Bishop Edward O'Donnell

On November 8, 1994, Bishop Edward O'Donnell of St. Louis was appointed fifth Bishop of Lafayette. The St. Louis native had been pastor, administrator and auxiliary bishop in St. Louis. He was installed on December 16, 1994 in ceremonies in St. John Cathedral.

In his eight years as Bishop of Lafayette, Bishop O'Donnell initiated planning and programs in anticipation of the third millennium of Christianity. In a diocese which has one of the highest percentages of Black Catholics in the U.S., he encouraged an increased presence by Black Catholics in diocesan and parish affairs.

Coat of Arms

The arms of the O'Donnell Family of Ireland consist of a golden shield on which a human arm, clothed in a blue sleeve, holds in its hand a red cross. For the arms of Bishop O'Donnell, only the colors from his familial arms have been retained, so as to emphasize the pastoral dimension. of his Episcopal office.

The principal emblem on the' arms expresses a theological truth which Bishop O’Donnell views as central to. his ministry. The interior circle, shown in red, represents the Blessed Eucharist and the sacred liturgy, of which a bishop, having the fullness of the priesthood, is preeminently the celebrant. The female and male figures stand for the Christian community, which finds its inspiration and binding force in the Sacraments; this is expressed by the fact that the head of each figure touches the interior circle, with the body of each figure radiating from this to form a larger circle. Nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ, the community itself becomes the Mystical Body of Christ, adding human flesh to the Spirit 'of Jesus in the world of the present day. This sacred truth is symbolized by the eight figures forming a cross, likewise shown in red, which is the sign of the crucified and risen Lord.

The three blue fleurs-de-Lis are taken from the arms of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, ~here they appear on a field of blue. In particular, they stand for three Archbishops of the See ¬Cardinal Joseph Ritter, Cardinal John Carberry, and Archbishop John May-with whom Bishop O'Donnell served nearly his entire life as deacon, priest, and bishop,

Bishop O'Donnell has chosen as his motto the words, "To Bind All Together," intending by this to dedicate himself to the work of unifying the Christian people in a single-hearted ministry of Justice, Peace, and Love.

The processional cross and tasseled hat behind the shield are symbols of the office of bishop. Priests of every rank have been represented in heraldry by the wide-brimmed hat, which is the clerical counterpart of the layman's military helmet. The color of the hat and the number of rows of tassels on the hatstrings denote the rank of the owner. For a bishop, the hat is green, and there are three rows of tassels 'on either side of the shield.