The pallium is a papal liturgical symbol and insignia of an archbishop. When an archbishop is appointed to a new archdiocese, he requests a pallium from the Holy See. The pallium is a stole-like vestment worn over the chasuble when the archbishop celebrates Mass. It symbolizes the archbishop's authority and his unity with the Pope.

In addition to Archbishop George M. McGovern, 53 other men had their pallia blessed at the June 29 Mass, including: Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington; Archbishop W. Shawn McKnight of Kansas City, Kansas; Archbishop Robert G. Casey of Cincinnati; Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez of Galveston-Houston; Archbishop Jeffrey S. Grob of Milwaukee; Archbishop Richard G. Henning of Boston; and Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger of Detroit.

A pallium is about two inches wide, and it rests on the shoulders, with pendants or lappets that hang about 12 inches in the front and the back.

When viewed from the front or the back, the pallium resembles the letter “Y.” It is white, with six black crosses. Three of those crosses, the ones on the front, back and left shoulder, are ornamented with a gold pin, symbolizing the three nails of Christ’s crucifixion.

Each of the pendants that hang in front and back are tipped with black satin to resemble the hoof of a lamb, signifying that the archbishop is the chief shepherd of the diocese, carrying a lamb on his shoulders in imitation of Christ the Good Shepherd.

Since about the sixth century, metropolitan archbishops have requested a pallium from the Holy See as a sign of unity and full communion with the pope. Woven each year from the wool of two white lambs blessed on the memorial of St Agnes, the pallia are kept in a special casket near Peter’s tomb, beneath the altar of the Confessio.

The conferral of the pallium on a new archbishop was once a part of the rite of installation of archbishop in his cathedral church. When a new archbishop was received in his cathedral during his installation, the papal nuncio traditionally would confer the pallium as part of the rite.

However, more than 40 years ago, St. John Paul II took the investiture of the pallium out of the rite of installation, and invested archbishops himself in Rome. Pope Leo XIV returned to this tradition after a change under Pope Francis, where the pallium was invested in the archbishop's cathedral.