William Russell Houck

From Heraldry of the World
Jump to navigation Jump to search

WILLIAM RUSSELL HOUCK

Born: July 26, 1926
Deceased: March 9, 2016

Auxiliary Bishop of Jackson, 1979-1984
Bishop of Jackson, 1984-2003

Arms (crest) of William Russell Houck

Auxiliary Bishop
Arms (crest) of William Russell Houck

Bishop
Official blazon
English blazon wanted

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 primary colors, blue and silver, are customarily used in heraldry to depict water, as indeed they are used in the diocesan arms. On Bishop Houck's personal arms, they refer to the Mississippi River Basin, wherein the Bishop has spent the greater part of his ministry, first in Alabama and later, as Bishop, in Mississippi.

The wolfs head, which appears in gold, is a reference to Saint William of Vercelli, patron saint of both the Bishop and of his father. Saint William was a hermit who dwelled in the mountain wilderness of Monte Vergine in Italy. His legend attests that he befriended the wolves of that region and was trusted by them. Saint William of Vercelli died in 1142. His feast day is June 25.

The fleurs-de-lys, which are a prominent feature of the royal arms of France, recall the Bishop's ancestry on his mother's side; their silver color is a punning reference to her family name, Blanchard.

The open book bearing the initials Alpha and Omega is a symbol of the Bishop's years spent as an educator. It may also be seen as referring to the role of any bishop as the chief teacher of his diocese.

The motto - "Proclaim Jesus Christ is Lord"- taken from Philippians 2:11, likewise bespeaks the teaching and preaching office of the Bishop among his people.

The achievement is completed with the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop by instruction of the Holy See, of March 1969, confirmed in March 2001.



Religious or Ecclesiastical heraldry portal



This page is part of the
Ceh.jpg
Ecclesiastical heraldry portal


Logo-new.jpg
Heraldry of the World

Catholic heraldry


Other Christian churches


Other religions


  • Total pages in the Ecclesiastical section : 18,802
  • Total images in the Ecclesiastical section : 17,728

Contact and Support

Partners:

Your logo here ?
Contact us



© since 1995, Heraldry of the World, Ralf Hartemink Ralf Hartemink arms.jpg
Index of the site

Literature:

http://jacksondiocese.org/about/bishop/bishops/bishop-william-r-houck/