Arms of Joseph Phuong Nguyen

Blazon

Per pale Azure and Gules, a chim lac volant Or ensigned by a jib and a mainsail Argent charged with a Latin cross patonce per pale Gules and Vert bearing a Latin cross Argent, on a chief dancetty Or in dexter a mullet Azure;

Symbolism

For Bishop Nguyen, blue represents trust and red represents a strong will, traits that sustained him in his difficult journey from hardship and persecution in Vietnam to his new home in Canada. The chim lac, a mythical bird in Vietnamese folklore, represents Bishop Nguyen’s heritage. As a creature of flight, it also expresses the idea of hope and optimism in embarking on new challenges. The sails convey the idea of a boat, a traditional symbol of the Church. It also serves as a reference to Bishop Nguyen’s escape from Vietnam by boat. The cross on the sail was a symbol created by Bishop Nguyen to represent the church in Canada, its limbs recalling maple leaves, with red symbolizing martyrdom and green restoration and renewal. The star is a symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The peaks represent the dioceses with which Bishop Nguyen has been associated, all in mountainous areas: his home diocese of Ban Mê Thuột in Vietnam; the Archdiocese of Vancouver, where he was ordained and served as a priest; and the Diocese of Kamloops, of which he is now the bishop. They also represent the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity.