Catholic Diocese of El Paso


	Coat of Arms of Bishop Armando X. Ochoa ~~____________________________________________~~ Blazon: Arms impaled. Dexter: Azure, issuant from a border wavy two inverted piles, each surmounted by trefoil below a star All Argent; on a chief Or, an anchor cabled of the first. Sinister: Vert, a bar chequy Or and Sable; in chief a star Argent between two wings of the second and in base a boat at sail of the second, equipped of the fourth, the sail charged with a cross Gules. Significance: The Episcopal heraldic achievement, or as it is more commonly know, the Bishop’s coat of arms, is composed of a shield, with its charges, a motto scroll and the external ornaments. The shield, which is the central and most important feature of any heraldic device, is described (blazoned) in twelfth century terms that are archaic to our modern language. Additionally, the shield is blazoned as if being done by the bearer, with the shield being worn on the arm and viewed from the rear. Thus, it must be remembered that the terms “dexter” and “sinister” are reversed as the device is seen from the front. By heraldic tradition, the arms of the local Bishop, called the “Ordinary,” are joined to the arms of his jurisdiction, in this case the Diocese of El Paso. These arms are composed of two main sections. The first and major portion of the design is blue and silver (white) to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in her title of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the United States. The blue field is enclosed within a silver (white) wavy border to give the illusion of an island reflecting the fact that the first mission established at what is now El Paso was called “Ysleta,” which is Spanish for “little Island.” The wavy border is also used to represent the river, Rio Grande, at which El Paso is a border city. Issuant from the base of the design are two silver (white) inverted piles (triangles with their points upward) to signify the two hills that form “the pass,” “el paso,” for which the city is named. This play on the name is completed by the Texas Lone Star, the North Star, because the See City was formerly known as “El Paso del Norte.” Each of the piles is ornamented by a trefoil (a three-petal flower or shamrock) to honor the titular of the Cathedral in El Paso, St. Patrick. The upper third of the design, known as a “chief,” is gold (yellow) and is charged with an anchor equipped with a rope, called “cabled.” This representation is taken from the arms of His Holiness, Pope St. Pius X, who established the Diocese of El Paso in 1914. For his personal arms, His Excellency Bishop Ochoa has retained the design that was adopted at the time of his selection to be Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles and that reflects his Hispanic heritage and his calling to the service of The Church. The background of the shield, known as the field, is green to reflect the derivation of the Bishop’s family name which is taken from the Basque word for pasture. On this field is placed a bar of gold (yellow) and black checks, which is the classic heraldic representation of St. Francis Xavier to honor the Bishop’s baptismal patron. Above the chequy bar are the combined symbols of two angle’s wings in gold on either side of a silver (white) star. These charges are used to pay particular honor to the Bishop’s parents Angel and March Ochoa. These symbols have an additional significance because Bishop Ochoa was an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (“The City of Angels”) and he also has deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her title of Star of the Sea. Below the chequy bar is a golden ship at sail (white sail with a red cross) to honor the Bishop’s particular patron, St. Jude, the Apostle. Tradition tells us that St. Simon, traveled throughout the Mediterranean spreading The Gospel of Our Lord. This symbolism reminds Bishop Ochoa that his mission, as a priest and as a bishop, is to follow the example of these Apostles and to spread The Gospel according to Christ’s own command. For his motto, His Excellency Bishop Ochoa has selected the phrase, “PREPAREN EL CAMINO DEL SEÑOR” (“Prepare the way of the Lord”). This quote is actually found in each of the Synoptic Gospels (Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; and Luke 3:4) and is alluded to in the Gospel of St. John (1:23). By the use of this phrase, His Excellency Bishop Ochoa expresses that in the rugged wilderness of West Texas, as a Bishop he is called to prepare the way of the Lord by the proclamation of The Gospel and by how he lives and sets examples. It is in this way that the Bishop is to lead the souls entrusted to him to eternal salvation, which is Christ, in the life to come. The device is completed with the external ornaments which are a gold processional cross, which is placed in back of shield and which extends above and below the shield, and pontifical hat, called gallero, with its six tassels, in three rows, on either side of the shield, all in green. These are the heraldic insignia of prelate of the rank of Bishop, by instruction of the Holy See of March 31, 1969. By: Deacon Paul J. Sullivan Written 26 IV 96 back to top Home \| About \| Directory \| Parishes \| Ministries \| Schools \| Calendars Site Map \| Contact

Coat of Arms of Bishop Armando X. Ochoa
~~____________________________________________~~

Blazon:
Arms impaled. Dexter: Azure, issuant from a border wavy two inverted piles, each surmounted by trefoil below a star All Argent; on a chief Or, an anchor cabled of the first. Sinister: Vert, a bar chequy Or and Sable; in chief a star Argent between two wings of the second and in base a boat at sail of the second, equipped of the fourth, the sail charged with a cross Gules.

Significance:
The Episcopal heraldic achievement, or as it is more commonly know, the Bishop’s coat of arms, is composed of a shield, with its charges, a motto scroll and the external ornaments. The shield, which is the central and most important feature of any heraldic device, is described (blazoned) in twelfth century terms that are archaic to our modern language. Additionally, the shield is blazoned as if being done by the bearer, with the shield being worn on the arm and viewed from the rear. Thus, it must be remembered that the terms “dexter” and “sinister” are reversed as the device is seen from the front.

By heraldic tradition, the arms of the local Bishop, called the “Ordinary,” are joined to the arms of his jurisdiction, in this case the Diocese of El Paso.

These arms are composed of two main sections. The first and major portion of the design is blue and silver (white) to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in her title of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the United States. The blue field is enclosed within a silver (white) wavy border to give the illusion of an island reflecting the fact that the first mission established at what is now El Paso was called “Ysleta,” which is Spanish for “little Island.” The wavy border is also used to represent the river, Rio Grande, at which El Paso is a border city.

Issuant from the base of the design are two silver (white) inverted piles (triangles with their points upward) to signify the two hills that form “the pass,” “el paso,” for which the city is named. This play on the name is completed by the Texas Lone Star, the North Star, because the See City was formerly known as “El Paso del Norte.” Each of the piles is ornamented by a trefoil (a three-petal flower or shamrock) to honor the titular of the Cathedral in El Paso, St. Patrick.

The upper third of the design, known as a “chief,” is gold (yellow) and is charged with an anchor equipped with a rope, called “cabled.” This representation is taken from the arms of His Holiness, Pope St. Pius X, who established the Diocese of El Paso in 1914.

For his personal arms, His Excellency Bishop Ochoa has retained the design that was adopted at the time of his selection to be Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles and that reflects his Hispanic heritage and his calling to the service of The Church.

The background of the shield, known as the field, is green to reflect the derivation of the Bishop’s family name which is taken from the Basque word for pasture. On this field is placed a bar of gold (yellow) and black checks, which is the classic heraldic representation of St. Francis Xavier to honor the Bishop’s baptismal patron.

Above the chequy bar are the combined symbols of two angle’s wings in gold on either side of a silver (white) star. These charges are used to pay particular honor to the Bishop’s parents Angel and March Ochoa. These symbols have an additional significance because Bishop Ochoa was an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (“The City of Angels”) and he also has deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her title of Star of the Sea.

Below the chequy bar is a golden ship at sail (white sail with a red cross) to honor the Bishop’s particular patron, St. Jude, the Apostle. Tradition tells us that St. Simon, traveled throughout the Mediterranean spreading The Gospel of Our Lord. This symbolism reminds Bishop Ochoa that his mission, as a priest and as a bishop, is to follow the example of these Apostles and to spread The Gospel according to Christ’s own command.

For his motto, His Excellency Bishop Ochoa has selected the phrase, “PREPAREN EL CAMINO DEL SEÑOR” (“Prepare the way of the Lord”). This quote is actually found in each of the Synoptic Gospels (Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; and Luke 3:4) and is alluded to in the Gospel of St. John (1:23). By the use of this phrase, His Excellency Bishop Ochoa expresses that in the rugged wilderness of West Texas, as a Bishop he is called to prepare the way of the Lord by the proclamation of The Gospel and by how he lives and sets examples. It is in this way that the Bishop is to lead the souls entrusted to him to eternal salvation, which is Christ, in the life to come.

The device is completed with the external ornaments which are a gold processional cross, which is placed in back of shield and which extends above and below the shield, and pontifical hat, called gallero, with its six tassels, in three rows, on either side of the shield, all in green. These are the heraldic insignia of prelate of the rank of Bishop, by instruction of the Holy See of March 31, 1969.

By: Deacon Paul J. Sullivan
Written 26 IV 96

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