The Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Savannah

The Coat of Arms for the Diocese of Savannah is a cross of red on silver background. The cross is in fact the Cross of St. George. This symbolizes the state of Georgia, which was named for King George II. The four blue stars signify that Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the Constitution of United States. The gold rose found in the middle of the cross is the Cherokee rose, the state flower of Georgia, and is also associated with the Rose of Sharon as well as Mary, the Mystical Rose.

The Coat of Arms of Bishop Emeritus Boland

The personal Arms of Bishop Boland consist of a blue (azure) shield charged with a round tower of gold (or), representative of St. Kevin, the bishop's patron saint who founded a monastic settlement at Glendalough, County Wicklow, where a round tower can be found to this day. In the "chief," or upper portion of the shield, is a red (gules) lion in a walking position with tongue and claws of blue. The chief and lion are found in the Arms of the Irish sept of Boland and the lion also commemorates the sept of O'Brien, the bishop's maternal family.

Processional Cross

BBehind the Arms is placed a gold processional cross for which Bishop Boland has chosen a Celtic cross signifying his homeland.

Pontifical Hat

Surrounding the shield and processional cross is the pontifical hat with six tassels on each side disposed in three rows, all in green. These are the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop in accordance with the Instruction of the Holy See, dated 31 March 1969. Before 1870, the pontifical hat, known as a galero, was worn at solemn cavalcades held in conjunction with papal ceremonies. The color of the hat and the number of tassels were signs of the rank of the prelate, a custom still preserved in ecclesiastical heraldry.