For the 'Gram

Banner of arms, Institutum Divini Thomae (OH) based on Pierre de Chaignon la Rose's original design.  Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

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Some Recent Emblazonments

Coat of arms, St. Francis de Sales Seminary in St. Francis, WI, designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Lots going on as spring is proving to be rather busy.  I want to quickly share a few emblazonments that I recently completed.  As a true novice messing around with digital artwork, I sincerely appreciate how Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941) reuses certain base charges throughout his heraldic work.

Regarding the arms of St. Francis de Sales Seminary (seen above), I sent multiple file versions to the school in appreciation for their assistance in my research.  Likewise, I did the same for the arms of St. John's Cathedral (seen below) and the rector was most appreciative.  It feels good to keep these works of art alive!  Enjoy.

Coat of arms, the American Heraldry Society.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Coat of arms, St. John's Cathedral and Parish, Quincy, IL designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Coat of arms, the Archdiocese of Chicago designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Coat of arms, the Archdiocese of Baltimore designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Coat of arms, the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Coat of arms, Father Ryan Catholic High School, Nashville, TN designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Coat of arms, the St. George's Society of New York, devisal by the College of Arms.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Coat of arms, Mundelein College (now closed) in Chicago, IL designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Pro Fide: An Honor of a Lifetime

The arms of the Venerable Order of the Hospital 
of St. John of Jerusalem as granted by the College of Arms.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

"The KING has been graciously pleased to sanction the following Promotions in, and Admissions to, the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem with effect from 4 April 2024 the date of His Majesty's sign-manual."  With those words published in the 19 April 2024 edition of The London Gazette, I found myself officially a member of the Order of St. John.  Even now, well over a week or more since the announcement, I still have moments of "that can't be true."  I consider this appointment to be an extraordinary "honour," one that defies my own belief in many ways. 

The coat of arms of Chad Krouse rendered by Quentin Peacock.
I added the OStJ member medal.

Of course, there is a heraldic element in this as well.  To help curb my excitement, I spent some time studying the arms of US Priory which were granted by the College of Arms in 1996 in recognition of its elevation to a priory.  The 1996 grant effectively replaced an earlier grant from 1988--made to the "American Society of the Order of St. John."  

Arms of the American Society of the Order of St. John
as granted by the College of Arms in 1988.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The blazon for the arms of the American Society of the Order of St. John, granted by the College of Arms in 1988: "Gules, a cross Argent in the first quarter the Royal Crest proper and on the cross a Bald Eagle displayed proper."

The arms of the US Priory of the Order of St. John
as granted by the College of Arms in 1996.

By 1996, the American Society was elevated in status to that of a priory and was granted new arms from the College of Arms.  The US Priory's coat of arms blazon:  “Gules a cross Argent in the first quarter the Royal Crest proper differenced by charging the cross with a roundel Azure thereon the head of a Bald Eagle erased Argent armed Or within a Circlet of thirteen Mullets Argent.”

The Order has two mottos:  Pro Fide and Pro Utilitate Hominum.  These two mottoes are translated from Latin, "for the faith," and "in the service to humanity."  Noble goals for us to work towards.  

Banner of arms, the Order of St. John
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The priory's investiture will be held at one of my favorite parishes, St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue in New York City, in October this year.  

Crossed banners of arms:  St. Thomas Church and the US Priory of the Order of St. John
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Coincidentally, St. Thomas' received a devisal of arms from the herald's college in 1975, blazoned: "Or, on a cross formy throughout Azure between four closed books saltirewise Gules garnished and a each charged with a long cross a spear Or headed Argent."  

Arms of St. Thomas Parish on Fifth Avenue in New York City
received as a devisal from the College of Arms.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The parish's coat of arms is simple, clear, and quite striking--the work of its beloved rector, The Rev. Canon John Andrew, OBE (1931-2014) affectionately known as the Pursuivant of Manhattan.

I'll certainly post some photos from the service.  Pro Fide!

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.