Bishop Eckman Coat of Arms

Bishop Eckman’s coat of arms has a red background symbolizing the Blood of Christ, who, in obedience to the Father poured our His Blood on the Cross in the ultimate act of love for the human race. The white, seven-pointed star at the top honors Mary, the Mother of God, while the lion at the bottom is a symbol of Saint Mark the Evangelist, Bishop Eckman’s patron saint and namesake. The blue and white checked bar is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, recalling his hometown. Aside from the images on the shield itself, the decorations around it tell us about the individual as well. The green hat with twelve tassels, six on each side, denotes that this individual is a bishop of the Catholic Church. Archbishops are denoted by twenty tassels (ten on each side), and cardinals by thirty (fifteen on each side). Likewise, the coat of arms of a bishop is always surmounted
by the cross – the great sign of our salvation. In the case of Bishop Eckman, he has decided to decorate the cross with five red gemstones symbolizing the five wounds of Christ. While every bishop has a coat of arms, there is an additional, special tradition for diocesan bishops. A diocesan bishop’s coat of arms is “married” to that of the diocese he serves. That is, the diocesan bishop’s coat of arms is never displayed by itself, but always joined and united to that of the diocese. Bishop Eckman’s personal coat of arms is on the right side of the shield, while the coat of arms of the Diocese of Pittsburgh is on the left. “Marrying” these coats of arms together is a symbolizes that the bishop is “married” to the local church that he serves.