Catholicism is woven into the history of Texas so completely that it is virtually impossible to separate the two. Spanish explorers, who “happened” on Texas in 1519, while looking for a short cut to the Orient, were agents of the Catholic King and Queen of Spain and were charged with the dual mission of exploring and Christianizing by spreading the Gospel. Spanish conquistadors, whose task was to plant the flag of Spain in the new land, marched side-by-side with missionaries whose charge was to plant the Catholic cross. Their Catholic culture is reflected in the names they gave to the land: Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ; rivers named for the Most Holy Trinity, the “Trinity”; and the Arms of God, the “Brazos”. Often times the missionaries were the advance guard, their missions the first outposts in the wilderness.
Resources
- Bishops of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas
- Timeline of History of the Diocese of Dallas
- Teacher Resources
(includes eBooks on the History of the Diocese) - History of the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe
The Coat of Arms for the Diocese of Dallas
Crests or coats-of-arms tell about the history of a place or a family, the crest of the Diocese of Dallas is no different. Through its imagery, the crest presents a symbolic history of the Diocese of Dallas.
In the lower left corner is a star, it represents the Lone Star of Texas. Running diagonally is a wavy line with three blue fleurs-de-lis. The fleur-de-lis, or flower of life, is a symbol of the Holy Trinity and is also the national symbol of France. In the crest both symbols are meaningful. The wavy line represents the Trinity River, whose original name was Most Holy Trinity. Three fleurs-de-lis represent the Trinity. They also recall the French priests who first served the diocese.