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The Coat of Arms of Abbot Dismas |
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It is customary for an abbot to use an emblem or coat of arms that identifies him as well as the religious community he serves. The coat of arms of Abbot Dismas is crested by a black hat and six tassels on each side to indicate his status as a prelate in the Catholic Church. This “gallero” takes the place of the knight’s helmet found usually in the coats of arms of families. Placed behind the shield itself is the crosier that represents the abbatial dignity and sacred rank of Abbot Dismas as well as his jurisdiction over a community of monks. The arms of St. Procopius Abbey occupies the left half of the shield where one sees an eagle superimposed on a black cross. The eagle is a Czech heraldic symbol and thus represents the ethnic foundation of the abbey in 1885. The Cross behind the eagle reflects the abbey as a Christian community. The right side of the shield contains personal references to Abbot Dismas’ life and work. The triple peaked form represents the Triglav, the highest mountains in Slovenia, the country of the Abbot’s ancestors. Atop the peaks are three Latin crosses suggesting the mount of Calvary where Jesus promised Dismas, the traditional name of the Good Thief, that “this day you will be with me in paradise.” Rays of the rising sun behind the peaks allude to the Abbot’s motto and to Christ’s victory over sin and death. Above is an open book representing the Bible, the Rule of St. Benedict, the books used in learning and teaching, as well as a ledger, reflecting the Abbot’s bckground in economics, business, and administration. At the bottom is the motto of Abbot Dismas, “The mercies of the Lord are new every morning.” Taken from the 3rd Chapter of the Book of Lamentations, this text was a favorite of Blessed Pope John XXIII, whom Abbot Dismas admires as the pontiff who reigned during the early years of his monastic life and who initiated Vatican Council II.
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