Ask the Verger: What is the symbolism of The Shield of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Georgia?
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| Ask the Verger: What is the symbolism of The Shield of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Georgia?
by Bruce Garner The shield of our parish is similar to the family crest of a family that has a long history. It tells a story with symbolism. Our parish shield is visible in a number of locations around the church. A fabric version exists in the form of a processional banner that usually hangs on a banner stand next to the lectern in the church. Painted versions appear on the ceiling above the choir and altar areas of the church (that area is properly called the chancel and includes the choir and the sanctuary or area between the altar rail and the reredos behind the altar). The painted area above the chancel is the apse ceiling and the All Saints’ Atlanta Shield is featured prominently on alternating panels in our signature red with gold trim. The parish shield is also a part of much of our stationery, and it appears on almost all of our publications in some location, often with the address. It is a part of our webpage as well. So, while we see the All Saints’ Atlanta shield all around us, what does it signify, what does it mean? Like a family crest, the shield of All Saints’ Atlanta includes symbols that are generic in nature as well as those that are unique to our parish. The most prominent generic symbol on our shield is the “cross and crown.” A cross and crown, when shown together, represent “all the saints” or All Saints in a general way. The empty cross is itself the symbol of the triumph of the resurrection over death. The crown represents the crown of victory given the saints who have entered into glory. Sometimes the cross is shown at angle with the crown. Our shield shows the cross perpendicular to the crown. The cross on the All Saints’ Atlanta shield divides the shield into four quadrants, a frequent format also found in family crests. The crown is placed at the intersection of the cross piece with the upright. As you face the shield, you notice palm branches crossed and placed “within” the crown. The first official service of All Saints’ Church took place on Palm Sunday, 1903. The palm branch thus became part of our history and is depicted accordingly on our parish shield. Again, as you face the shield, the upper left quadrant contains a stylized version of the phoenix. The phoenix is a mythical bird that is regularly re-born from its own ashes. The phoenix is the official symbol of the City of Atlanta, referring to the city’s great rebirth from the ashes left after it was burned during the Civil War in the Battle of Atlanta. We include the phoenix as part of our parish shield to indicate that we are All Saints’ Atlanta rather than All Saint’s parish somewhere else. (And, yes, there is a phoenix in some of the Harry Potter stories that also bursts into flame and then rises from its own ashes. Our phoenix comes from the history of the City of Atlanta rather than Harry Potter!) Creating a fabric version of a phoenix always seems to be a challenge. Some of the versions we have had resembled a turkey or some other bird more than a phoenix. Painted and printed versions are much easier to depict. Thus, when we look at our parish shield, we see a combination of the historic symbols of heraldry, the symbols of the history of our city, and the symbols of the history of our parish, all worked together to create a symbol unique to All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Bruce Garner has been a member of All Saints’ since 1981. He became a verger in the early 90’s and became Head Verger in April 1996 upon the death of his predecessor, Mark Graham. When asked what a verger does, his most frequent response is that he is a “liturgical stage manager,” but sometimes he gives the humorous reply of “herding cats.” Coordinating Sunday services is usually an adventure unto itself. Worship is a divine theatrical event, and God is entitled to the best “show” possible. Directory: wp-content -> uploads -> 2011 2011 -> Voices of the Old Sea Norman Lewis 2011 -> Malevil Robert Merle 2011 -> The Elephant Keeper’s Children Peter Hoeg 2011 -> Jv packet •Mars Colonization Affirmative •Mars Colonization Negative 2011 -> Registration Form (Rev. 8-86) omb no. 1024-0018 2011 -> All America Looks Up to Virginia;” Virginia and the Declaration of Independence 2011 -> Rao bulletin 2011 -> Christopher Columbus was born between 25 August and 31 October 1451 in 2011 -> The Battle of Frenchtown (1855), Washington Territory: the Political and Demographic Context rev 9/4/11 2011 -> Seti aff •seti neg •Asteroids Aff Download 6.43 Kb. Share with your friends:
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