Timothy Lawrence Doherty

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TIMOTHY LAWRENCE DOHERTY

Born : September 29, 1950
Deceased :

Bishop of Lafayette in Indiana, 2010-present

Official blazon

Origin/meaning

As common in US episcopal heraldry, the arms show the arms of the diocese impaled with the personal arms of the bishop.

The division line between the top and bottom halves is known as a "per pale double arch." It was selected to symbolize an open book, the Sayred Scriptures; to complement the bishop's motto: "The Word of God Is Not Chained," and to symbolize Bishop Doherty's personal devotion to the Sacred Scriptures.

The upper half is blue, in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Blue also is the heraldic color for philosophy, which has come to symbolize the teaching authority of the bishop. The fleur-de-lys is also a symbol for Mary.

The lower is gold to symbolize the wisdom of God the Father, the divinity of Christ the Son and the spiritual fervor of the Holy Spirit. It shows the Sacred Heart of Jesus, enflamed and surrounded by a crown of thorns.

Symbolically, Bishop Doherty's coat of arms honors Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Word of God.

Bishop Doherty selected for his motto the Latin phrase, "sed verbum Dei non est alligatum," which, when translated into English, reads, "but the word of God is not chained," from 2 Timothy 2:9. He chose to present it in English as a gesture of friendship to other Christians in the diocese.