- The Governor General of Canada
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His Majesty’s Royal Chapel of the Mohawks (St. Paul’s)
Brantford, Ontario
Grant of Arms and Badge
May 15, 2023
Vol. VIII, p. 183
Click on each image to enlarge. The blazon and symbolism for each element will accompany the enlarged image.
Blazon
Arms
Per chevron Gules and Or, in chief an open book Argent bound Or surmounting two swords in saltire Argent hilted Or and charged with the Royal Crown proper, in base a pine tree eradicated Vert;
Motto
FAITH • HOPE • CHARITY;
Badge
A Canterbury cross Argent voided Gules, overall an oval Or charged with a pine tree eradicated Vert;
Symbolism
Arms
The Royal Crown indicates the chapel’s longstanding royal connections and its designation as a Chapel Royal by King Edward VII in 1904. The open book is an attribute of St. Paul; it also symbolizes Holy Scriptures and the liturgy. The swords are another symbol of St. Paul, the patron of the chapel and of the Diocese of Huron, with which it is associated. The tree represents the Tree of Peace, associated with the founding of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. It is depicted as an Eastern white pine with four roots representing the four directions.
Motto
These three words are taken from 1 Corinthians 13:13, an epistle of St. Paul: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” The use of the King James Version of the Bible connects the Motto to the Bible given to the original chapel in 1710 by Queen Anne.
Badge
The Canterbury cross is a symbol of Anglicanism. The tree repeats the symbolism of the Arms.
Background
Canada Gazette Information
The announcement of the Letters Patent was made on January 1, 1900, in Volume 0, page 0 of the Canada Gazette.
Artist Information
Creator(s)
Original concept of Bruce Patterson, Deputy Chief Herald of Canada, assisted by the heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Painter
Desirée Kern
Calligrapher
Yolande Lessard
Recipient Information
Civil Institution
Ecclesiastical