CORONA — In mid-December, Father Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez was immersed in the pastoral duties of his parish with no thoughts of becoming a bishop.
Then came the call from Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, informing Father Rodríguez that Pope Leo XIV had selected him to be the next bishop of the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida.
Suddenly, his pastoral workload at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Corona grew with an added whirlwind of activity in preparation for his episcopal ordination and installation.
Added to that list is the design of his coat of arms — a tradition dating back to the 12th century, when prelates began designing their personalized emblems to identify themselves.
To this day, the bishops include motifs or other symbols depicting their personal spiritual journeys, ministries, and the geographic descriptions of their episcopal authorities.
“Thirty-two days ago, I never imagined that I would have to come up with a coat of arms,” Bishop Rodríguez said with a laugh. “As a matter of fact, it was later, when I went to the press conference, that I realized that I had to do this.
“So, I collected myself in prayer. I started thinking about my life to put together some elements that I wanted to highlight from this journey.”
But Bishop Rodríguez knew he needed help.
He told The Tablet on Jan. 20 how he enlisted the talents of one of the best coat-of-arms designers in the U.S., Father Guy Selvester, who is pastor of St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish in South Amboy, N.J.
“His guidance was really amazing,” Bishop Rodríguez said. “He also told me that he designed the court of arms for the upcoming archbishop of the New York archdiocese, (Archbishop Ronald) Hicks.”
First, the left side of the coat of arms was already set because it’s the emblem of the Diocese of Palm Beach. The emblem has a blue background that signifies the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, two gold crowns honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary in her titles of “Queen of Heaven” and “Star of the Sea” at the top, a gold bar emblazoned with a green palm branch symbolizing the community of Palm Beach across the center, and overlays of two small wavy silver bars representing ocean waves at the bottom.
The right half of Bishop Rodríguez’s coat of arms, which he designed, includes a Cigua Palmera — the national bird of his native country, the Dominican Republic — at the top. He said this symbol honors his homeland.
It also includes fir trees in honor of his adopted country, the United States, and in honor of St. John Bosco, the founder of the Salesian Order to which the Bishop Rodríguez belonged before coming to Brooklyn. He said the name “Bosco” means “woods” or “forest” in Italian.
Trees also appear on the coats of arms of the Salesians and the current prelate of Palm Beach, Bishop Gerald Barbarito. Therefore, Bishop Rodríguez explained, the trees also honor his predecessor.
Also, in Bishop Rodríguez’s coat of arms, a gold sword symbolizes St. Michael the Archangel. He said he is very devoted to the archangel, “as the protector of all of us against evil.”
On both sides of the sword are two silver (white) crescents to represent Our Lady under the title of the Immaculate Conception — one for her as patroness of the United States and the other as patroness of the Diocese of Brooklyn. The crescents honor his adopted country and the diocese he served as a priest.
Perhaps the most unusual feature is the locomotive motif at the bottom, symbolizing Bishop Rodríguez’s hometown, Moca.
He said the town was known as one of the first in the D.R. to have train service from the late 1800s through well into the 20th century, when it was discontinued. The locomotive is also a symbol of human mobility for immigrants who often hitch rides on trains, “looking for a better future,” he said.
“So,” he added, “it’s also a symbol of the United States as a place of hope.”
Finally, at the very bottom of this coat of arms is a scroll with the motto, “Veritas Liberabit Vos,” or, in English, “The truth will set you free.”
This phrase, spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ in John 8:32, resonates with Bishop-designate Rodríguez’s ministry of justice.
“The purpose of the Church’s legal system is to establish truth, the manifestation of God’s guidance in our lives. So, it’s highlighted here in a special way.”
Bishop-designate Rodríguez’s episcopal ordination and installation will be Feb. 24 at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola in Palm Beach Gardens.
Explaining the Coat of Arms
The new coat of arms for Bishop-designate Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez is a symbolic telling of his spiritual journey and ministries, plus references to the patroness of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, his hometown of Moca, Dominican Republic, the United States, and the manifestation of God’s truth in the lives of believers.
External Elements
The external elements of Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez’s coat of arms are those of a bishop. The episcopal cross has a single horizontal bar denoting a bishop. The galero, or clerical hat, is green — the ancient color associated with bishops — and descending from the galero are 12 tassels denoting a bishop, as well.
Left Half of Shield
The coat of arms of the Diocese of Palm Beach. The blue background signifies the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The two gold crowns honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in her titles of “Queen of Heaven” and “Star of the Sea.” Across the center of the arms, a gold bar emblazoned with a green palm branch symobolizes the community of Palm Beach. Across the bottom, overlays of two small wavy silver bars represent the ocean.
Right Half of the Shield
The personal arms of Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez.
At the top is a Cigua Palmera, the national bird of the Dominican Republic, which Father Manuel said he included to honor his homeland.
Underneath the bird are the tops of fir trees in honor of Bishop Rodriguez’s adopted country, the United States, and in honor of St. John Bosco, the founder of the Salesian Order to which the Bishop-designate Rodríguez belonged before coming to Brooklyn. He said the name “Bosco” means “woods” or “forest” in Italian.
The gold sword symbolizes St. Michael the Archangel. Bishop Rodriguez said he is very devoted to the archangel, “as the protector of all of us against evil.”
On both sides of the sword are two silver (white) crescents to represent Our Lady under the title of the Immaculate Conception — one for her as patroness of the United States and the other as patroness of the Diocese of Brooklyn. The crescents honor his adopted country and the diocese he served as a priest.
The locomotvie motif at the bottom symbolizes Bishop Rodríguez’s hometome, Moca.
The Scroll
“Veritas Liberabit Vos” (“The truth will set you free”) resonates with his ministry of justice.