The Diocese of Crookston, suffragan of the metropolitan See of St. Paul and Minneapolis,
was established December 31, 1909, from the western half of the Diocese of Duluth, MN,
comprising 17, 210 square miles of western Minnesota, comprising the 14 counties of
Kittson, Roseau, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Polk, Red Lake, Pennington, Clearwater,
Beltrami, Norman, Mahnomen, Hubbard, Clay and Becker. More information & History
Map: Diocese of Crookston Chancery
Map: Cathedral of the Immaculate Concepton, Crookston
T he wavy red and silver bars represent water in heraldry. The
red bars denote the Red Lake River on which Crookston is
located and the Red River of the North which flows along most of
the diocesan boundary on the west, while the silver bars refer to
the Mississippi which has its source in the diocese.
Since the crosier is a development of the sherherd's crook, the
two golden crosiers afford an example of arms which bespeak
the name of the bearer. In this instance, it is the Diocese of
Crookston - a play on words. The placing of crosiers also
signified the office of the aspotles and their successors, the
bishops, to feed the lambs and sheep according to the command
of Christ in John 21:15-17.
The crosses on the shield resemble the cross on the coat of arms
of the Diocese of Duluth, from which the 14 western counties
were taken to form the Diocese of Crookston in 1909. They are
thus a tribute from the daughter church to the parent.
A silver crescent in the blue circle honors the Immaculate
Conception, patroness of the diocese and of its cathedral. This
symbol is suggested by Rev. 12:1