Coat of arms of Charles Michael Jarrell

For his personal coat of arms, His Excellency, Bishop Jarrell has retained the arms that he adopted at the time that he was selected to become a bishop in 1993 when he was ordained to be the Bishop of Houma-Thibodeaux. These arms are composed of a silver (white) field on which is displayed a cross that looks like a sword and is called a “cross fleuretty fitcheé.” The cross in the form of a sword is used to honor St. Michael, the Archangel and warrior and the baptismal patron of Bishop Jarrell. The ends of the cross are in the form of a fleur-de-lis to honor the Bishop’s French (Cajun) heritage. At the bottom of the cross is a spring of cotton, called “Proper”, or “as it appears in nature,” to honor the cotton industry which is so important to south Louisiana and in which the Bishop’s family were engaged in business. At the bottom of the Bishop’s personal arms are two wavy blue bars, used to represent water which, again, is so important to south Louisiana for sport and the commercial fishing trades.

For his motto, His Excellency, Bishop Jarrell has retained the phrase “In Omnibus Caritas,” which is Latin for “In All Things Charity”. This phrase, which was popularized by Pope Blessed John XXIII at the time of the Second Vatican Council, expresses that for all of us, as followers of Christ, we must have in our hearts and in everything that we do, we must do it all with love and charity.

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

Reference:

• www.diolaf.org