The Coat of Arms of His Excellency, the
Most Reverend Fabian Wendelin Bruskewitz D.D., Bishop of Lincoln

The episcopal heraldic achievement, or as it is more commonly known, the bishop's coat of arms, is composed of a shield, with its charges (symbols), a motto scroll and the external ornaments. The shield, which is the central and most important feature of any heraldic device, is described (blazoned) in 12th century terms, that are archaic to our modern language and this description is done as if being given by the bearer with the shield being worn on the arm. Thus, the terms dexter and sinister are reversed as the device is viewed from the front.

By heraldic tradition, the arms of the bishop of a diocese, called the Ordinary, are joined (impaled) with the arms of his jurisdicition which are seen in the dexter impalement (left side) of the shield. In this case, these are the arms of the Diocese of Lincoln.

These arms are composed of a silver (white) field on which there is a red pale (vertical bar) and a blue chief on which there is placed a silver (white) six pointed star. These arms are a varitaion of the arms of the Union that was preserved by Abraham Lincoln, for whom the See City is named. The entire coat of arms of the United States is displayed on a shield on the breast of an American Eagle. These arms are composed of a field of thirteen, alternating bars of red and white, for the thirteen original colonies, and a blue chief, representing the Congress. In 1867 Nebraska became a state, and Lancaster, chosen as its capital, became Lincoln, to honor the slain President. On the upper portion of these arms is a six pointed star to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, patroness of the Diocese.

For his personal arms, seen in the sinister impalement (right side) of the design, His Excellency, Bishop Bruskewitz has adopted a design that reflects his heritage and life as a priest and, now as a bishop.

His Excellency's personal arms are composed of two portions. The upper section, the gyronny of red and silver (white), is a variation on the arms of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, where His Excellency served until his election to become the Bishop of Lincoln. In the center of these arms is a gold (yellow) plate, called a bezant, on which is placed a dove, in his proper color, to honor Saint Fabian, the Bishop's baptismal patron. The lower portion is a slight variation of the arms of the family "Bruskewitz," and by the use of the use of this device His Excellency honors the heritage of his parents Wendelin and Frances (talsky) Bruskewitz. The family arms have been varied, for difference, by replacing the blue roundels in the 1st and 4th quarters with blue crosses, of the Faith.

For his motto, His Excellency, Bishop Bruskewitz, has selected the title and first line of an ancient hymn of Gregorian Chant to the Blessed Virgin Mary "SUB TUUM PRAESIDIUM." The first line of this hymn, roughly translated, says "We fly to thy protection," and it is "TO THY PROTECTION" that each of us must go if we are to know, love and serve Mary's son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The device is completed with the external ornaments which are a gold processional cross, which is placed in back of the shield and which extends above and below the shield, and a pontifical hat, called a gallero, with its six tassels, in three rows, on either side of the shield, all in green. These are the heraldic insignia of prelate of the rank of bishop, by instruction of the Holy See of March 31, 1969.

The Coat of Arms was designed by Paul J. Sullivan of Narragansett, Rhode Island.