Explanation of the Coat of Arms

of Fr. Brent Maher

The blazon of arms is marked by five main components on a silver shield. The central part is the Saltire - the cross in Murrey, a reddish-purple color to recall the Precious Blood of Christ. At the top of the shield is the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Murrey with a crown of thorns and a flame in Or, a shade of gold. The left side of the shield, from the vantage of the front, is the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Murrey with the crown of roses, the sword of sorrow, and, a flame in Or. Opposite this is the Most Pure Heart of St. Joseph in Murrey with a crown of lilies and a flame of Or. The bottom of the shield features an anchor in Murrey with a wood shank in Or. This symbol is an ancient symbol of hope, but doubles for me as a symbol of my patroness, Saint Philomena. The parchment scroll below the shield is marked with my personal motto, Ecce Venio, about which I have written on the home page of the site. The blazon of arms and parchment are crowned with the traditional clerical saturno, a black hat worn by many priests. The single cord coming down each side indicates that I am a simple parish priest with no special rank or title (thanks be to God!). And because sometimes the Lord allows things to happen in such a way that there are hidden components we had not planned in the midst of our labors that appear to us only later - there seems to be a cat smiling at one if they look at it right. That’s right. I, who have been dubbed ‘the cat priest’ by many friends accidentally wound up having a cat’s face in the shield of my coat of arms: the hearts of Mary and Joseph being the eyes, the anchor being the mouth, and the saltire making a nice outline to form the ears at the top. Touché, Lord.

Thank you to Mr. David P. Burkart for his heraldic guidance and artistry in advising and creating these arms. I would highly recommend him for others considering having arms drawn up for themselves.