Recent Finds VIII

Recent finds of arms for parishes in the Episcopal Church
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

More finds from the internet of coats of arms for parishes in the Episcopal Church that I recently emblazoned.  I found these arms to be well designed and meaningful symbols of identification for these faith communities.

The coat of arms of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Henderson, KY
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Henderson, KY managed to successfully difference the attributed arms of St. Paul with the addition of waves in chief.  The Ohio River runs next to Henderson and the waves in chief become a fitting symbol for geographical identification.

The coat of arms of St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, League City, TX
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The lighthouse is another Christian symbol for St. Christopher, and when placed on the blue canton of the base arms of the Episcopal Church, these arms make for a perspicuous design.  Well done.

The coat of arms of St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, Cambridge, MA
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The arms of St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Cambridge, MA incorporated the knifes from the saint's attributed arms in a clever way making a unique coat for the parish. 

The coat of arms of St. John's Episcopal Church, Youngstown, OH
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

St. John's Episcopal Church in Youngstown, OH, while using the attributed symbol for St. John, managed to difference their arms by placing St. John's symbol on an inescutcheon on top of a cross formy with the addition of a compony bordure.  Quite unique parish identification.

The coat of arms of St. James Episcopal Church Eufala, AL
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

St. James Episcopal Church in Eufala, Alabama took the attributed coat of arms for St. James and added a sword in pale to difference the arms.  Clever!

The coat of arms of St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Providence, RI
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The coat of arms of St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Providence, RI incorporate several elements--anchor for the state and the crozier and tower for St. Martin of Tours--in a beautiful and harmonious design.

The coat of arms of St. Mark's (Episcopal) in Philadelphia, PA
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

St. Mark's parish on Locust Street in Philadelphia bear arms following a popular design with the red cross of St. George in base and using the chief for differencing.  Dialing in the winged lion was a fun challenge.

The coat of arms of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Houston, TX
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Placing stones between the fretty design in the coat of arms of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Houston, TX was pure genius.  I believe the open books on the bend must represent the Bible, and in triplicate, the Holy Trinity.  This design was clearly created by someone who knew what they were doing.  A beautiful and meaningful design.

Recent Finds VII

I had this vision in my head for a lion bishop
Created and rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

A lion bishop?  Well, of course!  Anything is possible in the world of heraldry!  I had this vision in my head with the lion wearing a mitre and cope and bedazzled in all the episcopal finery possible.  Voila!

...and the finds keep coming!  Here's a quick post with some interesting US corporate heraldry found online recently and then rendered by me.  

The coat of arms of St. James Episcopal Church Prouts Neck, ME
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The coat of arms of St. James Episcopal Church Prouts Neck in Maine successfully avoided the old "2 and 1" with escallops.  In the absence of any known blazon, I'm guessing the escallop here would be proper.  Green is an entirely appropriate tincture for the State of Maine. 

The coat of arms of St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church Hollis, NY
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

"Hail Mary, full of grace the LORD is with you," proclaimed the angel Gabriel.  The coat of arms of St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church in Hollis, New York successfully ties together the herald's trumpet with the angel's wings.  I'm still trying to track down, however, if this coat is the attributed and undifferenced version for St. Gabriel.  Regardless, the design works.  My only question is why is there no geographic reference--which leads me to believe these are the attributed arms.  

The coat of arms of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Barre, Vermont
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 

Vermont continues to keep things interesting and the coat of arms of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Barre, VT are quite lovely if not unique to say the least.  These arms were a fun puzzle to solve.

The coat of arms of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (left) and Anderson University (right)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

In 2021, Anderson University in South Carolina officially adopted a coat of arms as seen above.  The university is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and I wonder if the bordure was intentional--matching Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's arms.  Either way, I appreciate this thematic approach by our Protestant sisters and brothers.

The coat of arms of St. Paul Seminary (Roman Catholic) in St. Paul, MN
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The coat of arms of St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota carries forward the barry wavy in base which is featured in the arms of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis along with its cathedral, the Basilica of the St. Mary.  Additionally, the seminary's arms avoid the undifferenced and attributed version of arms while providing unique geographic identification as well as unification.  Score!

Recent Finds Part VI

Arms recently found on the web and digitally emblazoned, legend below
by Chad Krouse, 2025

For part six of recent finds, I am sharing a few scholastic coats of arms recently found online.  While I was familiar with the arms of Gilman School and Indiana University, the others were new.  I know I've written before about this point, however, it is a universal truth that the artistic rendering of a given coat can only serve to enhance the beauty and effectiveness where blazonry ends.  The ensigns of the two aforementioned academic institutions never stirred much within me;  I saw those arms as interpreted by the artists who rendered them.  Well, today my mind has changed.  I love the arms of Indiana University (as I interpreted them ha!).  

First Diagonal Row (Top-down):  The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a coat of arms presently unknown, and Middlesex School;

Second Diagonal Row (Top-down):  The Masters School, University of Indiana, and Gilman School 

The coat of arms of Indiana University
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

In 1962, Indiana University officially adopted a coat of arms designed by Ade Bethune (1914-2002) who immigrated to the US from Belgium and became a highly skilled liturgical artist in the Catholic Church.  The blazon for the arms of Indiana University:  Gules, on a sun in splendor Argent an open book with four clasps edged of the field. 

Coat of Arms unknown at present
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Loved this design immediately but could not identify it!  One source suggests that these arms are from the US Hospital Auxiliary and used as an award of sorts.  Another source points to the military--the three white stars on a blue field would support that theory.

Blazon:  Argent, on a cross throughout Gules an open booked edged with two clasps Or inscribed Pro Patria et Ecclesia on a chief Azure three mullets of the field.

The coat of arms of Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Rendering the arms of Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY was a fun break from some of the more traditional divisions in the field.  A simple and clean coat of arms.  My blazon for the arms of Masters School:  Or, on a triangle throughout void of the field Purpure an open book edged with three clasps Argent thereon inscribed Do It With Thy Might.

The ribbons hanging from the pages are bookmarks and a first for me in rendering them.

The coat of arms of Gilman School in Baltimore, MD
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Founded in 1897, Gilman School in Baltimore would adopt its coat of arms in 1907, representing an early adopted among US academic institutions before the arms race of the 20th century took off.  Gilman School's coat of arms were designed by faculty member Hamlet S. Philpot who taught Greek, Latin, and history.  The arms are incorporated in the school's seal which has seen a few revisions during its lifetime.  The school's archives present this timeline better that I could, so please click here to see how Gilman School's arms and seal has evolved. 

Recent Finds Part V

US civic coats of arms discovered on the Internet (legend below)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
Click image to enlarge

In the ongoing "recent finds series," I've decidedly gone in a new direction in search of US civic coats of arms to render and share.  I was rather surprised by the number of arms used by cities in Rhode Island, and I may need to devote a whole post to those designs.

Top Row (L-R):  City of Austin (TX), City of Saco (ME), and Warwick (RI)

Middle Row (L-R):  Crozet Civic Association (VA), Smithfield (RI), and Warren (RI)

Bottom Row (L-R):  Lincoln, North Providence, and Tiverton (all RI)

Arms of the City of Austin, TX
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

I had no idea that the City of Austin used arms, and rather simple ones too.  While the overall design incorporates colors/elements from the state flag of Texas, I believe the gold lamp is a reference to the city being a seat of learning with UT Austin located there.  

Arms of Crozet Civic Association (Crozet, VA)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Quite literally in my backyard, the Crozet Civic Association adopted the arms of Crozet for which the town near Charlottesville is named for in 1996.  The arms are simple and lovely.  Read more about these arms by clicking here.

Arms of the City of Saco, ME
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The arms of Saco, Maine are also simple and lovely, incorporating the chevron from the state's namesake Sir Fernado Gorges, and pinecones from the evergreen tree emblazoned on the state's arms.

Arms of Lincoln, RI
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Lastly, I want to highlight the arms from Lincoln, Rhode Island which incorporate in base the cross of St. George and fleur-de-lis from its namesake Lincoln in England.  I've been there!  The chief provides the differencing by incorporating an axe to play on Abraham Lincoln.