Personal Arms of the Clergy: A Study

Impaled arms of the Rev. Canon Edward N. West with
the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

For the longest time, I've been delaying any sort of work requiring the impaling (or marshalling) of arms.  Why?  I've simply never been much of a fan.  The symmetry is ruined; charges get distorted in order to fit into smaller areas and the whole design just looks muddled in my mind.  Well, I'm beginning to evolve on this very subject after finishing a study on several, forcing my hand to practice and learn.

This post will focus on several impalements for clergy below the rank of bishop in the Episcopal/Anglican tradition.  I have another article in the works concerning personal arms of bishops

Personal arms of the Rev. Canon Edward N. West
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Simply put, the practice of impaling arms for clergy is a way to illustrate both the cleric's rank and office.  Furthermore, the action of impaling two separate coats of arms shows a marriage of sorts--the cleric is "married" in a way to her or his cure.  

The galero, cords, and tassels (external ornaments) provide the viewer with the cleric's rank denoted by the color and number of tassels surrounding the escutcheon.  The office, more abstractly speaking, can be understood by the dexter (viewer's left) impalement of the arms themselves.  While the rank and office may change over time and reflected by different external ornaments, the personal arms in sinister (viewer's right) and the armiger's motto do not.    

Arms of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Take, for example, the arms of the Rev. Canon Edward Nason West, OBE, Th.D., Litt.D., Sub-Prelate St.J. (1909-1990) who served as Canon Sacrist, and had a stint as sub-dean, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.  As a canon, West was permitted to display three red tassels illustrating his rank.  Moreover, I believe Canon West held six doctoral degrees (earned and honorary), and is shown with red skein in the cords pendant from the galero.

For illustrative purposes only, purple cords reflecting
the rank of dean with red skein for the D.D. degree
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Finally, impaling the canon's arms with those of the cathedral he serves identifies the office.  If West was the dean of the cathedral, his cords would be purple with red skein for the D.D. degree.

Impaled arms of the Rev. Canon John G.B. Andrew, OBE with St. Thomas Church
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The personal arms of the Rev. Canon John G.B. Andrew, OBE, D.D. (1931-2014) impaled with those of his parish, St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue in New York City, showing the same arrangement of three red tassels for a canon, but on a black and white cord based on one artifact I found.  Andrew was an honorary canon and held an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree--the armiger decides whether or not to show the red skein for the D.D. which in the US is an honorary degree.

Personal arms of the Rev. Canon John G.B. Andrew, OBE
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Canon Andrew's personal arms showing his D.D.  Both Andrew's personal arms and those of St. Thomas Church were devised by the College of Arms (Andrew's was a grant of arms). 

Impaled arms of the Rev. Alfred Hope Patten with the College of Guardians
of the Holy House of Walsingham
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The impaled arms of the Rev. Alfred Hope Patten (1885-1958) are a bit unique.  Father Hope is commemorated as the restorer of the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in England.  While he was a priest in the Church of England, Father Hope was also the administrator of the Shrine and preferred two tassels indicating the rank of a dean in the Roman Catholic tradition.  

Click here to learn more about the arms of the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Impaling Father Hope's arms with those of the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our Lady of Walsingham shows his relationship as head--or dean--of the college.  Fitting and appropriate.  

Arms of the Rev. Alfred Hope Patten
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

In fairness to Father Hope, the schedule and use of ecclesiastical hats for clergy was not codified by the College of Arms until 1976.  Click here to see those renderings from the College of Arms.

Impaled arms of the Rev. Garron Daniels, OCS with those of Episcopal Parish of Alton
Designed and rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

I had the honor of designing both the personal arms of the Rev. Garron Daniels, OCS, Rector of the Episcopal Parish of Alton, and his parish.  As a priest, one tassel is pendant from the galero along with a cord of black and white indicating a presbyter in the Episcopal Church.

Click here to learn more about the arms for the Episcopal Parish of Alton.

Personal arms of the Rev. Garron Daniels, OCS
Designed and rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Father Garron's arms are blazoned:

Arms: Argent, on a fess Sable two Mayflowers (epigaea repens) Argent barbed Vert charged with a fleur-de-lis Azure debruised by a pile Azure thereon a dove descending Argent haloed Or;

Motto: Dum Spiro Spero, “while I breathe, I hope.”

To help clearly illustrate all these differences, I've created a schedule which is more appropriate for use in the Episcopal Church.

Illustration of rank most appropriate for use in the Episcopal Church
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

I'm beginning to get the hang of all this marshalling business, practice certainly helps.  

Arms of the National Shrine & Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham

Armorial ensigns of the National Shrine & Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Walsingham is truly an ecumenical place.  You feel this as soon as you enter the village; Orthodox, Anglican, and Roman Catholics all venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Walsingham.  I've long felt that Walsingham is the key to fruitful ecumenical relations for the Body of Christ.

As I've posted before regarding the arms granted to the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our Lady of Walsingham--the Anglican Shrine--it's time to examine its nearby Roman Catholic cousin, the National Shrine and Basilica.

Click here to learn about the arms of the College of Guardians.

The "Slipper" Chapel

The National Shrine and Basilica of Walsingham.
Source: ExploreWestNorfolk.co.uk

Long known as the "Slipper Chapel," this structure dates to the mid-14th century and dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria.  Located roughly one mile from Walsingham, the chapel served as the last stop for those making their pilgrimage to the Holy House.  With bare feet as an act of humility, the faithful would removed their shoes at the chapel before proceeding onwards to Walsingham.

"When this chapel was built, Walsingham was second only to Canterbury in the ranks of English pilgrimage. The replica of the Holy House, where Mary had received news of her pregnancy from the Angel Gabriel, contained the precious statue of Our Lady of Walsingham. Thousands of people made their way here, down the muddy tracks and over the rolling Norfolk fields. 

"At Houghton St Giles, they would enter the orbit of Walsingham, their goal now almost in sight. It may be that they took off their shoes here, and walked the last stretch barefoot. It might also be the case that this is why it is called the Slipper Chapel. And it may be that it is not true, or even likely, for many of the pilgrims here would probably have been barefoot long before they reached Houghton" (Knot, 2023).

The chapel's history waxed and waned through the years and eventually fell into disrepair.  A wealthy lady, Miss Charlotte Pearson Boyd discovered the property and quickly purchased it on June 26, 1896. and gave it to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton for use.  The bishop charged the Benedictines at nearby Downside Abbey to care for the place.

In time, a statue of Our Lady of Walsingham was commissioned and stayed at the nearby Roman Catholic church in Kings Lynn.  Knott recounts that on occasion, pilgrimages from Kings Lynn to Walsingham took place as the statue of Our Lady was carried in procession.

Knott continues his story of the chapel:

"And so things might have remained, if it had not been for the emergence on to the Walsingham scene of one Alfred Hope Patten. In 1921, he became Anglican Vicar of Little Walsingham. A devout and energetic Anglo-catholic, Hope Patten found himself to be the right person in the right place at the right time. Everything came together, in this decade when Anglo-catholicism reached the peak of its influence in the Church of England, and the Church itself was the most vivid it would ever be in the national consciousness. He installed an image of Our Lady of Walsingham in the Anglican parish church of St Mary. 

"Throughout the 1920s, visits to the statue grew in popularity, until thousands of Anglo-catholics each year were coming to pray in the church and to process around it. As you may imagine, the Anglican Bishop of Norwich was outraged, and demanded that Hope Patten remove the image from his church. Hope Patten being the kind of man he was, he acceded to this request by building a new replica of the Holy House on the other side of the Priory ruins, and placing the statue inside it. 

"At last, the Shrine of Our Lady had been returned to Walsingham - but, much to the the chagrin of the Catholic Church, it was an Anglican one" (Knott, 2023).     

Good old Hope Patten!  From here the National Shrine's presence grows, aided by two important papal actions.  The shrine was elevated by a canonical coronation decreed by Pope Pius XII in 1954, and later Pope Francis elevated the National Shrine to a minor basilica in 2015.

Arms of the National Shrine & Basilica

Arms of the Augustine Priory of Our Lady of Walsingham
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

So now the heraldry bit.  Upon the elevation of the shrine to a basilica, external ornaments are required in order for the arms to show its new status, by adding the papal umbraculum or "big umbrella" and crossed keys.  

Ordinariate News provides the following information:

"Dr. David Woolf has been a longstanding pilgrim and supporter of the Shrine and remains a member of the Order of Our Lady of Walsingham. He has links with the Rector of the Basilica, Monsignor John Armitage, who has since asked him to ensure that heraldically suitable Arms might be adopted by the Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham.

"A manuscript dating from c. 1510 records the Arms of the Priory of Walsingham as Argent on a cross sable five lilies slipped argent, i.e. a black cross on a white background, with five lilies superimposed on the cross. The Basilica is now the modern day successor of the Priory of Walsingham, and as such it is appropriate that the Basilica has assumed the Arms of the Priory. These Arms have been augmented to include the ombrellino and the Papal crossed keys: one gold, the other silver" (Murphy, 2016 March 7).

And here's where I ask the question:  does the basilica have the right to bear the undifferenced arms of the Augustinian Priory of Walsingham?  With all due respect, my answer:  no.  

Consider the following:

1. When the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our Lady of Walsingham petitioned the College of Arms in 1945 for armorial ensigns, the arms were differenced from those of the Priory by adding a blue canton with an image of the Holy House in gold.  The College of Arms, most likely, would not make a new grant without some change made to an existing coat of arms.  The ruins of the priory, it should be noted, are located within the bounds of the Anglican shrine at Walsingham.  

2. When Pope Benedict XVI created the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in 2009, the adopted arms had two marks of differencing from those of Walsingham--replacing the color of the cross from black to blue while selecting fleurs-de-lis for the Madonna lilies.  These arms are impaled along with those used by Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890) to form the official coat of arms of the ordinariate.

L-R: Arms of the Anglican Ordinariate in the UK and US
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The illustration above shows the arms of the Ordinariate in the UK (left) and in the US (right).  Below are the arms of the US ordinariate's cathedral in Houston, Texas, Our Lady of Walsingham Cathedral.  I placed the arms within a traditional arrangement for cathedrals using a mace and crozier in saltire.  I set the arms of the US Anglican Ordinariate within the crook for additional identification and decoration, and the whole ensigned with a bishop's miter and infulae draping to the sides. 

Arms for Our Lady of Walsingham Cathedral in Houston, Texas
Seat of the Bishop, US Anglican Ordinariate
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The arms of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham are blazoned:  Per pale, in dexter argent upon a cross azure five fleurs-de-lis proper [Ordinariate]; the sinister half, Or upon a fasce dancette gules between three heart gules [Newman].

3.  The original arms, as far as we know, were used by the Priory of Augustinian canons in Walsingham.  The National Shrine is simply not a successor able to use these undifferenced arms--the National Shrine is neither a priory nor Augustinian.  Simply being the same denomination does not grant successor status in my opinion.  

I'm not the sort of chap who complains without proffering solutions.  I propose a revision to the arms currently being used by the National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham. 

A Proposal for Unification in Arms

Illustrating possible unification in arms between the National Shrine & Basilica and the Anglican Shrine of the College of Guardians
Click image to enlarge
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Illustrating unification in corporate heraldry is a beautiful concept.  When designed and executed properly, a suite of armorial ensigns harmoniously display bespoke identification for the corporate sole and surrogate foundations.

As I wrote at the beginning of this article, Our Lady of Walsingham has a special charism at work in the hearts of Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox Christians.  Our Lady, in other words, is a bridge between Christ and His Church.  Thus, Our Lady of Walsingham serves as a powerful unifier for all Christians and denominations.  Why not incorporate this charism into the heraldry of Walsingham?  The desire for unification in arms (and certainly more widely for the Body of Christ) forms the basis of my proposal.

I've rendered my little thought experiment above to illustrate the design proposal.  The revision, in my opinion, follows with what I believe is in keeping with one practice used by the College of Arms for differencing existing arms.  I could be wrong.

Processional banner of the proposed arms for the National Shrine & Basilica
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Armorial flag of the proposed arms for the National Shrine & Basilica
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

On a processional banner or armorial flag, the proposed arms look dignified and worthy of the National Shrine and Basilica.  The flag would not have to comply with the Earl Marshal's Warrant of 1938 which regulates ecclesiastical flags for the Church of England.

The blazon I offer for the proposed revision of arms of the National Shrine & Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham: Argent, on a cross Sable five Madonna lilies slipped and seeded proper, on a canton Azure a crescent Or.  

Proposed revision of arms for the National Shrine & Basilica
of Our Lady of Walsingham
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The crescent charge has long been a Marian symbol and rendering it in gold alludes to Pope Pius XII's canonical coronation of the shrine.  I also like how the crescent charge plays with the cadency mark.  In a sense, the Basilica is the "child" of the Priory (albeit a distance one, like a different cadet branch, and not able to inherit the undifferenced arms).  The canton reflects Our Lady's color of blue while providing ties for unification with the arms of the College of Guardians.  

Maybe I've missed something, as I am by no means an expert in heraldic law and inheritance.  In the meantime, may the charism of Our Lady of Walsingham continue to spread in the hearts and minds of souls everywhere.

Originally written and posted in 2020.  I've recently revised this article with new artwork and data.

Works Cited

Murphy, David (2016 March 7).  New coat of arms for the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham is designed by an Ordinariate member.  Ordinariate News.  Accessed on May 23, 2025.  https://ordinariateexpats.wordpress.com/2016/03/07/new-coat-of-arms-for-the-basilica-and-national-shrine-of-our-lady-of-walsingham-is-designed-by-an-ordinariate-member/

Knott, Simon (2023). Slipper Chapel, Houghton St Giles.  The Last of England: Churches of East Anglia Norfolk.  Accessed on May 23, 2025. http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/houghtonshrine/houghtonshrine.htm

Mary's Month: House of God, Gate of Heaven

The Walsingham Throne supporting the coat of arms of the College of Guardians
Created and rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and time to tackle a project that's been marinating in my head for some time.  I have always wanted to see if I could render the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham to serve as the signature image for the blog.  Well, inspiration finally came today and the winds took me in a different (and better) direction up north to Canada.

The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA) does a rather cool thing when granting arms to Anglican cathedrals within its jurisdiction.  The very word cathedral means cathedra, or seat of the bishop, from which derives all episcopal authority, and when it comes to expressing this concept abstractly through heraldry, the CHA developed a concept which creates immediate identification.

A cathedral's coat of arms are placed upon a throne, or cathedra, which is used as the supporter for the arms.  Rather clever!  I'm guessing that each supporter is modeled on the actual throne in each cathedral.  The throne supporter visually sends a message that these arms are different.   

The coat of arms and supporter of St. Paul's Cathedral
in Regina, Saskatchewan
Granted by the Canadian Heraldic Authority 1996

The image above illustrates CHA's concept.  The coat of arms of St. Paul's Cathedral in Regina, Saskatchewan, rest upon the throne with a motto placed below on a ribbon.  Above the arms of the cathedral on the tympanum are those of the Diocese of Qu'Appelle.  By placing the arms of the corporate sole at the top, an abstract relationship between the two coats of arms can be discerned--the arms of the diocese seem to visually claim this cathedra for the ordinary of the diocese.

I followed the same framework.  Seated upon Mary's throne rests the coat of arms of the Guardians of the Holy House of Walsingham (Anglican Shrine) between seven gold rings for the seven sacraments.  The idea was to make the throne--as depicted at the Anglican Shrine--function as the supporter for the arms. 

In the absence of arms of a corporate sole for the Anglican shrine (at least to my knowledge), I used the undifferenced arms of the Priory of Walsingham along with a celestial crown to top things off.  The motto below was granted to the Guardians along with their arms from the heralds' college in 1945.  The Guardian's motto in Latin, Domus Dei Porta Caeli, translates as "House of God, Gate of Heaven." 

Arms of the Roman Catholic National Shrine and Basilica of
Our Lady of Walsingham
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Click here to learn more about the arms used by the Roman Catholic National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham and my proposal for a revision.   

I love Canadian heraldry and a proud member of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.  Some of the most original and creative charges, lines of division, and overall designs continue to spring from the heralds there.

Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us.

A Proper House At Last

The arms and motto of the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Walsingham
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024

As an example of my growth working with vector graphics, I am thrilled to present my heraldic version of the Holy House of Walsingham.  This charge--of all charges--has been a thorn in my side for some time...

 Heraldic version of the Holy House of Walsingham
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024

For background information on the arms assigned to the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Walsingham which were designed and granted by the College of Arms, please click here to read my prior post on the subject.   I am chuffed to finally see a properly rendered Holy House.  Since heraldry is an abstract form of art, specific buildings named in a blazon (such as the Holy House, for example) are rendered in a suggestive manner.  In other words, specifically named objects are illustrated in a way to help identify it without too much detail.  Why?  I don't know.  This is the way.

Armorial flag based on the arms of the Guardians
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

I've also gone ahead and designed the banner of arms for a 3ft x 5ft flag which I will commission soon.  My translation for the flag does not comply with the Earl Marshal's Warrant of 1938 which codified ecclesiastical flags within the Church of England.  

Armorial flag of the Guardians designed in compliance with the Earl Marshal's Warrant of 1938
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

For compliance, the flag would show a white field, red cross of St. George, and in the dexter quarter would appear the arms of the Guardians on an escutcheon.  

The Heraldry of England's Nazareth

Arms of Our Lady of Walsingham
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Walsingham, or more properly, "England's Nazareth," is the holiest of places in England where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the Lady Richeldis.  The Shrine of Our Lady has been host to kings and queens, along with countless pilgrims seeking intercession from the Blessed Virgin Mary.  

As I continue to dabble in digital design, I thought it would be best to render the arms of the name of this blog's dedication.  More to point, I've never encountered a digital emblazonment for Walsingham and I rather liked the challenge to see what I could do.  

The emblazonment above is the earliest known coat from the Augustinian priory established in Walsingham.  The arms are blazoned:  Argent, on a cross Sable five Madonna lilies slipped and seeded proper.

Arms of the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our Lady of Walsingham. 
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

In 1945, a grant of arms was made to the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our Lady Walsingham based on the historic coat borne by the Augustinians, albeit differenced of course.  Please click here to read more about the College's grant.  

Processional banner of the arms of the College of Guardians
designed by Chad Krouse, 2025

The arms of the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Walsingham are blazoned:  Argent, on a cross Sable five Madonna lilies slipped and seeded proper on a canton Azure a holy house Or.

Arms of the College of Guardians supported by Our Lady's throne
Concept and rendering by Chad Krouse, 2025

The biggest challenge I had in pulling these arms together was digitally creating an image of the Holy House.  In heraldry, a specifically named object such as the Holy House, is rendered abstractly with only minor detail--enough to provide identification to the viewer.

Banners of arms
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Once I had the Holy House dialed in, I began creating a number of assets, one of which had to be a banner of arms.  Ecclesiastical flags in the Church of England are regulated by the Earl Marshal's Warrant of 1938 which codified a template for flags.  Essentially, a parish flag would use as the basis a white field with the red cross of St. George and differenced by the escutcheon of the diocese in dexter canton (seen in the top flag above).  

However, if one were to simply translate the Guardians' arms into a banner of arms, the result would look similar to my rendering in the flag below--beautiful even if not in compliance with the Earl Marshal's directive.

Arms of The Rev. Alfred Hope Patten
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

No discussion would be complete without mentioning the coat of arms borne by The Rev. Father Alfred Hope Patten (1885-1958), Anglican priest and Restorer of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. 

Impaled arms of Patten with the arms of the Guardians
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

As illustrated in the arms above, Father Hope preferred two black tassels from his galero--the number traditionally indicates the office of a dean.  My rendering of Father Hope's arms are based on an image of his ex libris in my collection.  I love seeing Father Hope's arms impaled with those of the Guardians as he was in many ways the founder of it all.

The blazon for the arms of The Rev. A. Hope Patten: 

Arms:  Lozengy Sable and Ermine, a canton Gules

Motto:  Nulla Pallescere Culpa, Latin for "to turn pale at no crime"

Arms of the National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Nearby, the Roman Catholic National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham uses the undifferenced arms of the Augustinian Priory of Walsingham along with the external ornaments appropriately reflecting its status as a basilica.  Click here to read my proposal for a revision to the arms of the National Shrine and Basilica.

Arms of the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our Lady of Walsingham

Arms of the College of Guardians upon a supporter modeled on the Shrine
Designed and rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham is under the care of the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our Lady of Walsingham, as this is the official corporate name on their letters patent for a coat of arms from the College of Arms granted in 1945.  

I first encountered these arms when I was in Walsingham for the National Pilgrimage in 2009.  I wish I had paid more attention to Walsingham's heraldry, as various armorial ensigns were literally everywhere as I recall.

Processional banner of the arms of the College of Guardians
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The arms of the College of Guardians are based on those of the Augustinian Priory of Walsingham dating back to 1510 blazoned, Argent, on a cross Sable five Madonna lilies slipped and seeded proper.  

As the Shrine's restoration began in earnest under the direction of the Rev. Alfred Hope Patten (1885-1958), the need for armorial identification of the new enterprise would follow.   

Armorial flag of the College of Guardians based on the Earl Marshal's Warrant of 1938
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The Rev. Henry Joy Fynes-Clinton (1875-1959) was actively involved with the work of the Shrine and helped petition the College of Arms for a grant.  He generously paid the heralds' fees for the grant on behalf of the Shrine.  

Following approval from London, Fynes-Clinton wrote an article in Our Lady's Mirror regarding the new arms:

"The ancient arms of the Priory of Walsingham, which can be seen in the window of the Lady Chapel in the Parish Church and elsewhere, can almost be looked on as the Arms of Our Lady of Walsingham. The College of Guardians of the Holy House, as a corporate body owning part of the ancient property of the Priory and formed to carry on its work, might claim a sort of moral right to the use of these Arms. But the use of a Coat of Arms and Crest is limited by strict rules and is under the jurisdiction of the College of Arms, with the authority of the Earl Marshal and the King. 

"Feeling, therefore, that it would be proper for the Guardians to have the right to their own arms, one of them has provided the necessary fees and obtained a grant of the ancient Priory Arms with a 'difference,' viz : a representation, in the corner of the shield, of the Holy House. It is a gift in honour of our Benefactress and our Queen" (1945).

Fynes-Clinton rightfully points out that the arms of the Priory of Walsingham, found in the local parish window, were already in existence.  As such, the College of Guardians could not rightfully lay claim to those arms.  Thus, the arms had to be differenced in order to be granted, and the heralds in London provided a two distinctive marks of differencing with a blue canton and a golden Holy House.

My version of the armorial flag of the arms of the College of Guardians
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Fynes-Clinton continues in the same article:

"In heraldic language the full achievement is: upon a choir mantle azure, lined gules, ensigned on left shoulder with the escutcheon of the college, a shield argent upon a cross sable, five lilies of the first slipped and seeded proper; a canton azure, charged with a Holy House or. Upon a helm mantling of the colours, and crest, issuing from a celestial crown of 12 points and stars, or, three lilies argent seeded or. Motto: Domus Dei: porta caeli. The House of God: the Gate of Heaven.We may regard these arms as the banner under which we all serve Our Lady of Walsingham. 

"Let us consider them as emblematic of our devotion :—The silver shield—Our Lady’s purity. The black Cross—Her suffering in the dark hour of the Passion. The five lilies—the five joyful mysteries of the Incarnation in her Rosary. The canton of Mary’s blue showing the Holy House, the 'House of God”, speaking of the lowliness of the Incarnation. The celestial crown of the crest—the glory of her Crowned Motherhood in heaven, and the three lilies—her purity, lowliness and charity. The motto also speaks of earth and heaven— 'Domus Dei', 'This', amongst us, 'is none other than the House of the God-Child'; 'Porta Caeli', 'this is the Gate of Heaven', which we indeed find the Holy House to be as we enter the presence of the mystery of the Incarnation in the Blessed Sacrament" (1945).

Since Father Patten had used an image from the front of the Priory's seal to recreate the statue of Our Lady, it's only fitting that the obverse containing an image of the Holy House should be used in the arms.  The detail of the Holy House can be found on the Priory's seal.

Arms of the College of Guardians
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The arms of the College of Guardians are both simple and clear, identifying the corporate body as de facto guardians of the Shrine of Our Lady.

The blazon for the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our of Walsingham:

Arms:  Argent, on a cross Sable five Madonna lilies slipped and seeded proper on a canton azure a Holy House Or;   

Crest:  Out of a celestial crown points ending with stars of six points, three Madonna lilies seeded and stemmed proper;

Motto:  Domus Dei Porta Caeli, Latin for "House of God, Gate of Heaven."

Arms and motto of the Rev. Alfred Hope Patten
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The Rev. Father Alfred Hope Patten (1885-1958), Anglican priest and Restorer of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham bore arms which can also be found in the Anglican Shrine.

Impaled arms of the Rev. Alfred Hope Patten and the College of Guardians
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

As illustrated in the arms above, Father Hope preferred two black tassels from his galero--the number traditionally indicates the office of a dean.  Perhaps the number reflected his unique office as the restorer and administrator of the Shrine.  My rendering of Father Hope's arms are based on an image of his ex libris in my collection.  

The blazon of arms for The Rev. Alfred Hope Patten: 

Arms:  Lozengy Sable and Ermine, a canton Gules;

Motto:  Nulla Pallescere Culpa, Latin for "to turn pale at no crime."

I really like seeing Father Hope's arms impaled with those of the Guardians as he was the founder.  

Works Cited

Fynes-Clinton, H.J. (1945 Spring).  The armorial bearings of Our Lady.  The Guardian's Grant of Arms.  The Archives of the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, accessed May 1, 2025, https://walsinghamanglicanarchives.org.uk/grantofarms.htm

The Arms of The Rev. Alfred Hope Patten

Arms and motto of The Rev. Alfred Hope Patten
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The Rev. Alfred Hope Patten (1885-1958), priest in the Church of England, was responsible for restoring the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.  If not for Father Patten, there would be no Anglican commemoration of Our Lady in Walsingham today.

The blazon for the arms of The Rev. A. Hope Patten: 

Arms:  Lozengy Sable and Ermine, a canton Gules;

Motto:  Nulla Pallescere Culpa, Latin for "to turn pale at no crime."

The ex libris of Father Hope Patten
Image source: eBay

I based Father Patten's arms on an image of his ex libris which I found online.  Note the use of two black tassels, which normally identify the cleric as a dean, and likely used due to the Shrine's status.

Impaled arms of The Rev. Alfred Hope Patten with those of the College of Guardians
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

To show Father Patten's relationship to the Anglican Shrine in a way only heraldry can do, I've created an impalement of his personal arms with those of the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Walsingham.

To learn more about the coat of arms of the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Walsingham (the Anglican Shrine), click here.  To read more articles on the heraldry found at Walsingham, click on the corresponding label at the end of the post.