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The design of the coat of arms of the Most Reverend Robert P. Deeley achieves numerous spiritual and theological symbolisms that are important to him. The design was created in consultation with a longtime friend of Bishop Deeley, the Most Reverend Bishop Charles J. Scicluna, who was named the Titular Bishop of San Leone and auxiliary bishop of Malta in 2012. The coat of arms is comprised of three sections: the shield, the scroll that contains the episcopal motto, and the external ornaments, which surround the shield.
The shield is split vertically, with the coat of arms of the Diocese of Portland comprising the left half and the bishop’s personal arms on the right. The impalement, or act of splitting the shield in half vertically, symbolizes the marriage between a bishop and a diocese.
Atop this dual field is a lion, which Bishop Deeley considers to be emblematic of his family. The front half of the lion is rendered in black and the hindquarters are in red, with the claws and tongue taking the opposite colors.
Below the galero and behind the shield is the episcopal cross. For bishops, it appears with one horizontal arm. The cross is gold, from which emanates three Fleur de Lys, which in Catholic heraldry represents the Blessed Virgin Mary. They also acknowledge the French roots of the Diocese of Portland. The center of the cross features a large, multifaceted blue sapphire, surrounded by pearls, both longstanding emblems of the Blessed Mother. A pine cone sits at the foot of the cross, just above the shield, recognizing Bishop Deeley’s new home, the state of Maine.
Bishop Deeley’s shield uses two metals, silver and gold, in honor of the Holy See. The colors silver and gold form the flags of the Church and Vatican City. They are known as the Heavenly Attributes in Catholic Heraldry. Each metal makes up half of the shield’s top right field, divided by a straight vertical line.
Bishop Deeley’s episcopal coat of arms is faithful to the style of Church heraldry originally developed in the Middle Ages. The design was completed by James-Charles Noonan, Jr., a well-known Church historian, an ecclesiastical protocolist, and a Vatican-trained heraldist. Linda Nicholson, who expertly paints the heraldic arms designed by Mr. Noonan, completes the partnership of this unique team in Church service.
The right side of the shield is divided by a wavy line to suggest water. This theme continues in the lower portion with alternating silver and blue waves, suggesting deep waters and his home see of Boston. Resting on the waters is a scallop or pilgrim’s shell, which, for Bishop Deeley, represents both baptism and a special homage to Pope Benedict XVI, who chose Bishop Deeley for the episcopacy and whose own shield also includes a shell. The silver color of the shell represents the purity of God.
Beneath the shield is suspended the insignia of the rank of chaplain in the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta, an office the bishop holds.
The left side of the shield, representing the Diocese of Portland, features the diocesan seal, which includes a field of blue with a scattering of gold pine cones. It is based on an ancient French royal family coat of arms and reflects the French roots of the diocese, which date back to 1604.
The Motto
An episcopal motto reflects a bishop’s spirituality and are words often taken from Scripture. At the time of his episcopal ordination, Bishop Deeley chose “Veritatem Facere in Caritate,” which he translates as “living the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). The motto appears in a banner beneath the shield.
The Externals
The shield is surrounded by external elements, beginning at the top with the pilgrim’s hat which is the heraldic emblem for all prelates and priests of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. The pilgrim’s hat, properly known as the galero, is forest green in color and has twelve tassels. The tassels, or fiocchi, are suspended on either side of the hat in pyramidal style. The galero and fiocchi are the insignia of the rank of bishop. The interior of the hat is rendered in red, representing the clergy’s possible martyrdom for the vocation that they have adopted in life.
© 2014 The Most Reverend Robert P. Deeley and the Diocese of Portland in Maine (With rights retained and permanently reserved for reproduction by Heraldic Designer, James-Charles Noonan, Jr., and Heraldic Painter, Linda Nicholson, for all heraldic, academic, scholastic, ecclesial, and electronic purposes et al).