries the colors of the flag of Cameroon: green, red, and yellow (gold). Bishop Feudjio was born in Fonakeukeu, Dschang, West Region of Cameroon. It is here where his life in the Church began with his Baptism, first reception of the Eucharist, and Confirmation.
In Cameroon, he began his education at Catholic institutions of learning and his seminary training. The placement of the “flag” of Cameroon next to the arms of the Diocese of St Thomas speaks of the beginning of Bishop Feudjio’s life in sacramental ministry to the Church. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of St Thomas in 1990 by Bishop Sean O’Malley, OFM.Cap., at the Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul. In a unique heraldic twist, one could see the two distinct arms as one in the ecclesiastical life of Bishop Feudjio.
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The Green Area
In the chief green field is the blue and silver (white) letter “M”, an emblem for the Blessed Virgin Mary. The shape of the edges of the letter are “fleury” or “fleur-de-lis”, quite literally, “flower of lily”. The fleur-de-lis is also a symbol of Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception. Blue and silver (white) are traditional colors of the Blessed Mother, symbolizing truth and sincerity, faithfulness, and purity.
The style of the letter “M” carries at its heart a cross, symbolizing the Cross of Redemption of her Son. In the flag of Cameroon, green represents the rich and fertile soil of the country and the hope that it brings. The combination with the Marian “M” speaks of the beginning of the spiritual life of Bishop Feudjio.
In addition, it is a tender reminder of his time in Washington, D.C., when he was invited by then Father Sean O’Malley, whose Irish heritage is also recalled in the green field, to stay at the San Francisco House of the Archdiocese of Washington. Jerome also attended the College of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, which was then part of the Washington Theological Consortium and completed his studies in Philosophy and Theology for the sacred priesthood.
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The Red in the Middle
The fesse or center field of red speaks of the dignity of Saint Jerome, the patron saint of Bishop Jerome Feudjio. Saint Jerome (4th Century) is often depicted in the red robes and galero of a cardinal. Though this office did not exist during his lifetime, the color is used to denote his dignity among the early scholars of the Church.
The lion sejant, here in gold, is seated on its haunches with forepaws on the ground. According to legend, while giving a lecture to his students in Bethlehem, a lion came to Saint Jerome, limping. Everyone fled except for the saint, who welcomed Thelion and removed a thorn from his paw. The lion remained with Jerome until his death. The symbol of the lion is one of the oldest designations of courage, and the color gold speaks of generosity.
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Gold Field at the bottom
The base field of gold (yellow), which represents religious freedom and peace in Cameroon, carries the emblem of the “Tree of Peace” of Cameroon. This emblem is of particular importance to Bishop Feudjio and is very close to his heart.
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Cross and Galero
Behind the arms is placed a cold cross pattée, symbolic of the rank of a bishop; the stem of the cross is wood, symbolizing the staff of a shepherd. Over the whole achievement is the green hat of galero of a bishop with a total of twelve tassels pendent, six on each side.
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Motto
For his motto, Bishop Feudjio chose “Vivit Christus In Me”, taken from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians (2:20). By it, the Bishop expresses the essence of his life as a Christian and as a priest in service to the Body of Christ: “Yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me”.
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The personal arms of Bishop Jerome Feudjio were devised and drawn byGeraldine M. Rohling, Phd, MAEd,
Washington, D.C., March 2021.
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