Coat of Arms

The episcopal seal of Edmund Cardinal Szoka is colored red and white to indicate his Polish heritage and contains personal and family emblems.

The shield at the center of the coat of arms contains a wavy white line similar to that of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, where he was raised. The symbols inside the white line, fleurs-de-lis and nails, also appear on the coat of arms of the Diocese of Marquette, where Szoka joined the priesthood in 1954.

A crown, pierced with arrows, in the top right of the shield is a symbol of St. Edmund, the cardinal’s namesake. The lower left corner contains a symbol of St. Casimir, the patron saint of Poland.

A motto, “To Live in Faith,” appears below the shield, which is a reference to St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians, which reads "…yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me." (Gal 2:20).

Szoka’s title as cardinal is seen not only in the number of tassels supporting the shield, 15, but in the color red throughout the seal.

Reference:

• www.aod.org
• www.araldicavaticana.com