Category Archives: Marshaling

Bishop Saporito, Sixth Bishop of Metuchen

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Tomorrow, October 22, the feast of St. John Paul II, the Most Rev. Michael A. Saporito (64), a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark and, since 2020, Titular Bishop of Luperciana and Auxiliary Bishop of Newark, will take canonical possession of the Diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey–a neighboring diocese–and take up his ministry as its sixth Bishop since 1981 when the diocese was erected by St. John Paul II separating the four northernmost counties from the Diocese of Trenton.

It was my privilege six years ago to design and execute the coat of arms of Bishop Saporito when he was first made a bishop. I was also very happy that he asked me once again to assist him in the project of marshaling his personal arms to those of the See of Metuchen, especially as now he becomes my own bishop in the diocese in which I serve as a priest. I did make one very tiny modification to his original arms (see below) in that with the narrower space of only one side of the shield to work with I found it was better to place the two books side by side and the sword below them. Previously, the books had flanked the sword. My concern was for the fact that since most episcopal coats of arms (at least in the U.S.) are seen primarily in greatly reduced formats–as on letterhead, or notecards, or on websites and social media–that squeezing the two books to fit them on either side of the sword would render them difficult to distinguish when the coat of arms was reduced in size. I wanted them to remain clearly discernible as books rather than two blobs of color either side of the sword. Archbishop Heim, in his now famous book, writes about how the heraldic designer and/or the heraldic artist (because those two are NOT the same thing) have the task of how best to arrange and depict a coat of arms. This is especially true in the case of marshaling two, or more, coats of arms together on the same shield. Ecclesiastical heraldry is not bounded by the sometimes complex rules of marshaling that one would find in English, or Scottish heraldry, for example. It’s more than simply a matter of taking existing arms and squeezing them into a smaller area on the shield. On occasion, a bit more creativity may be called for.

The Bishop approved this slight change which has more to do with the artistic rendering (emblazonment) of the arms rather than the actual design (blazon) of the arms. In fairness, however, I point out that the blazon was, in fact, changed to reflect this modification.

BLAZON: Arms impaled. In the dexter: Quarterly Or and Argent; a cross moline throughout Azure; in dexter chief a flame gules; in sinister base a crown Argent over a letter “M” Azure. (See of Metuchen) In the sinister: Gules, a flaming sword palewise, point in chief, the blade Argent, enflamed Or, the hilt and pommel Or with a pommel stone Azure, below, in chief to dexter and sinister, two open books Argent, bound Or. (Saporito) Shield ensigned with an episcopal cross Or behind the shield and a bishop’s galero Vert cords and twelve tassels disposed in three rows of one, two and three all Vert. On a scroll below the shield the motto: “Feed My Sheep”.

EXPLANATION: The coat of arms of the Diocese of Metuchen is based on both the arms of the Diocese of Trenton, from which it was separated as well as those of St. John Paul II who erected the diocese on November 19,1981.

The shield is divided into four quadrants representing the four counties of Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren that comprise the diocesan territory. The gold (yellow) and silver (white) colors are those used on the flag of the Vatican City State.

The cross moline is taken from the arms of the Diocese of Trenton. This shape of the cross is often associated with the Order of St. Benedict in heraldry. Its blue color here is the reverse of the Trenton arms (which depict a gold cross on a blue field). In the upper left of the shield there is a red tongue of fire. The word “Metuchen” is derived from the Lenne Lenape Indian word “metachen”, which means, “firewood”. In addition this symbol is associated with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles at Pentecost.

In the lower right we see a blue letter “M” surmounted by a silver crown. This is the monogram for Mary, Our Queen. The diocese is under the patronage of the Queenship of Mary. The “M” also appeared in the arms of His Holiness, Pope John Paul II.

For his personal arms Bishop Saporito chose symbols reflecting his priestly life and ministry when he assumed a coat of arms upon becoming a bishop in 2020. The red background is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Newark where the upper third of that shield (called a chief) is colored red. The bishop’s whole life, priesthood and, episcopate up until now had been spent in the service of that Archdiocese.

The central symbol, or charge, is the flaming sword that is used as a symbol of his baptismal patron, St. Michael the Archangel. Michael, reckoned as the commander of the heavenly hosts wields the sword that symbolizes righteousness and God’s justice.

The sword, with a silver blade surrounded by golden flames and gold handle has two open books side by side just above it. The pages of the books are blank and silver (white) while the books are bound in gold (yellow). These symbolize the Sacred Scriptures in both Testaments and are a reminder of the need for and the work of evangelization in the Church. The Bishop has devoted a part of his priestly ministry to the New Evangelization.

The motto below the shield is “Feed My Sheep” (John 21:17)

The shield is also ensigned with those external ornaments that indicate the bearer is a bishop. The gold (yellow) episcopal cross, not to be confused with a processional cross, is placed vertically behind and extending above and below the shield. In former times archbishops, and later all bishops, had a cross mounted on a staff carried immediately in front of them while in procession or on solemn occasions. This cross was a symbol of their rank as bishop. While such an episcopal cross is no longer used practically it has been retained heraldically. In fact, there are other clerics who make use of the ecclesiastical hat with its many tassels but the one true heraldic emblem of a bishop, and the only essential one, is the episcopal cross placed behind the shield. In Catholic liturgical practice a processional cross is usually a crucifix, with the corpus of Christ upon it. An episcopal cross never contains a corpus.

Above the shield is the ecclesiastical hat, called a galero which, in heraldry, replaces the martial helmet, mantling and crest. “The hat with six pendant tassels (green, purple or black) on each side is universally considered in heraldry as the sign of prelacy. It, therefore, pertains to all who are actually prelates.” (Heim, Bruno B., Heraldry in the Catholic Church 1978, page 114) The galero is green with green cords pendant from it and twelve green tassels arranged in a pyramid shape on either side of the shield. At one time in history bishops and archbishops wore green before adopting the more Roman purple we see today. In heraldry the green hat and tassels was retained for prelates with the rank of bishop according to the Instruction of the Secretariat of State, “Ut Sive” of March, 1969.

This was, for obvious reasons, a project on which I was very happy and proud to work. Of the six Bishops of Metuchen I have served as a priest under four of them. Of those four this is the third coat of arms I have had the privilege of designing and emblazoning in addition to working on the current emblazonment of the diocesan coat of arms. All of us in the Diocese wish Bishop Saporito: AD MULTOS ANNOS!

Cardinal O’Malley, Archbishop-Emeritus of Boston

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A few years ago I was pleased to prepare the coat of arms for my friend and high school classmate, Archbishop Henning of Boston. At that time I was told his predecessor, Sean Cardinal O’Malley, OFM, Cap. would probably modify his arms to remove the impalement with the See of Boston but that there “was no hurry on that”, which is true enough.

Well, the time finally rolled around that His Eminence wanted to take care of that detail and I was commissioned to do the task.

His Eminence wanted to make no changes at all to the arms he first assumed in 1984 when he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. He used these same arms during his time as Bishop of Fall River, Massachusetts, and as Bishop of Palm Beach, Florida as well as during his tenure as Metropolitan Archbishop of Boston.

The field of these arms is red and displays a three masted sailing ship, at full sail, all in gold (yellow). This charge is taken from the portion of the arms associated with the name O’Malley that is known as the crest (i.e. the upper-most portion, usually above a helmet). This ship is placed amid three silver (white) stars that are taken from the arms of General George Washington, whose arms are used as the device of our federal capital city, where His Eminence was serving as a priest when he was selected to receive the fullness of Christ’s most holy priesthood as a bishop. The upper portion of Cardinal O’Malley’s personal arms are the arms of the Order of Saint Francis, (O.F.M. – the Order of Friars Minor – a loose translation of tile Latin for the Order of Little Brothers) signifying that Cardinal O’Malley is a Capuchin Franciscan. These arms show on a black cross, the crossed arms of Christ and Saint Francis, each bearing the Stigmata.

The big change was “un-impaling” or “un-marshaling” his personal arms with those of the See of Boston now that he is the Archbishop-Emeritus. Of course he retains the archiepiscopal cross in his achievement as well as the scarlet galero of a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church. Perhaps the biggest difference comes with the cross placed behind the shield. Until now the Cardinal has displayed two chivalric crosses behind his shield. One was the red and silver “Cruz de Cristo” to signify that Cardinal O’Malley was named a Knight Commander of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator in 1974 by the Portuguese government for outstanding service to the Portuguese people. The other was a white Maltese Cross. The inclusion of this cross signifies that Cardinal O’Malley was named as a Chaplain “Ad Honorum” of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta in 1991. This Order is more commonly known as the Knights of Malta. In this present emblazonment only the cross of the Order of Malta is being displayed.

When I was commissioned to do this work I pointed out to His Eminence, with respect, that it wasn’t really correct to display two different crosses of chivalric orders in this fashion. In addition, I prepared a treatment for him in which I traced the various regulations concerning the arms of Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops issued by different Popes throughout the centuries. I cited the Apostolic Constitution “Militans Ecclesiae Regimini” of Pope Innocent X from Dec. 19, 1644; the Motu Proprio  “Inter Multiplices Curas” of St. Pius X from February 21, 1905; in particular the Decree of the Consistorial Congregation “Apostolica Constitutione” approved by Pope Benedict XV from January 15, 1915; the Decree of the Consistorial Congregation, “Attentis Disponitionibus” approved by Pope Pius XII from May 12, 1951 (which reaffirmed the decrees of Innocent X & Benedict XV) and the Instruction “Ut Sive Solicite” from the Secretariat of State under St. Paul VI from March 31, 1969, as well as others.

It was the decree of Innocent X in 1644 that established that the armorial bearings of Cardinals should not contain any secular honors in the form of coronets indicating noble rank, or decorations from Orders of chivalry. According to this decree, never revoked, the armiger and even the artist depicting the coat of arms were excommunicated latae sententiae for including secular marks of honor in a coat of arms. Without revoking Innocent X’s entire document that excommunication was eventually revoked by Pope Pius IX in his Constitution, “Apostolicae Sedis” in 1869 which was also upheld and affirmed by Benedict XV in 1915. This set an early precedent which was later affirmed by other Popes. In particular, the decree approved by Benedict XV in 1915 says,

“Omnes S.R.E. Cardinales ad unitatem et aequalitatem ordinjs construendam, iubeant e propiis sigillis et insignibus quibuscumque, vulgo armis nuncupatis, amoveri coronas, signa ac omnes notas seculares, praeter eas quibus intra scutum armorum eorum familiae tamquam de essentia et integritate eorumdem armorum utuntur, et ut in posterum ab illorum usu abstineant. …aut nisi agatur de Ordine equestri S. Ioannes Hierosolymitani aut S. Sepulchri.”

“All Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, in order to establish unity and equality within the Order, let them be required to remove crowns, emblems, and all secular insignia—commonly known as coats of arms—from their personal seals and devices of any kind (except for those elements used within the shield of their family arms as integral and essential parts thereof), and to refrain from using them in the future… unless the matter concerns the Equestrian Order of St. John of Jerusalem or the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.”

Archbishop Bruno Heim in his seminal work, Heraldry in the Catholic Church (Van Duren Press, 1978) says clearly that,

“Cardinals are forbidden to add crowns, mantles, supporters, decorations or any other honorific signs to their achievements, with the exception of the crosses of the Order of Malta and of the Holy Sepulchre.” (page 102).

After considering my suggestion, His Eminence elected to display just the cross of the Order of Malta in his achievement going forward. It was very gratifying to see His Eminence take my recommendation seriously. This, I must add, also proves a point that I have been making for quite a few years over and over in the pages of this blog. Namely, that heraldry isn’t just about drawing pretty pictures. One needs also to do the work, to do the research, to know what one is talking about especially with the scant and often sketchy regulations the Church has regarding ecclesiastical heraldry.

This was a very fun and interesting project on which to work. I have now had the opportunity to do this same thing for Cardinal Dolan as well as for Cardinal O’Malley. Perhaps there is a new area of expertise for me to develop: UN-impaling the coats of arms of bishops emeriti!

Abbot Paul Sheller, OSB

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On Saturday, July 11, 2026, the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey, in Conception, Missouri, elected Fr. Paul Sheller, OSB, (44) as their new abbot. He becomes the 11th abbot in Conception Abbey’s 153-year history. He received the abbatial blessing at Mass on August 30th.

Abbot Paul’s armorial achievement displays the personal arms impaled with Conception Abbey’s coat of arms. His personal arms refer to both his patron saint’s attributes and the shells in bordure are canting charges for his surname.

The blazon is: Arms impaled. In the dexter Azure, in chief a star of eight points Or ensigned with the letter “M” Sable above three fleur-de-lis arranged two and one, Argent. (Conception Abbey) In the sinister Gules, a sword palewise point upwards with a laurel wreath surrounding the pommel within a bordure of escallop shells, all Or. (Abbot Paul Sheller).

The Abbot will also occasionally make use of his personal arms alone, which has the advantage of displaying the full bordure of shells due to the lack of an impalement.

The coat of arms was designed and executed by Fr. Pachomius Meade, OSB, a monk of Conception Abbey.

Bishop Mullen of Belleville

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On May 1, the Most Reverend Godfrey Mullen, OSB (60) a Benedictine monk of St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana, as well as the Diocesan Administrator and former Vicar General of the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois, of which he is also a native son, was ordained a bishop and installed as the 10th Bishop of Belleville. The arms he assumed are pictured above.

For some time now, since his episcopal ordination and installation in May a number of people have asked for my comments on his coat of arms. I was privileged to design the armorial bearings of his immediate predecessor, Bishop Michael McGovern who is now the Archbishop of Omaha. I had wondered if, perhaps, Bishop Mullen would ask for my help with his coat of arms but he is certainly under no obligation to do so. In the end, I was disappointed he didn’t ask for my help when I saw what he ended up with. On the other hand, this also allows me to comment freely without being accused of “sour grapes”.

To use an expression that I haven’t had occasion to use since the ill-conceived and disastrous revamping of the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Detroit (now happily abandoned) this coat of arms represents an EPIC FAIL.

I have no issue with the artwork, and I take no interest in critiquing the arms of the See of Belleville. My reaction is to the Bishop’s personal arms alone. Much of what he wanted to do is good and even correct. He kept the color scheme simple. He wanted an overall design that reflects his Benedictine background. He also managed to symbolize his family. The crescent and olive branch on the chief are from the arms associated with his family name and from the Jubilee Medal of St. Benedict, respectively. The olive branch also alludes to the city of Salem (which means “peace”) and the crescent is also an allusion to Our Lady. So, too, he does something very nice by having charges represent more than one thing keeping the arms from being too crowded. One thing that often goes overlooked in heraldic design, however, is the desirability of symmetry as well as the need to avoid asymmetry whenever possible. Perhaps the crescent flanked by two olive branches would have solved that better? As it is now the charges look as though they have just been randomly thrown onto the chief.

The two ravens also make good sense. Both St. Benedict (the founder of the Order) and St. Meinrad (the patron saint of the Archabbey) had ravens and the birds are generally seen as a symbol of both saints. In fact, the arms of the Archabbey contains ravens. So, perhaps, one would think, that would have been enough. Here is where we come to the biggest problem. Namely, the pictorial depiction of the Archabbey church.

To oversimplify the issue I’ll say plainly: coats of arms contain symbols, not pictures. What the bishop (or whoever advised him on this design) has done is simply to use the line drawing of the church that is the Archabbey’s current letterhead and colored it and slapped it onto his shield. This is the antithesis of heraldic design. The insipid line drawing is a nightmare to reproduce because of the abundance of detail, it’s inappropriate as a heraldic charge, and it makes for a coat of arms difficult to discern when seen in reduced format…as coats of arms so very frequently are. Using a symbol of St. Meinrad as he has already done is sufficient. Borrowing a charge or charges from the coat of arms of the Archabbey is a great idea with ample precedent in heraldic art and design. Even if the bishop strongly desired to use the Archabbey church as a symbol it would have been far better to depict one of the Archabbey’s distinctive towers or perhaps a rendition of its rose window. But, to simply reproduce in full a drawing of the Archabbey church used on letterhead—a drawing that was clearly made from a photograph as is evidenced by the inclusion of the trees, path and grounds surrounding it— is ridiculous and just plain WRONG!

It’s a shame really. This coat of arms had the potential to be a rather decent one and then the inclusion of that picture ruins the whole thing. How many times do I have to say that heraldry is both a science and an art form all its own, with its own rules, traditions, conventions and customs. You cannot simply have “whatever you want”, slap it onto a shield and call it heraldry. There are ways to design a good coat of arms. This coat of arms is not an example of those ways. At one point the description of the coat of arms says, “The cleft hill at the base continues from the hill of the diocesan crest. The bishop is a son of the diocese, but also a son of Saint Meinrad…”. Again, a clever idea to try and allude to both the diocese and the Archabbey, however, the design doesn’t “continue” from one side of the shield to the other. Impaled arms are a form of marshaling that dispalys two separate coats of arms on a single shield. The diocesan coat of arms doesn’t “become” part of the bishop’s coat of arms; it is displayed next to it.

Finally, to feed into another pet peeve of mine the episcopal cross in this achievement is also personalized…as though that’s an option. The explanation says,  “The cross atop the shield is modeled on the cross depicted in the Benedictine Jubilee medal”. Isn’t that just so lovely? The problem is twofold. The cross isn’t “atop” the shield. It is standing behind it, as in, it is an external ornament. The second problem is that such a cross is a symbol of the episcopal office and as such is not subject to being depicted in a particular way according to the fancy of the armiger (or the designer). Let me be clear: any individual rendering of the Bishop’s coat of arms may, of course, depict the episcopal cross in a certain way, in this case in the manner of the cross of the Jubilee Medal. However, that is not obligatory. Other artists do not have to depict it that way and the blazon may not specify it. It isn’t an option to dictate the appearance of the external ornaments. The armiger has control over what goes ON the shield only; not what appears around it.

So, since people have been wondering what I thought of this heraldic achievement I have now said. I think it’s very disappointing because it had such potential. It could have been so much better. What is wrong with it betrays an amateurish style. One wonders if the bishop wouldn’t have been far better served by consulting with someone who knew something about how properly to design a coat of arms? A little more direction and this could have been salvaged.

UPDATE on the Appointment of the New Garter

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As a sort of post script to the post on the appointment of James Peill, formerly Richmond Herald and Bluemantle Pursuivant, as the next Garter Principal King of Arms of HM College of Arms I post his personal arms impaled with those of the office of Garter.

Timothy Cardinal Dolan Modification

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After I had been commissioned to provide the coat of arms for the present Archbishop of New York, Archbishop Hicks, I was asked a short time afterward if I would be willing to make the necessary modifications to the armorial bearings of His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan that would reflect that he is now the Archbishop-Emeritus. It was simply a matter of removing the impalement for the Archdiocese of New York from his armorial achievement.

BLAZON: Azure, upon a fess Argent an open crown Gules between two ancient scrolls Proper; in chief two crescents, to dexter Argent, to sinister Or; in base a crescent Or. The shield is ensigned with an archiepiscopal cross Or in pale behind the shield and surmounted by a cardinal’s galero with cords and fifteen tassels on either side in five rows of one, two, three, four and five all Gules. On a scroll below the shield is the motto: “Ad Quem Ibimus”.

EXPLANATION: The cardinal’s coat of arms, is composed of a shield upon which there are symbolic charges, a motto and the external ornaments of rank. The shield which is the most important feature of any heraldic device is blazoned (i.e. described) in heraldic language from the point of view of the bearer with the shield being held on his arm. Thus, where it applies, the term “dexter” (right) and “sinister” (left) are reversed as the device is viewed from the front.

By heraldic custom observed in North America, the arms of a diocesan bishop are “impaled” side by side on the same shield to the arms of his jurisdiction. This signifies that the diocesan bishop, in this case, the cardinal, is “married” to the See. The same method of impalement is employed in the coat of arms of two married people who are armigerous. During his tenure as the 13th Bishop and 10th Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Dolan impaled his personal arms with those of the See of New York. Upon reaching his retirement it is customary to modify the full achievement of his armorial bearings to remove the impalement for the See of New York to indicate that he no longer exercises Ordinary Jurisdiction over the archdiocese.

For his personal arms Cardinal Dolan uses the design he assumed in 2001 upon becoming Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis, and which he also used as Archbishop of Milwaukee, reflecting his priestly ministry and interests. 

The Cardinal’s design is composed of a blue field on which is seen a silver (white) fess, a bar across the center of the design which is about one-third of the area of the shield. At the center of the fess is a red crown, taken from the arms of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the Cardinal’s home, and which he first served in episcopal ministry. The crown is placed between two scrolls, that are described as “Proper,” or “as they appear naturally.” These scrolls are to honor the cardinal’s baptismal patron, St. Timothy, who was the recipient of two of St. Paul’s Epistles.

Above the fess are two crescents; one silver (white) and one gold (yellow), and one below which is also gold. The silver crescent honors our Blessed Mother, in her title of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the United States, and the charge is taken from the arms of the Pontifical North American College, in Rome, where Cardinal Dolan studied for the priesthood and later served for seven years as rector. The other two crescents, of gold, are taken from the Dolan family arms and honor the cardinal’s parents. 

For his motto, Cardinal Dolan has selected the phrase “AD QUEM IBIMUS”. By the use of these words taken from St. John’s Gospel (John 6:68), Cardinal Dolan takes the words of St. Peter as was said to Jesus, “LORD, TO WHOM SHALL WE GO,” for truly the Lord is the way to all and eternal happiness.

The external ornaments include a gold archiepiscopal cross with two horizontal bars (sometimes referred to as a patriarchal cross) placed vertically behind the shield decorated with red jewels. This is often mistaken for a processional cross like the one used in liturgical processions. However, like other heraldic ornaments the archiepiscopal cross has its origins in something which is no longer actually used. In the Middle Ages such a cross, without a corpus, was carried directly in front of all archbishops and Papal Legates as a symbol of their authority. Later, the cross was adopted for use by all bishops so archbishop’s added a second horizontal bar to their crosses to distinguish them from the episcopal cross of simple bishops. While no longer actually used it has remained a symbol of the archiepiscopal office in heraldry. It is not, as is sometimes supposed, a symbol of the office of Metropolitan because the archiepiscopal cross is used by all archbishops, even those who are not Metropolitan Archbishops.

In addition, above the shield is the red ecclesiastical hat called a “galero” with fifteen tassels pendant on either side. This is the singular heraldic emblem that distinguishes the coat of arms of a cardinal. This broad brimmed hat, once worn in cavalcades, is no longer used but remains as a heraldic emblem. The galero was first bestowed on the Cardinals of the Roman Church by Pope Innocent IV at the First Council of Lyon in 1245. It was the first hat to be distinguished by the use of a specific color (scarlet) and it was also to be adorned with tassels. However, originally the number of tassels was not fixed. There are various examples of cardinals’ coats of arms that show as few as two tassels suspended from the galero and as many as seventy-two! What marked these coats of arms as those belonging to cardinals was that the galero, cords and tassels were red and nothing else. No one else could use such a red hat except a cardinal regardless of how many tassels were suspended from it. The number eventually was fixed at thirty (usually depicted as fifteen suspended on either side of the shield in a pyramidal pattern) only in 1832. A system for distinguishing the ranks of other clergy based on the color of the hat, of the cords and the number of the tassels did not come into existence until the Instruction of Pope St. Pius X “Inter Multiplices” in 1905. 

These external ornaments are those used for a prelate with the rank of cardinal who is also an archbishop.

It was my great pleasure and my privilege to assist His Eminence with this project.

Bishop Bonnici of Rochester, NY, USA

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The Solemnity of St. Joseph, patron saint of the Universal Church on March 19 will see the installation of the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Rochester, New York. On that day the Most Rev. John Bonnici (61) a priest and, since 2022, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York will become the successor to the great Bishop Joseph McQuaid, to Edward Mooney, later the Cardinal-Archbishop of Detroit and of the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, soon to be Beatified on the way to sainthood who served as Bishop of Rochester from 1966-1969.

The coat of arms assumed by Bishop Bonnici in 2022 has now been marshaled to the arms of the See of Rochester.

BLAZON:  Arms impaled; in the dexter: Or, on a saltire quadrate Gules a crescent Argent (Rochester). In the sinister; Tierced in pall reversed Gules, Azure and Or; in dexter chief a Maltese Cross Argent; in sinister chief a block letter “M” Or; in base the eagle of St. John displayed Sable, armed Or, nimbused Argent and standing on an open book Argent, bound Gules. Overall at the fess point a mullet of eight points Argent. (Bonnici). Shield ensigned with an episcopal cross Or behind the shield and a bishop’s galero Vert cords and twelve tassels disposed in three rows of one, two and three all Vert. On a scroll below the shield the motto: “To Jesus Through Mary”.

EXPLANATION: The shield is described (blazoned) in terms that are archaic to modern language, and this description is presented as if given by the bearer with the shield being worn on the arm. Thus, where it applies, the terms dexter (right) and sinister (left) are reversed as the device is viewed from the front.

It is customary in heraldry that the arms of a Diocesan Bishop, or Ordinary, are joined side by side on the same shield with the arms of his See. In this case, these are the arms of the Diocese of Rochester. Such marshaling is called impalement and employs the same method used when joining the coats of arms of two people who are married. In this way, the coat of arms, like the episcopal ring, is symbolic of the bishop being “married” to his diocese.

On a gold (yellow) background we see a red saltire, a cross in the shape of an “X” the center of which also has a lozenge, or diamond shape superimposed on it. There is a silver (white) crescent placed in the center.  The diocesan shield was designed in the 1930’s by Mr. Pierre de Chaignon la Rose. The saltire was taken from the coat of arms of the Diocese of Rochester, England, of which Saint Andrew was the principal Patron. The X-shaped cross is known heraldically as a “Cross of St. Andrew” because according to tradition the saint was crucified on a cross of this shape. La Rose distinguished or “differenced” the new coat of arms from the original by replacing a scallop shell in the center with the crescent, a symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary, patroness of the United States of America, under her title of the Immaculate Conception.

The color red alludes to the Martyrdom of Saint Andrew, the first-called of the Apostles, and of Saint John Fisher, who was the Bishop of Rochester, England, both of whom heroically held to the truth and authentically handed on the Catholic and Apostolic Faith as preachers, pastors, and intercessors before the throne of God. 

Bishop Bonnici’s personal arms were assumed at the time he became Auxiliary Bishop of New York in 2022. The arms are divided into three sections. The upper left shows a red background with the single charge of a silver (white) Maltese Cross which symbolizes the Bishop’s Maltese ethnicity. The upper right section shows a blue background on which there is a large, gold (yellow) and slightly skewed letter “M”. This is borrowed from the armorial bearings of St. John Paul II. Bishop Bonnici studied in Rome at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute and was ordained both a deacon and priest during the saintly pope’s pontificate. The “M” Honors Mary, the Mother of Priests and of the Church. The lower section has a gold (yellow) background showing the eagle which is a symbol of St. John the Evangelist, the Bishop’s baptismal patron. The black eagle is depicted with its wings spread and standing on the pages of an open book which is bound in red alluding to the Gospel written by St. John which has continuously been an inspiration to the Bishop in his life and ministry. Superimposed over all of this at the center is a silver (white) eight-pointed star. This is the “Stella Matutina” (Morning Star) which is a symbol of Mary. This charge is taken from the coat of arms of Pope Francis who had appointed the Bishop as a bishop and Auxiliary of New York.

The motto below the shield is, “To Jesus Through Mary”. The phrase emphasizes the role of the Virgin Mary in the Christian faith. It suggests that devotion to Mary can lead believers closer to Jesus Christ. This concept is rooted in the teachings of St. Louis de Montfort, who articulated that Mary serves as a bridge to Jesus, guiding the faithful in their spiritual journey. He popularized the phrase in his work “True Devotion to Mary,” where he described Mary as the most effective means of consecration to Jesus. The phrase is also personally meaningful to the Bishop because it was written in his own breviary by Mother Teresa when he was a seminarian and attended morning Mass at the Missionaries of Charity mission in Rome.

The shield is also ensigned with those external ornaments that indicate the bearer is a bishop. The gold (yellow) cross is placed vertically behind and extending above and below the shield. This is often mistakenly thought to be a processional cross like those used in liturgical processions, which is usually a crucifix bearing the corpus of Jesus. But that idea is not entirely right. In former times archbishops, and later all bishops, had an additional cross mounted on a staff carried immediately in front of them while in procession or on solemn occasions. This cross was a symbol of their rank as bishop. While such an episcopal cross is no longer used practically it has been retained heraldically. In fact, there are other clerics who make use of the ecclesiastical hat with its many tassels but the one true heraldic emblem of a bishop, and the only essential one, is the episcopal cross placed behind the shield.

Above the shield is the ecclesiastical hat, called a galero which, in heraldry, replaces the martial helmet, mantling and crest. “The hat with six pendant tassels (green, purple or black) on each side is universally considered in heraldry as the sign of prelacy. It, therefore, pertains to all who are actually prelates.” (Heim, Bruno B., Heraldry in the Catholic Church 1978, page 114) The galero is green with green cords pendant from it and twelve green tassels arranged in a pyramid shape on either side of the shield. At one time in history bishops and archbishops wore green before adopting the more Roman purple we see today. In heraldry the green hat and tassels was retained for prelates with the rank of bishop according to the Instruction of the Holy See’s Secretariat of State, “Ut Sive” of March, 1969.

It was my great pleasure to assist Bishop Bonnici with marshaling and emblazoning his coat of arms.

Monterey Receives Bishop Bejarano

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On February 19, the Most Rev. Ramón Bejarano (56), formerly a priest of Stockton, California and, since 2020, Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego, will be installed as the 6th Bishop of Monterey in Californa. However, the jurisdiction is a much older one. The diocese of Monterey in California was created in 1967 by St. Paul VI. Prior to that it was a part of a jurisdiction going back to 1840 as the Diocese of California (The Two Californias; Both Californias), later changed to the Diocese of Monterey in 1849. It was changed again to the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles in 1859 and in 1922 was changed yet again to the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno. In 1967 Fresno was separated from Monterey to be its own diocese and the diocese then became the Diocese of Monterey in California as it remains today. So, including all those permutations, Bishop Bejarano becomes the 19th Ordinary of the jurisdiction!

In 2020 I was very honored to assist Bishop Bejarano with designing his personal coat of arms to be assumed on becoming the Titular Bishop of Carpi and the Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego. It was once again my honor to assist him in marshaling those arms to those of the See of Monterey.

BLAZON:  Arms impaled; in the dexter: Gules, on a mound issuant in base Argent charged with an open crown Or a latin cross of wood, Or between, to dexter and sinister a bell Argent (Monterey). In the sinister; Paly wavy Or and Azure; on a chief Gules flanked to dexter by an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Or, crowned and wounded Gules, enflamed Or and to sinister a rose Or seeded Gules, a sun in its splendor Or charged with a plate all chevronwise. Shield ensigned with an episcopal cross Or behind the shield and a bishop’s galero Vert cords and twelve tassels disposed in three rows of one, two and three all Vert. On a scroll below the shield the motto: “My Soul Is Thirsting For You”.

EXPLANATION: The diocesan coat of arms alludes to the name of the diocese, Monterey—the mountain of the king—as well as to the history of the area as being settled as one of the historic California Missions.

The personal coat of arms assumed by Bishop Bejarano combines symbols that are meaningful to him reflecting his spiritual life and priestly ministry. The main part of the shield shows a background composed of alternating blue and gold (yellow) wavy vertical lines. These represent flowing waters. This alludes to his chosen motto and also symbolizes the graces that come from the Divine life to quench our thirst for God.

The upper third of the shield, called a “chief” is red because it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Order of Mercy, the Mercedarians, of which the bishop’s patron saint, Raymond Nonnatus, was a member. The central symbol which is slightly higher than the other two resembles a monstrance because St. Raymond is often depicted artistically holding a monstrance. Furthermore, the Eucharist is, for Bishop Bejarano, the inspiration for his priestly vocation. It was through the Eucharist that he received his call to the priesthood at age seven and which keeps his faith and his ministry going. It represents the call to offer oneself as a living sacrifice.

The monstrance is flanked on either side by an image of the Sacred Heart alluding to the mercy of God and echoing the idea of a sacrificial offering of oneself united to the sacrifice of Christ and of a rose for Our Lady. In particular, it is an allusion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas. This is for the bishop’s Hispanic heritage. In connection with the appearance of Our Lady to Juan Diego the miraculous blooming of roses in December occurred.

The motto below the shield is, “My Soul Is Thirsting For You” from Psalm 63. He chose this because he sees it as also connected with St. Augustine’s phrase about our restless heart. (“Our hearts are restless, O God, until they rest in Thee”) The human heart seeks God, and Bishop Bejarano sees the need for evangelization for so many thirsting souls.

The shield is also ensigned with those external ornaments that indicate the bearer is a bishop. The gold (yellow) cross is placed vertically behind and extending above and below the shield. This is often mistakenly thought to be a processional cross like those used in liturgical processions. That is not entirely right. In former times archbishops, and later all bishops, had a cross mounted on a staff carried immediately in front of them while in procession or on solemn occasions. This cross was a symbol of their rank as bishop. While such an episcopal cross is no longer used practically it has been retained heraldically. In fact, there are other clerics who make use of the ecclesiastical hat with its many tassels but the one true heraldic emblem of a bishop, and the only essential one, is the episcopal cross placed behind the shield.

Above the shield is the ecclesiastical hat, called a galero which, in heraldry, replaces the martial helmet, mantling and crest. “The hat with six pendant tassels (green, purple or black) on each side is universally considered in heraldry as the sign of prelacy. It, therefore, pertains to all who are actually prelates.” (Heim, Bruno B., Heraldry in the Catholic Church 1978, page 114) The galero is green with green cords pendant from it and twelve green tassels arranged in a pyramid shape on either side of the shield. At one time in history bishops and archbishops wore green before adopting the more Roman purple we see today. In heraldry the green hat and tassels was retained for prelates with the rank of bishop according to the Instruction of the Holy See’s Secretariat of State, “Ut Sive” of March, 1969.

It was a great pleasure to assist Bishop Bejarano with preparing his armorial bearings once again.

Archbishop Hicks of New York

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On February 6, 2026 the Most Rev. Ronald Hicks (58), originally a priest and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago and, since 2020 the Bishop of Joliet, Illinois will be installed as the 14th Bishop and 10 Metropolitan Archbishop of New York, one of the most prestigious Sees in the United States and in the whole world.

At the time he became a bishop in 2018 Archbishop Hicks assumed a coat of arms designed by the late Deacon Paul Sullivan which was then marshaled to those of the See of Joliet by me in 2020. Now, as he is translated to the See of New York he once again changes the impalement of his arms to reflect his new position.

BLAZON:  Arms impaled, in the dexter: Argent, on a saltire between four Greek crosses all Gules, the sails of a windmill arranged in saltire Argent. (Archdiocese of New York); in the sinister: Azure, on a fess wavy Argent a sprig of rosemary Proper; in chief a sword and a quill in saltire Or below a heart Gules fimbriated Argent; in base a sprig of lily of three blossoms Argent. (Archbishop Hicks). The achievement is ensigned with an archiepiscopal cross Or behind the shield and an archbishop’s galero Vert cords and twenty tassels disposed in four rows of one, two, three and four all Vert. On a scroll below the shield the motto: “ Paz Y Bien”.

On the left side of the shield as we view it is the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of New York. It is composed of a silver (white) field on which is displayed a red saltire; a cross in the form of the letter “X.” This is known in heraldry as a “Cross of St. Patrick,” and by its use an allusion is made to the titular patron of the cathedral church in New York and of the archdiocese. Upon the saltire is a silver (white) mill-sail (a wind mill), which is also seen in the seal of New York City, to reflect the Dutch heritage of the founders of the city that was originally known as “New Amsterdam.” Within the four areas of the field created by the saltire are seen four small red crosses with arms of equal length, referred to as “Greek crosses” in heraldry, for the four Gospels, emblematic of the Church’s mission to bring “The Good News” to those entrusted to its care.

The personal coat of arms assumed by Archbishop Hicks combines symbols that are meaningful to him reflecting his life and priestly ministry. On a blue field we see a silver (white) wavy bar across the center, heraldically known as “a fess.” This is indicative of water, symbolizing Lake Michigan, to honor the bishop’s home town of South Holland, Illinois. On the fess wavy is a sprig of rosemary, depicted “proper,” that is, as it appears in nature, to honor the martyred archbishop of El Salvador, St. Oscar Romero. The Spanish word for the herb rosemary is “romero”  and the saintly bishop had this as a charge in his own coat of arms as well.

Above the fess are a quill pen and sword, both gold (yellow) and crossed in a saltire, alluding to St. Paul, because the sword was the instrument of his execution and martyrdom and the pen of his writings that were so important for the archbishop, who grew up in an ecumenical family. These charges are placed below a red heart, outlined or fimbriated in silver (white) in order to set it off from the blue field. This heart is included to remember the archbishop’s service with the NPH (Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, “Our Little Brothers and Sisters”), a “heartfelt people,” who care for orphans and abandoned children throughout Central and South America.

Below the fess is a silver (white) three-blossom sprig of lilies that is taken from the arms of  the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, where the archbishop attended the seminary, earned his doctorate in ministry and served on the faculty and staff.

The motto below the shield is, “Paz Y Bien” the Spanish for “Peace and Good”. This phrase, attributed to St. Francis, emphasizes that true peace comes from Christ and all the good he shares through his word and sacraments.

The external ornaments include a gold archiepiscopal cross with two horizontal bars (sometimes referred to as a patriarchal cross) placed vertically behind the shield decorated with red jewels. This is often mistaken for a processional cross like the one used in liturgical processions. However, like other heraldic ornaments the archiepiscopal cross has its origins in something which is no longer actually used. At one time all bishops had, in addition to the processional cross at the head of the procession, another cross carried directly in front of them by a cleric. This other cross was a sign of the office of bishop. It originated as a custom that such a cross was carried before archbishops only. Later, the cross was adopted for use by all bishops so archbishop’s added a second horizontal bar to their crosses to distinguish them from the episcopal cross of simple bishops. While no longer actually used it has remained a symbol of the archiepiscopal office in heraldry. There are other clerics who make use of the ecclesiastical hat with its many tassels but the one true heraldic emblem of an archbishop—and the only essential one—is the archiepiscopal cross placed behind the shield.

It is not, as is sometimes supposed, a symbol of the office of Metropolitan because the archiepiscopal cross is used by all archbishops, even those who are not Metropolitan Archbishops.

Above the shield is the ecclesiastical hat, called a galero which, in heraldry, replaces the martial helmet, mantling and crest. “The hat with pendant tassels (green, purple or black) on each side is universally considered in heraldry as the sign of prelacy. It, therefore, pertains to all who are actually prelates.” (Heim, Bruno B., Heraldry in the Catholic Church 1978, page 114).  This broad-brimmed green galero was, at one time, worn by bishops and archbishops in outdoor processions and cavalcades. No longer used it remains a heraldic symbol of the office of (arch)bishop. In Catholic heraldry the color and number of tassels on the galero indicates the rank of the bearer. Green is used in the coats of arms of bishops and archbishops because, again at one time, green was the color worn by those prelates before they later adopted the familiar Roman purple. The double barred archiepiscopal cross and the green galero with twenty tassels signifies the coat of arms of an archbishop according to the Instruction of the Holy See, “Ut Sive” issued in 1969.

It was a great pleasure and a real privilege for me to assist the Archbishop with the preparation of his armorial bearings.

Archbishop of Vienna

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On January 24, 2026, the Most Rev. Josef Grünwidl (62) a priest of the Archdiocese of Vienna, Austria who has served, since 2025, as Administrator of the Archdiocese will be ordained and installed as the 33rd Archbishop of Vienna in succession to Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, OP, (81) a Dominican friar who served as Archbishop since 1995.

The armorial bearings assumed by Archbishop Grünwidl are typically, and wonderfully simple as are so many Austrian bishops’ coats of arms. It is also very common to quarter personal arms with those of the See in that part of the world. His chosen quarters marshal well with the beautifully simple arms of the See of Vienna.

His motto translates to: “Receive the melody of God”.

We wish him, Viel Glück und alles Gute! Ad Multos Annos!

Jefferson City’s New Bishop

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On October 28 the Most Rev. Ralph Bernard O’Donnell (56), a priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha since 1997, will be ordained a bishop and installed as the 5th Bishop of Jefferson City, Missouri.

The arms that he has assumed which are impaled to the recently redesigned arms of the See of Jefferson City were designed and emblazoned by Dom Pachomius Meade, OSB of Conception Abbey. He also worked on the redesign of the diocesan coat of arms.

Archbishop Rivituso of Mobile, Alabama

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September 3 will see the Installation of the tenth Bishop and third Metropolitan Archbishop of Mobile, Alabama. The Most Rev. Mark Steven Rivituso (63), a priest and, since 2017, an Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis, MO will be installed at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

I had marshaled and emblazoned the coat of arms of his immediate predecessor, Archbishop Thomas Rodi, and so the archdiocese contacted me about doing the same thing for the new archbishop.

BLAZON: Arms impaled. In the dexter: Azure issuant from a crescent in base Argent a rosebush with three blossoms all Or. In the sinister: Azure, a cross fleuretty Or, charged near its base with a crescent Argent and in base twelve mullets of five points, six to dexter and six to sinister Argent. The shield is ensigned with an archiepiscopal cross Or and an archbishop’s galero with cords and twenty tassels flanking the shield disposed in four rows of one, two, three and four all Vert. On a scroll below the shield is the motto, “The Love of Christ Impels Us”.

EXPLANATION: The armorial bearings of Archbishop Rivituso impale the coat of arms of his archiepiscopal See with his personal coat of arms. The coat of arms is composed of a shield with its charges (symbols), a motto and the external ornamentation. The shield is described (blazoned) in terms that are archaic to our modern language, and this description is presented as if viewed by the bearer with the shield being worn on the arm. Thus, where it applies, the terms dexter (right)  and sinister (left) are reversed as the device is viewed from the front.

It is customary in heraldry that the arms of a Diocesan Bishop, or Ordinary, are joined side by side on the same shield with the arms of his See. In this case, these are the arms of the Archdiocese of Mobile. Such marshaling is called impalement and employs the same method used when joining the coats of arms of two people who are married. In this way, the coat of arms, like the episcopal ring, is symbolic of the archbishop being “married” to his archdiocese.

The arms of the Archdiocese of Mobile depict a blue background on which is a silver (white) crescent moon toward the bottom. This is a symbol of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception which is the titular of the cathedral-basilica. From this crescent springs a rosebush that has three roses . The blossoms, leaves and stem are all gold (yellow).

The personal coat of arms of Archbishop Rivituso symbolize his origins, his personal devotion and the place in which he has spent his ministry as a priest and auxiliary bishop.The shield is blue with a gold (yellow) cross with the ends of the arms terminating in fleurs-de-lis borrowed from the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of St. Louis where the Archbishop served as both a priest and Auxiliary Bishop.

At the bottom of the cross is a silver (white) crescent moon with a scattering of twelve silver (white) stars on either side. This alludes to Our Lady under her title of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States. In the Book of Revelation she is described as having the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.

In addition, the crescent is placed near the bottom of the cross to signify Mary at the foot of the cross where Jesus asked St. John to care for her. In giving His mother to His Beloved Disciple, Christ also gave her to all of us as the Mother of the Church. In addition, the crescent and twelve stars symbolize the twelve apostles along with Mary, the Queen of the Apostles.

On a scroll below the shield is the Archbishop’s motto, “The Love of Christ Impels Us” taken from St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians (Chapter 5; verse 14). It means that as Christians and believers in Jesus as the Christ in all that we do and are the love of Christ impels us.

It was my great pleasure and privilege to prepare the Archbishop’s new coat of arms.

Bishop Pham of San Diego

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On July 17, 2025 the Most Rev. Michael Pham (58), a priest of the Diocese of San Diego who, since 2023 has also served as Auxiliary Bishop there, will be installed as the VII Bishop of San Diego.

The arms that he assumed when he became a bishop in 2023 remain unchanged, as is most correct. They have, however, simply been marshaled with the existing, and very nice, coat of arms of the diocese.

BLAZON: Arms impaled. In the dexter: Or, a cross throughout Gules between in the dexter chief quarter a Spanish stew pot and in the other three quarters a nail all Sable (San Diego) In the sinister: Per fess wavy Argent and Azure; in base fretty Argent; in chief a fishing boat Gules with a sail unfurled Argent charged with a beehive Gules flanked by two palm branches to dexter and sinister Vert; in chief eight tongues of fire all Gules. Shield ensigned with an episcopal cross Or behind the shield and a bishop’s galero Vert cords and twelve tassels disposed in three rows of one, two and three all Vert. On a scroll below the shield the motto: “United in Christ”.

EXPLANATION: The Bishop’s coat of arms, is composed of a shield upon which there are symbolic charges, a motto and the external ornaments of rank. The shield which is the most important feature of any heraldic device is blazoned (i.e. described) in heraldic language from the point of view of the bearer with the shield being held on his arm. Thus, where it applies, the term “dexter” (right) and “sinister” (left) are reversed as the device is viewed from the front.

By heraldic custom observed in North America, the arms of a diocesan bishop are “impaled” side by side on the same shield to the arms of his jurisdiction, in this case, the Diocese of San Diego. This signifies that the diocesan bishop is “married” to the See. The same method of impalement is employed in the coat of arms of two married people who are armigerous.

The coat of arms of the See of San Diego is composed of a gold (yellow) field and symbols of San Diego (St. Didacus in Latin), the diocesan patron saint. Diego was born to poor Spanish parents shortly before the year 1400. His love of poverty never left him. As a Franciscan brother he was a selfless servant of the poor and was known to heal the sick with the Sign of the Cross, the central charge of the diocesan coat of arms. The Spanish stew pot in the upper left quadrant indicates Diego’s boundless charity and tireless efforts to feed the hungry. San Diego had a special devotion to the Lord in his Passion, symbolized by the three nails in the other three quadrants. Diego died on Nov. 12, 1463, at the Franciscan monastery in Alcalá, Spain, pressing a crucifix to his heart and repeating the words of the Good Friday chant: “Dulce lignum, dulce ferrum, dulce pondus sustinet” (Precious the wood, precious the nails, precious the weight they bear.)

The personal coat of arms assumed by Bishop Pham when he was made Auxiliary Bishop in 2023 combines symbols that are meaningful to him. The shield is divided horizontally to depict a silver (white) sky above a blue wavy ocean. The ocean is criss-crossed by diagonal lines in order to create a pattern suggestive of a fisherman’s net. It represents that after 1975 while still living in Vietnam the bishop’s father became a fisherman to provide for his family. In addition, the net indicates not only the task of an apostle (or a successor to an apostle) of being a “fisher of men” but it also alludes to the New Evangelization where we are exhorted to put out into the deep (Duc in Altum). This symbolizes both the bishop’s priestly and episcopal ministry. 

In the upper part of the shield the boat also alludes to the work of a fisherman. In addition, a boat, in heraldry, is often used as a symbol of the Church itself, often referred to as the barque of Peter, who was himself, a fisherman. On the sail of the boat in the center is a red beehive flanked by two green palm branches. The beehive is a symbol of St. John Chrysostom, the bishop’s baptismal patron saint who was renowned for his inspiring preaching. So, he was known as a “honey-tongued” preacher. The palm branches are an ancient symbol of martyrdom. The bishop’s family comes from the first diocese in the north of Vietnam where his ancestors were among the first martyrs for the faith in that part of the world.

On either side and above the boat are eight red tongues of fire. They are symbols of the Holy Spirit which descended on the Apostles as tongues of fire at Pentecost. This was the beginning of their ministry to go out into the world to preach the Gospel so it is another symbol of Evangelization. Several flames represent a diversity of communities. Bishop Pham strengthened the cultural communities found in the diocese and shared them with the larger Catholic community. He has served as Episcopal Vicar of the Office of Ethnic & Intercultural Communities. So, symbols of the Holy Spirit were seen to appropriately reflect this ministry. It also reflects how, on Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended, people from different places, languages and cultures heard the Apostles speaking in their own languages. The red of the boat, the beehive and the tongues of fire is a further allusion to the blood of the martyrs.

It was my great pleasure to design and emblazon the bishop’s arms in 2023 when he became a bishop. At this time it was also my pleasure to marshal them to the arms of the See and emblazon them once again.

Archbishop McKnight

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The Most Rev. Shawn McKnight (56) was installed as the fifth Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas on May 26. I already talked about the very nice version of his coat of arms prepared for that occasion by Matthew Alderman. Immediately after his installation, the archbishop contacted me and asked for another rendering of his arms done by me. While that is somewhat unusual it is not unprecedented. It’s not uncommon for an armiger to have and use different renditions of his coat of arms done by different artists.

So, I undertook to do an emblazonment of the archbishop’s coat of arms for his use.

BLAZON: Arms impaled. In the dexter: Argent, a chevron invected issuant from the dexter, overall a tower embattled Gules charged with a crescent Argent; on a chief Gules a Latin cross reversed Argent surmounted by two keys in saltire Or. In the sinister: Gules a quail statant Or. The shield is ensigned with an archiepiscopal cross Or and an archbishop’s galero with cords and twenty tassels flanking the shield disposed in four rows of one, two, three and four all Vert. On a scroll below the shield is the motto, “Gratias Agamus Domino”.


EXPLANATION: The armorial bearings of Archbishop McKnight impale the coat of arms of his archiepiscopal See with his personal coat of arms. The coat of arms is composed of a shield with its charges (symbols), a motto and the external ornamentation. The shield is described (blazoned) in terms that are archaic to our modern language, and this description is presented as if given by the bearer with the shield being worn on the arm. Thus, where it applies, the terms dexter (right) and sinister (left) are reversed as the device is viewed from the front.


It is customary in heraldry that the arms of a Diocesan Bishop, or Ordinary, are joined side by side on the same shield with the arms of his See. In this case, these are the arms of the Archdiocese of Kansas City. Such marshaling is called impalement and employs the samemethod used when joining the coats of arms of two people who are married. In this way, the coat of arms, like the episcopal ring, is symbolic of the archbishop being “married” to his archdiocese. The arms of the Archdiocese of Kansas City are composed of a silver (white) field on which there is a blue chevron issuing from the side. The sides of the chevron are “invected” which means a line that consists of a series of circular arcs curving in the same direction, meeting at angles, forming points inward. This is to symbolize the Missouri River. Laid over this chevron is a red tower with an open archway and an embattled top. Imposed on the tower is a silver (white) crescent. The tower is a symbol of Fort Leavenworth. The original designation of the Archdiocese was the Diocese of Leavenworth (1877) and the church of the Immaculate Conception was the titular of the cathedral there. The crescent moon in heraldry is a symbol of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception. The upper third of the shield, called a “chief” contains two crossed gold (yellow) keys superimposed over a silver (white) Latin cross upside down. These are symbols of St. Peter, the titular patron of the cathedral church. The keys are the “keys of the kingdom” bequeathed by Christ to St. Peter and the upside down cross recalls the manner of his crucifixion.


The personal coat of arms of Archbishop McKnight illustrates his personal devotion. The field is red and the one and only charge is a large gold (yellow) quail. The red color alludes to the devotion of Archbishop McKnight to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as well as the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Quail are a symbol of God’s providential blessing and an Old Testament prefiguration of the Eucharist, as the Lord provided for his people in the desert with manna in the morning and quail in the evening (see Exodus 16:11-13; Numbers 11:31-32; Psalm 78:27 and Psalm 105:40). Quail-hunting is also a favorite sport of the Archbishop, an activity which requires the use of pointing, flushing and retrieving hunting dogs, and through which he experiences the beauty, harmony and providence of God in nature.

The external ornaments include a gold archiepiscopal cross with two horizontal bars (sometimes referred to as a patriarchal cross) placed vertically behind the shield decorated with red jewels. This is often mistaken for a processional cross like the one used in liturgical processions. However, like other heraldic ornaments the archiepiscopal cross has its origins in something which is no longer actually used. At one time all bishops had, in addition to the processional cross at the head of the procession, another cross carried directly in front of them by a cleric. This other cross was a sign of the office of bishop. It originated as a custom that such a cross was carried before archbishops only. Later, the cross was adopted for use by all bishops so archbishop’s added a second horizontal bar to their crosses to distinguish them from the episcopal cross of simple bishops. While no longer actually used it has remained a symbol of the archiepiscopal office in heraldry. Similarly, the broad-brimmed green galero was, at one time, worn by bishops in outdoor processions and cavalcades. No longer used it remains a heraldic symbol of the office of bishop and takes the place of the helmet, mantling and crest that would appear in the coat of arms of a layman. In Catholic heraldry the color and number of tassels on the galero indicates the rank of
the bearer. The double barred archiepiscopal cross and the green galero with twenty tassels signifies the coat of arms of an archbishop according to the Instruction of the Holy See, “Ut Sive” issued in 1969.


The motto chosen by Archbishop McKnight appears on a scroll below the shield, “Gratias Agamus Domino”. This is taken directly from the opening dialogue of the preface at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass (“Let us give thanks to the Lord”), and is derived from Psalm 107:1 and Psalm 118:1 (“Give thanks to the Lord Who is good, Whose love endures forever”).

Bishop Eckman of Pittsburgh (UPDATED)

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Today, His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV appointed the Most Rev. Mark Anthony Eckman (66), a priest of Pittsburgh and since 2021 the Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh, as the 13th Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

His armorial bearings, which not only allude to St. Mark but also, by use of the checkerboard taken from the arms of the See of Pittsburgh (and which, in turn, are borrowed from the arms of William Pitt, where they allude to his tenure as Chancellor of the Exchequer) now line up with the same checkerboard when his arms are impaled with those of the See.

It looks a bit odd, however, that the fess in his personal arms is more narrow than that in the arms of the See. It would probably work better artistically, if the two were of the same width. That would give the appearance of a single fess that crosses the two impaled arms but that’s simply the way it will appear. That’s one of the pitfalls of choosing charges and ordinaries directly from another coat of arms. Of course, it must be said that at the time Bishop Eckman assumed his own arms he could have no idea that one day he’d be named Bishop of Pittsburgh and impale his arms with those of the diocese. His personal arms, in my opinion, harmonizes nicely with the diocesan coat of arms making for a pleasing achievement.

NOTE: I have now been reliably informed that the bishop has, in fact, decided to slightly modify the fess in his personal arms so that it is identical to the one in the diocesan arms. So, problem solved!

Archbishop McKnight of Kansas City

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The Most Reverend Shawn McKnight (56), a priest of Wichita and who from 2018-2025 served as Bishop of Jefferson City, Missouri, was installed today as the 12th Bishop and 5th Metropolitan Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas.

His very simple and striking coat of arms arms was marshaled to those of Kansas City and very ably rendered by Matthew Alderman.

Bishop Lewandowski, CSsR of Providence

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On May 20, the Most Rev. Bruce Lewandowski, CSsR (57), a Redemptorist and formerly Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore, will be installed as the 10th Bishop of Providence, R.I. I had previously written about the bishop’s coat of arms when he was first made Auxiliary Bishop.

Now that he is moving to become a diocesan bishop his armorial bearings will now be marshaled to those of his diocese. The Bishop had employed his sister, a Felician Sister who “works in media” for her Province to design his coat of arms. As they were back then, so too, are they something of a dumpster fire, heraldically speaking.

In an interview for The Catholic Review, the Baltimore archdiocesan newspaper, in 2020 the Bishop said, “Why would I ask anyone else?” when asked why his sister was designing his coat of arms. I think I can answer that. How about: in order to turn to someone with knowledge of a specific topic that isn’t really a DIY project? How about that? In her own part of the same interview, Sr. Lewandowski remarked about some of the particular elements of her design:

“The Holy Spirit is depicted as breaking the upper edge of the shield ‘as it is the privilege of the Holy Spirit to inspire new life and envision endless possibilities for the Church, God’s people,’ the description says. The designer noted that she was not sure if that was “allowed” but in her research she did not find any parameters that said it couldn’t be done that way.” (emphasis added)

All I can say is that must have been one quick and not very diligent Google search. Even the most cursory bit of online research should have clued her in to the fact that charges emerging through the edges of the field was a puerile and amateurish mistake. Quite frankly, I don’t see how she could have done any research and reached the conclusion that she did! There are numerous resources out there for someone unfamiliar with good heraldic practices, to say nothing of the huge online presence of groups and organizations that could have happily offered her assistance in her project.

But, this, instead, is the worst kind of so-called heraldry: heraldry as logo. (It summons up the bile just by thinking about it!).

In the same aforementioned article she said:

“…she believes a bishop’s coat of arms should tell people who he is and what he stands for. And I believe it should be a more spiritual piece, not just a historical piece,” she said. “And a lot of the coats of arms that I’ve seen and that I kind of read into, it’s a real historical document, but it doesn’t always tell you who the bishop is. She said she tried to tie in Bishop-designate Lewandowski’s spirituality into the symbols she used.”

Well, she got the first part right. A coat of arms should tell people who the armiger is. But, then she rode that right off the rails with the second part. A coat of arms does not tell people what the armiger stands for. It is for identification alone. I have often mentioned that a coat of arms is not one’s C.V. in pictures. Similarly, it isn’t an expression of personal ideology; a manifesto of one’s own spirituality or (for the clergy) a catechetical tool that expresses one’s personal beliefs as a kind of pictorial homily. Unfortunately, that’s precisely how the Lewandowski kids decided to view this project, with disastrous results.

In the latest rendering the overcrowded and poorly composed original coat of arms now falls victim to, perhaps, my second favorite pet peeve: they were changed in order to combine well with the diocesan arms. That’s not an option, full stop. (I suppose Sister didn’t find anything in her research that said she couldn’t do that either!) In addition, the charges form the personal arms are still going beyond the divisions and boundaries of the shield and/or spilling over from one impalement to the other. Clearly, this is also the classic mistake of thinking that the diocesan arms now somehow “become” part of the bishop’s coat of arms rather than being an example of two distinct and separate coats of arms marshaled together on one shield so as to express the relationship between the two!

The list of things wrong with this just goes on and on, and on…

Suffice it to say that he had a poorly designed coat of arms to begin with which would have and could have benefitted greatly from some expertise and advice from an organization, an individual, or even a decent book on the subject in order to take the elements and arrange and depict them according to good heraldic practices. Now, that poorly designed coat of arms has been badly modified and marshaled inexpertly to the point that the diocesan coat of arms of the See of Providence is depicted incorrectly!

EPIC FAIL!

But…what do you expect when a coat of arms is approached as an exercise in graphic design to tell us who the armiger really is? I’ll leave that question unanswered, thank you.