The earliest Catholic presence in what is now the State of Georgia began with the arrival of Spanish missionaries in the 16th century. For many years the Franciscans maintained a network of mission stations which stretched from St. Augustine to the Savannah River.

The arrival of the British brought an end to the period of Spanish presence. No Catholics were permitted in the new colony of Georgia. After the Revolutionary War small groups moved into the area of Locust Grove, near Augusta, and to Savannah, where the church of St. John the Baptist was established.

Savannah belonged first to the Diocese of Baltimore, and later to the Diocese of Charleston. In 1850 the numbers of Catholics had grown, and a new Diocese of Savannah was formed, taking in the entire State of Georgia and a large part of the State of Florida.

Immigration from Europe and the movement of population from the northern United States southward swelled the Catholic population over the years. In January 1937, the name of the diocese was changed to the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta. It was re-designated with its original name on November 8, 1956, when the northern part of the state became a separate diocese. The Diocese was re-named Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta in 1937, with a cathedral in each city. In 1956 the division became permanent, with Atlanta (later an Archdiocese) taking the northern part of the State, Savannah taking the southern half.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, dedicated in 1876, is the seat of the Diocese of Savannah. Today the Diocese includes 90 counties of the southern part of Georgia. There are 73,649 Catholics.

The Savannah Diocesan Shield 

This diocesan coat of arms (which we call the shield to distinguish it from the bishop’s coat of arms, which includes it) is described as “Argent on a cross gules, a rose or between four mullets azure.”

(Argent=silver; gules=red; or=gold; azure=blue). Its background is silver (argent).

The cross of red (gules), also called the Cross of St. George, symbolizes the state of Georgia which was named for King George II (reigned 1727-1760) of Great Britain, under whom the colony of Georgia was founded.

The four blue (azure) stars signify that
Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States.

The gold (or) rose represents the Cherokee rose which is Georgia's state flower. Catholics also associate this rose with the Old Testament “Rose of Sharon” as well as Mary, the “Mystical Rose.”

The miter surmounting the shield symbolizes the jurisdiction of the bishop, since a diocese is a geographical area of the Church under the jurisdiction of a bishop.