History of the Diocesan Seal, c. 1969

History taken from the newspaper of the Diocese, The Southern Cross, in 1969/70. The seal was created when the Diocese was created out of the Diocese of South Florida.

Shown is the new seal of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida. St. Peter's Cathedral also has a banner with the seal on it which was carried in procession at Bishop Hargrave's Installation Service.

The Seal of the Diocese of Southwest Florida shall be its arms within a vesica form, to wit:

Party of three; in chief per pale argent, a pelican in its piety vulning itself, proper; and azure, a mullet of the first; the base parted fesswise wavy or, a setting sun gules issuing from the fess line, and argent two barrulets wavy of the second, within a bordure of the arms of the Diocese of South Florida, to wit: quarterly the first sable, the second and third argent, the fourth azure; a cross gules, fimbriated of the second, ; the whole ensigned with a precious mitre resting on two keys in saltire. On the border, the following inscription, Seal of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, 1969.

The language of Heraldry is very precise and archaic, and this official description of the new arms of the Diocese would convey very little to most people, so there follows in everyday language some of the symbolism and significance to this diocese:

First of all, the Seal is placed in a "vesica piscis" or pointed oval, conventionally representing a fish. The fish as one of the earlieest symbols for Christ, the letters of the Greek word for fish, ICHTHUS, being the initials of an ingenious rebus for the Greek words meaning "Jesus Christ, Son of God Saviour." Thus the Church began to use a most appropriate symbol for its Lord in an area of the world where fishing was and is also a way of life.

In the upper right of the shield (and it is always the shield's own right) appears none other than our Suncoast friend, the pelican. He has been curiously glorified by early monks into a common symbol of the sacrifice of Christ feeding us with His blood, or of Mother Church feeding her young with the life blood from her breast. This symbol is found so carved in many churches throughout Christendom.

Next, on a blue field, we have the star from the shield of the Diocese of South Forida, interpreting it to represent Canopus, brightest star of the Southern Cross, and visible in the United States only from the southernmost locations.

In the lower half of the shield, the wavy lines of white and blue heraldically represent the Gulf of Mexico, with a flaming sun slipping below the horizon in a golden sunset sky. Around this is a border showing the red cross and quartered colors from the arms of the mother Diocese of South Florida, indicating our common background and derivation.

Above the shield is the conventional bishop's mitre (termed "precious" because it is jeweled) resting upon crossed keys showing ecclesiastical authority and also the traditional symbol of St. Peter. As for the colors mentioned in the official description or Blazon, or is gold or yellow; argent is silver or white; sable is black; azure is blue; and gules is red. All these go back to the Norman French of the Age of Chivalry.

About the artist of the Diocesan Seal

Miss Amie H. Medary was born in Groton, Conn. and spent many seasons in St. Petersburg before moving here. The daughter of the Rev. H. M. Medary, she was trained in heraldry by her father, who worked on heraldry for many dioceses around the U.S. The Rev. Medary was the rector of Memorial Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia and St. Thomas' in Taunton, Mass.

She received her college education at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Miss Medary joined the SPARS during World War II and served three years. She retired as lieutenant commander of the Coast Guard Reserve.

She exhibited art in Philadelphia, Washington, San Francisco and New York and is listed in "Who's Who of American Artists" and "Who's Who of American Women." A member of Reserve Officers Association District of Columbia Chapter, she was a member of Retired Officers Association of St. Petersburg Branch, National League of American Pen Women and was a former Girl Scout Leader.

The Evening Independent described her as an "artist of some note" who was active with the Art Club of St. Petersburg and known for her watercolor portraits and landscapes.

History of the Seal

• Evening Independent religion story on the seal at St. Peter's Cathedral

Downloads of the Seal

In 2012, the Diocese of Southwest Florida created new versions of the Diocesan Shield with corrected colors and more detailed features. You can download these HERE.