Heraldry is far more than decoration. It is a visual language shaped by centuries of history, tradition, identity, and symbolism.

In Part I of The Art of Heraldry, we explore the origins of heraldry and how this distinctive system of symbols developed into a language capable of expressing identity, office, history, and inheritance.

This series was created in preparation for the Abbatial Blessing of the Right Reverend John Caronan, O.Praem., J.C.L., Third Abbot of St. Michael’s Abbey. On the occasion of his election as abbot, Father Abbot John received a new coat of arms, designed by heraldic artist and expert Marco Foppoli.

Over the course of this series, we will look first at the history of heraldry, then at the particular language and traditions of ecclesiastical heraldry, before finally presenting Father Abbot John’s own arms and the spiritual meaning of the symbols they contain.