Bishop Timothy O’Malley's coat of arms

Bishop O’Malley’s coat of arms is representative of the themes of the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the revelation of Christ in the road to Emmaus and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In tribute to Holy Name Cathedral, the upper third of the shield is separated from the lower part by a line that takes the form of the Gothic arches of Holy Name.

In the upper third of the shield, above the Holy Name tribute, is the color blue in honor of Mary the Mother of Jesus. There is also an irradiated star of five points representing the Star of Bethlehem silently yet powerfully announcing the birth of Jesus, radiating out in every direction, toward every part of the earth.

In the lower part of the shield, the color green represents the universal church as well as the Holy Land, the very land upon which the apostles trod. The wavy lines represent the road to Emmaus within the Holy Land, a scriptural account most beloved by the bishop. The importance of the road to Emmaus is that the encounter of the followers of Christ on the road outside of Jerusalem illustrates the transformative power that overtakes everyone when encountering the Lord in either the Eucharist or through scriptural understanding.

In the upper-right of the lower part of the shield is found the heraldic emblem for a fountain. This emblem further represents the town of Emmaus. The word “Emmaus” is the Hellenic version of the Aramaic “Hammath,” meaning place with a warm spring or fountain.

The motto below the shield is “Our daily bread,” which is from the Lord’s Prayer and proclaims the bishop’s love for the Eucharist, the story of the road to Emmaus and the prayer that Jesus taught the apostles.