Paul Gregory Bootkoski

PAUL GREGORY BOOTKOSKI

Born: July 4, 1940
Deceased:

Auxiliary Bishop of Newark, 1997-2002
Bishop of Metuchen, 2002-2016

Auxiliary Bishop of Newark

Bishop of Metuchen

Official blazon
English	blazon wanted

Origin/meaning

As common in US episcopal heraldry, the arms show the arms of the diocese combined (here as an escutcheon) with the personal arms of the bishop.

The two red fish on silver in the first quarter are reminiscent of the arms of a (non-related) Klimek family (the Bishop's maternal ancestors). The name "Klimek" is a variation of "Clement" who was the third successor to St. Peter as Bishop of Rome. The fish remind us of Peter, the Fisherman and his successors. Their inclusion also honors the faith-filled witness of Bishop Bootkoski's maternal grandparents and the influence they had on his life and faith.

The book in the second quarter has a twofold significance. First, it stands for the Word of God which Bishop Bootkoski has preached throughout his priestly ministry and now preaches in a special way as a successor to the apostles and chief shepherd of a local church. The book also stands for the Holy Rule of Saint Benedict. This is a tribute to a Saint for whom the Bishop has a personal devotion and to the Benedictine Order whose monks have had a great formative influence in the Bishop's spiritual life, education and vocation.

The third quarter is based on the arms of the Archdiocese of Newark. The Bishop served as priest bishop and administrator in this Archdiocese before coming to the Diocese of Metuchen. These wavy lines represent the six rivers that touch the Newark Archdiocese (Hackensack, Hudson, Passaic, Rahway, Raritan and Saddle Rivers).

The last quarter shows a red background with a silver wagon wheel. The wheel is broken at the top and has a cross issuing from the center. This is from the family arms of the Bishop's paternal ancestors from Poland. Polish heraldry often makes use of what are called "house marks" utilized by various tradesmen as symbols of their profession. The wheel was used as a symbol of the carpenter's trade. The Butkowski (Bootkoski is a variant) family were apparently carpenters. The silver cross issuing from the center of the wheel is both an indication of their faith and an expression of their hope that their work might give glory to God.

The principal colors on the shield are also significant. The first and fourth quarters alluding to the Bishop's family employ red and white, which are the national colors of Poland. The overall design makes use primarily of red, white and blue. These are the national colors of the United States of America on whose national day of Independence (July 4) the Bishop was born.

The achievement is completed with the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop by instruction of the Holy See, of March 1969, confirmed in March 2001.

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