Bishop’s touching tribute to parents
Coat of Arms is nod to his working class roots
23.09.2017 The Roman Catholic Bishop of Paisley has been presented with his own personal Coat of Arms.
It was handed over by an official of the Court of the Lord Lyon King of Arms and contains a number of personal themes dear to the Rt Rev John Keenan’s heart.
He said: “I asked myself ‘How can I express myself as a person authentically? How can I express my faith authentically?’”
Coats of Arms are traditionally adopted by senior churchmen and central to the bishop’s are two birds, which recall the presentation of the young Jesus in the temple by his parents.
The Gospel according to St Luke recounts how “every first born male is to be consecrated to the Lord” and a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons is to be offered.
The bishop explained that by including the pigeons he is remembering his later father Joe, who was a Glasgow newsagent, and his mother Philomena.
“I wanted, first of all, to identify with the Holy Family, coming to the Lord with the offering of the workers,” he said.
“In doing so, I wanted to include my own family in my arms.
“My parents were ordinary working class people.
“My father worked very hard at his own small business in his newsagent shop while my mother tended to the home.
“They were ordinary folk but were distinguished by their fervent and faithful religious devotion.
“They raised our family, above all, to love God and be loyal to the church.
“The whole scene reminds me to have particular concern for families, for young people and for the little ones.
“The offering of pigeons is a poor offering and I wanted it to represent my own poverty in person, character and talent, to come to the office of bishop.”
The bishop’s arms also features an episcopal hat and a blue background.
He added: “The blue background recalls equally the Blessed Mother and the diocese of Paisley.
“This is the diocese that affords me the warrant of my arms and which is my lasting home.”
The motto adopted for the arms by the bishop is ‘Suscepit Servum, Recordatus Misericordiae’.
He explained: “I wanted a Marian motto and these are the words of Mary in Her Magnificat.
“Essentially, she promises God will remember his mercy to us on account of the church.
“I was keenly aware of the need for the protection of the Lord’s mercy over me in my episcopal ministry.”