SEAL OF THE EPICOPAL DIOCESE OF FLORIDA

  1. The Seal is an elliptic-lanceolate shape.
  2. The border has beaded edges and contains the lettering: "Diocese of Florida Organized A D 1838"
  3. Within the center of the seal is a figure of the Evangalist, St. John, holding his sinister hand a chalice and his dexter hand a Book of Common Prayer. The prayer book indicates that it was in this Diocese that the first Anglican Prayer Book Service to be held in the continental limits of the United States were aboard John Hawkin's ship anchored in the St. John's River off Fort Caroline in 1565. The chalice is one of the symbols of St. John. In this instance, a snake, which is sometimes shown with the chalice, has been omitted.
  4. Above the head of St. John are seven golden stars, represnting the seven churches which organized the Diocese in 1838. These churches were: Christ Church, Pensacola; Christ Church (now Trinity Church) Apalachicola; St. John's, Tallahassee; St. John's Jacksonville; St. Joseph's, St. Joseph (now St. James', Port St. Joe); St. Paul's, Key West; and Trinity, St. Augustine. Reading from left to right, the stars represent those churches. Trinity, St. Augustine, is represented by the star directly above St. John's head. There is no significance to the varying sized of the stars and the order used is taken from the listing in the 1838 Diocesan Journal.
  5. The alb of St. John is white, with dark blue apparels. The Paryaer Book is the same alizarin crimson as the boarder and a gold cross is superimposed. The chalice is silver with gold lining. The girdle is brown with gold tassels. The halo is white. The face and hands are flesh color.
  6. On either side of St. John are three palm trees in their natural colors. The palm are suggstive of the sub-tropical latitude of Florida.
  7. The lower third of the seal shows an eagle, with wings displayed, which is one of the symbols of the United States. The head of the eagle is facing the dexter side. The eagle is superimposed over the lower quarter of the figure of St. John and is gold in color.
  8. Beneath the eagle and filling the bottom of the lipse is an orange branch with blossoms, which hides the talons of the eagle. The orange blossom being the State flower, were are reminded that orgiginally all the State was included within the Diocese of Florida. All leaves and blossoms are natural color.
  9. There is no symbolic significance to the number of palm trees, orange leave, blossoms or beads on the outer borders.
  10. The use of St. John, with his accompanying symbols, is assumed to have a historical connection with the St. John's River -- the largest in the State, and until the advent of modern transportation, the chief means of travel and commerce within Florida.
Typed 30May2007 by Carlos Alejandro Delgado from prepared text provided April 3, 1996 accompanying a black and white drawing of seal by Virginia Baker; Editor of diocesan newspaper