The heraldric symbols and colours were chosen to
reflect our faith and the character and culture of our Diocese. The shield-shaped field or
ground is divided into five areas. The top left area, called "dexter chief," is
a Celtic cross, representing St. Patrick, the secondary patron saint of our Diocese. The
top right area, "sinister chief," shows lilies and a crown, representing Our
Lady of Charity, our principal patron saint.
In the horizontal centre, dexter flank, is a
fort, representing how the Diocese was initially settled by the fur traders. Three eagle
feathers, representing our native communities, occupy the sinister flank. At the bottom,
the centre base, are the Sleeping Giant and Lake Superior which are synonymous with the
Lakehead. The partition lines form another cross which connect all the symbols into a
unified family: the Diocese of Thunder Bay. The mitre is the ornamental head dress which
represents the office or dignity of the Bishop. The colours represent the continents and
countries of the world where the people of the Diocese originated: yellow for Asia, black
for Africa, blue for Europe, green for Australia and red for the Americas.
"Dexter" (Latin for right) and
"sinister" (Latin for left) are from the point of view of a warrior behind the
shield.
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Email : chancery@dotb.ca
