DIOCESE OF NATAL
Cathedral: until 1976, St Saviour’s, Pietermaritzburg; from 1981, Holy Nativity, Pietermaritzburg.
Afrikaans
Arms granted by the College of Arms under Letters Patent dated 30 September 1952. The blazon reads:
Azure, on a saltire a pastoral staff and a spear in saltire Gules, in chief a mullet of six points, Argent.
Brownell[1] writes: “As explained in the notes on the earlier versions of the arms of this Diocese,[2] the ‘St Andrew’s Cross’ commemorates the founding of this Diocese with that of Grahamstown, on St Andrew’s Day 1853, while the star is in allusion to the Star of Bethlehem, the Terra do Natal traditionally having been discovered by Vasco da Gama on Christmas Day 1497 while pioneering the sea route to the East.
“The pastoral staff and spear were included by the College of Arms to difference the original assumed arms of the Diocese, which were not considered to be sufficiently distinctive in their original form.”
The spear alludes to the spears of the abaNguni – it can be interpreted as either the long throwing spear that was in general use before the rise of Shaka, or the short stabbing assegai introduced as part of Shaka’s military reforms. The pastoral staff is an obvious allustion to the episcopal office.
Bishops:
Bishop T G V Inman (consecrated in 1951) remained in office until after 1970. He was succeeded by Philip Russell (1974, subsequently Bishop of Port Elizabeth and Archbishop of Cape Town), Michael Nuttall (1982) and R Phillip (1999).
Afrikaanse blasoen:
Alhoewel blanke nedersetting in Natal met die Voortrekkers begin het, is Afrikaans beslis die taal van ’n minderheid in hierdie streek. Die bisdom behou die grense en grondgebied van die ou Kolonie Natal, waarbinne die Afrikaanssprekende bevolking hoofsaaklik ’n Calvinistiese kerkverband het.
Die wapen mag soos volg geblasoeneer word:
In blou ’n skuinskruis van silwer waarop ’n herderstaf en ’n spies van rooi, skuins gekruis, en in die skildhoof ’n sespuntige ster van silwer.
