COAT OF ARMS

The Mitre heads the Coat of Arms

The Mitre sign & symbol of the Episcopacy sharing the power of Christ over the faithful entrusted to his care.

P Cristos is the ancient symbol of Christ engraved in the catacombs enjoining the peace of the risen Christ.

M with the cross stands for Mary who begot Jesus the savior if the world and she was with him not only under the cross but also with the apostles at the foundation of the infant church.

The other cross with J is Joseph, the chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin, wise, just and prudent guardian of Mary, Jesus and the Church.

Below that is the Lamb of God pointed out by St. John the Baptist. Patron of the Lashkar Church and of Gwalior Diocese. The symbol stands for St. John Baptist and the New Diocese.

The three letters in the Circular niche: JRG have connotations each to places and subjects:-

J stand for Jhansi which was the prefecture & then Diocese which the new bishop chose to serve, It is also for St. Jude Theddeus the Patron of Jhansi Diocese.

R stands for Rome and Regula. The Bishop was privileged to study in Rome where he aquired deep love for church discipline – canon law – on which he obtained his doctorate.

G Primarily stands for Gothuruth, his home parish in Kerala; it was Verapoly first and after the bifurcation, in the diocese of Kottapuram. It also stands for Gwalior, the new diocese of which he is the first Bishop. It can also be attributed to Germany where the Bishop loves to go for pastoral work and gets many friends to extend their hearty co-operation in his sacerdotal and now Episcopal ministry.

The Crozier is the shepherd’s crook to signify the office of the shepherding the flock of Christ’s believers. Crossed with the staff of St. Joseph with legendary lilies that blossomed as the suitor of Virgin Mary, lilies of chastity and purity.

Finally, the Franciscan symbol of the two pierced hands of Christ crucified and Francis of  Assisi, whose sons, the capuchins were the under predecessors of the mission. Bishop (Blessed) Hartmann, Parish Priest of Gwalior, and the Italian Capuchins of Agra and Maltese Capuchins, who succeeded them; slowly yet steadily preparing the Indian clergy to take over; ad Perpetuam reimemoriam’ of their missionary labours being gratefully remembered.