What's in a name?

If your surname happens to be Griffin, an excellent device for architectural ornamentation.

When the first Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, James Aloysius Griffin, set about the construction of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception he made good use of the mythological creature that bears his name.

Looking around the Cathedral, one can find griffins in many places: in the arms of a pew, supporting the espiscopal arms on the cathedra and flanking an image of the Eucharist, to name a few:

Personally, I am a great fan of the griffin and have been since I was a young boy. Because the griffin is both a nonexistant creature and a product of pagan mythology some might well wonder why the Bishop chose to incorporate it into his Cathedral.

At first glance the griffin doesn't seem to fit, but in the heraldic tradition the griffin serves as a guardian of hidden treasure and represents valor and vigilance. Bishop Griffin placed the creature throughout his new Cathedral to guard the treasure of the Eucharist and to call his faithful to be vigilant as they wait for the return of the Eucharistic King.

No small number of people today suggest that by the use of the griffin, the Bishop demonstrated his arrogance and pride. Perhaps, but he might have also been following the medieval/renaissance custom of members of the nobility placing their names upon buildings to show that they had carried out their civic duty; it could not be denied. This, I think, is more in keeping with Bishop Griffin's intentions.