Bishop Ottenweller's Coat of Arms

Description of the shield:
Bishop Ottenweller's Coat of Arms on the left side shows a farm scene, because his whole priestly and episcopal ministry has been spent in rural communities, much of it with farm labor. The sun with the "Chi Rho" represents Christ with overtones of the Holy Eucharist, the center of his pastoral care. The anvil is set in both fields to indicate the Ottenweller family occupation of blacksmithing and that steel and coal are two principal industries of the Diocese of Steubenville. Bishop Ottenweller's motto, shown under the shield in the coat of arms, is "Peace, the Fruit of Justice." It is taken from the writings of Pope John XXIII.

A processional cross surmounted by a green ecclesiastical hat is placed behind the shield. Six tassels on either side denote the rank of bishop. These are symbols of episcopal power and jurisdiction. The hat has been used in coats of arms for centuries as a distinctive mark of ecclesiastical heraldry..

MOTTO: PEACE, THE FRUIT OF JUSTICE.

SIGNIFICANCE:
A Bishop's Coat of Arms is primarily a ceremonial sign. It indicates the personal history and family background of the Bishop and the spirit and traditions of the diocese in which he serves.

The Coat of Arms has two sides: the right half concerned with the diocese, and the left half  depicts the Bishop's personal history.

The upper quarter of the right half is symbolic of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the patroness of the Diocese. This dedication is represented by a field of blue, the traditional color of the Blessed Virgin Mary, upon which is emblazoned a silver heart and a rose. (Bishop Ottenweller had chosen the red rose of Our Lady of Guadalupe, because of his long years of ministry to the Mexican American migrant workers.) Beneath this is a silver crescent, indicating the Immaculate Conception.

In the middle section is found the arms of the von Steuben family, which was used by Baron von Steuben, after whom the city is named, as his personal arms. This, of course, indicates the city of Steubenville. The field is halved into white and blue, with a diagonal stripe in red.

In the lower section red Pentecostal tongues of fire on a white field refer to the Church's mission. This symbol is based on the text of St. Luke, chapter 12, verse 49: "I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!"

The Cathedral of the Holy Name of Jesus is indicated by a golden crown resting on a field of red.

The coat of arms was designed for Bishop Ottenweller by Richard Dukes, a member of St. John the Evangelist Parish, Delphos, Ohio, where the bishop served as associate and pastor for 24 years.