Arms of St. Andrew’s Roman Catholic Church
Arms of St. Andrew’s Roman Catholic Church
Blazon
Per saltire Azure and Argent in chief and in base a lymphad Or its sail Argent charged with a pomme bearing a rose Argent barbed and seeded Or, the flanks semé of trefoils and oak leaves Vert;
Symbolism
The colours and the division allude to the attributed arms of St. Andrew, patron of the parish. The oak leaves refer to the town of Oakville, which features an oak tree in its coat of arms. The trefoils are a Trinitarian symbol that also alludes to shamrocks and therefore to the Irish origins of the original members of the parish. The ship is a symbol of the Church and of ecumenism. The rose is taken from the arms of the diocese of Hamilton, representing the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mystic Rose.
Motto of St. Andrew’s Roman Catholic Church
Blazon
INVENIMUS MESSIAM;
Symbolism
This Latin phrase means “We have found the Messiah” and is taken from John 1:41, the words being spoken by Andrew to his brother Simon Peter. This episode is depicted in a stained glass window at the church.
