COAT OF ARMS 

 

Explained by Archbishop Angel L. Lagdameo ( August 29, 1989)

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The Episcopal Coat-of-Arms of Bishop Obviar, simple and direct as it is, speaks of the Bishop himself, His ministry and devotion. This is the seal that he carried when he was Auxiliary Bishop of Lipa, in the time of Bishop Alfredo Versoza, his mentor, and when he became for many years, Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Lucena.

An old copy of his coat-of-arms has these words around it: D. Afridus Obviar Aranda, Dei et Apostolicate Sedis Gratia, Episcopus Linoensis. Translated as: Lord Alfredo Obviar Aranda, by the grace of God and the Apostolic See (Titular) Bishop of Linoe. In the tradition of the Church, Auxiliary Bishops were given the title to some ancient (defunct) diocese in the ancient church. Linoe is one of these ancient churches.

 

Instead of symbols, Bishop Obviar’s seal had the picture of Christ on the left side, and of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel on the right side. Christ is presented as carrying a staff, which could be interpreted as a pastoral staff and knocking at a closed door. It speaks of the pastoral ministry of Bishop, which included visiting the homes of his parishioners, to gather them for street corner catechesis or “conferencilla”. This is the picture of the Good Shepherd attending to his sheep or looking for the lost sheep. This spirit of his ministry was the one he communicated to his priests and to the Missionary Catechists of St. Therese, which he founded. This is the picture of the pastor looking after the people entrusted to him.

  On the right side of the seal is the image of our Lady of Mt. Carmel to whom he was passionately devoted, as a member of the Third Order of Carmel Discalced (TOCD). He named the Seminary in Sariaya after her, too. In this time, devotion to our Lady Mt. Carmel spread throughout the diocese. The members were instructed to pray with the Blessed Mother for the sanctification of the clergy and the spread of priestly vocation.

 

Part of the seal is Bishop Obviar’s Episcopal Motto which reads: “Faciem Tuam Domine Requiram”, from Psalm 27:8, “Your Face, O Lord, I seek.” “Face” is likewise translated as “Presence”. This motto is what motivated and drove Bishop Obviar to pray, to meditate, to spend “holy hour” before the Blessed Sacrament. This Holy Hour he spent either in the early morning or at 3 o’clock in the afternoon or in the evening before dinner. “Your Presence, O Lord, I seek.”

As Bishop of Lucena, he continuously reminded the priests to be “comtemplative in action”. For him active ministry would lose meaning and direction without prayer or contemplation. He encouraged them to spend “Hora Santa” – Holy Hour- preferably before the Blessed Sacrament, or in one’s private room. Bishop Obviar’s spiritual custom and instruction to the priests quietly started the spiritual culture of many priests and communities. It is a tradition that Bishop Obviar imbibed from the example of Jesus Christ in the Gospel, who after a day’s work would go into the solitude of the mountain to pray.