Description of the Coat of Arms of
The Most Reverend Edward J. Burns
Bishop of Juneau

In according to the Roman Catholic Church heraldic tradition, the Coat of Arms of a Bishop is normally composed by:

  • a shield with its charges (symbols) coming from family, geographic, religious and historical meanings and/or referred to the name of the Bishop;                                   
  • a golden processional cross, with one traversal bar, to represent the rank of the  Bishop, “impaled” (vertically) behind the shield;
  • a green hat (galero) with 12 (six on each side) attached tassels, ordained 1; 2; 3;   from the top;
  • a scroll with the motto, written in black, below everything.

Here a samnitic shape shield has been chosen, frequently used in Roman Catholic Church heraldry and a botonny processional cross with five red stones to represent the Five Wounds of Christ.

Motto
“PRAY WITH CONFIDENCE”

For his motto Bishop Burns has chosen these words coming from the Eucharistic Liturgy, from the invitation to pray the Lord’s Prayer “Let us pray with confidence to the Father in the words our Savior gave us.”

Blazonry (heraldic description) of the Coat of Arms

“Impaled. Dexter: per fess enarched Azure and Argent, a crescent of the second in the sinister chief point between, to sinister a seven points star Or, to dexter the Ursa Minor constellation of the last and three wavy bars of the first in base. Sinister: per bend sinister Gules and Or, a sword inverted counterchanged between a seven points star encircled by a rosary, all of the second and a bugle-horn Sable, stringed of the firs; three wavy barrulets Azure in base, thereupon a fishnet of the third.”

Interpretation

On the right side of the shield (in the heraldic shield, right and left are exchanged from the observer point of view since we have to consider the right and the left of the soldier who holds his own shield) we find represented the Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Juneau; the left side is occupied by the personal arms of Bishop Burns.

Personal Arms of Bishop Burns
This part of the shield is divided in two colors: red (gules), the color of love, of blood, the symbol of the infinite love of the Father who sent the Son to shed His blood for us, the most self-giving act of love; this color also recalls the maternal love of the Blessed Mary, Our Heavenly Mother represented by the star enclosed in the rosary, in honor of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary whose feast is on October 7th, the day of birth of Bishop Burns. The Burns family at one time were members of Holy Rosary Parish in the Homewood-Brushton section of Pittsburgh, the parish of Bishop Burns’ baptism and first Holy Communion. The rosary is a special devotion for Bishop Burns.

The left side is colored in gold (or), the most noble of metals, symbolic of the theological virtue of faith. With the gift of faith, Bishop Burns nurtured his relationship with the Lord and answered the call to priesthood. The sword, classical iconography and symbol of Saint Paul, has special meaning. St. Paul is the patron saint of the Local Church of Pittsburgh. St. Paul Cathedral was the site of Bishop Burns’ ordination to the priesthood and now to the episcopacy. Bishop Burns attended St. Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh for priestly formation and returned there after ordination to serve in various capacities, finally, serving twice as rector. Bishop Burns was named Bishop of Juneau by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, at which time the Church celebrated the year of Saint Paul.

The net represents Bishop Burns’ service in priestly vocation ministry and his understanding of the unique call of priests to be “fishers of men.” This ministry takes on deeper meaning for Bishop Burns in his new pastoral service as chief shepherd of the people of God in Juneau, a diocese in which the fishing trade is such an important livelihood. The net is also representative of St. Peter, the fisherman called by Christ, and his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, who today wears the ‘Fisherman’s Ring’. It is to the Successor of St. Peter that Bishop Burns pledges his fidelity and obedience.

The black (sable) horn, in heraldic shape, comes from the coat of arms of the Burns family. The horn was used by a soldier in ancient days as a way to alert the king after combat that victory was won on the battle field. The soldier rode to the king and with the horn announced the good news. This good news reached the ears of the king even before the soldier himself arrived. The soldier, as it were, was the herald of the ‘gospel’. The horn symbolizes the proclamation of Jesus’ victory over sin and death and the mission of the Church to always proclaim this Gospel message.

The three waves of water in blue (azure) represent the waters of Baptism, the beginning of Sacramental life in the Church. The three waves symbolize the Three Rivers of the Local Church of Pittsburgh, from where Bishop Burns comes and in which his faith life grew. Water is also a source of recreation of the body and re-creation of the spirit, which so necessary for physical and spiritual well-being.
Bishop Burns’ Coat of Arms was designed by Mr. Renato Poletti, Rome, Italy.