Bishop Slattery Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of Bishop Edward J. Slattery joins, as is customary, his personal crest with that of the diocese he serves. On the left side of the shield, as you view it, is the crest of the diocese of Tulsa, and the right is Bishop Slattery's personal crest. 

Bishop Slattery preferred to display emblems which are significant to him personally. The principal figure is the arms of the Catholic Extension Society - where Bishop Slattery was associated since 1971 and President from 1976 - to which are added a gold crescent. The Extension arms are a silver field bearing a red cross with blue sidebars. The red, white, and blue symbolize the long history of Extension's involvement with American home missions.
 

The Extension arms have particular significance for Oklahoma Catholics. Not only has the church benefited from Extension generosity, but three of Extension's former officers have become bishops in Oklahoma: Bishop Francis Kelley, Bishop Eugene McGuinness, and Bishop Slattery.

The gold crescent moon which personalizes the arms for Bishop Slattery represents Mary, the Mother of God, whom the Church traditionally refers to as "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon at her feet." Mary also is significant of Bishop Slattery's home parish in Chicago, the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The upper part of the shield bears a golden sun bearing the Monogram of Jesus (the IHS with a cross through it) in red. This is a Jesuit symbol, special to Bishop Slattery who was educated by the Jesuits at Mundelein. The sun appears against a field of green, a color associated with Ireland. By including green, Bishop Slattery pays tribute to his Irish heritage. Both sets of the bishop's grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from Ireland.

Above the shield are a gold processional cross and a green clerical hat with six tassels, arranged in three rows on each hat string. These are traditional heraldic symbols for the office of bishop. The hat is the clerical counterpart to the military helmet, which appear on a lay person's arms.

Bishop Slattery's motto, Tu Solus Sanctus, translates as "You alone are the Holy One" and refers to Jesus; it is a quote from the Gloria of the Mass.
 

The emblems of the left side of the crest, those of the Diocese of Tulsa, are derived from those originally created for the Diocese of Oklahoma as authorized by Bishop Kelley in 1924.