Diocese of KalamazooOffice of the Bishop

Coat of ArmsCoat of Arms

The episcopal heraldic achievement (the bishop's coat of arms) is composed of a shield, with its charges (symbols), a motto scroll and the external ornaments. By heraldic tradition, the arms of the bishop of a diocese, called the "Ordinary," are joined to the arms of his jurisdiction, in this case, the Diocese of Kalamazoo. These arms are displayed on a red field to bespeak the Native Americans that inhabited the region that is now the Diocese of Kalamazoo.

On this field is placed a silver (white) wavy bend that represents water with blue annulets to represent bubbles. This symbolism is used to represent the English equivalent of the Native American name of Kalamazoo, which means "boiling pot," and was used to describe the Kalamazoo River because of the bubbles in the water.

Below the wavy bend is a silver peace pipe, decorated with gold feathers, which was called a "calumet" by the French explorers that came to the region. This is a symbol of lasting and enduring peace between parties that could not be broken without incurring the wrath of the gods. It is the totality of peace, that is Christ, signified by this symbol, that comes to those that believe in him as the redeemer of the world.

Above the bend is an open book that displays the red words, "Tolle Lege." This is used to honor St. Augustine of Hippo, titular of the Cathedral Church in Kalamazoo. The story is related that as a repentant, St. Augustine, meditating on the sacred Scriptures under a tree, heard a little child say, "Take and Read" (Tolle Lege).

For his personal arms, seen in the right side of the crest, Bishop Murray has adopted a design that reflects his heritage and his life. On the blue field are seen a chevron, three stars and a trefoil (a tree-petal flower, the usual representation of the Irish shamrock) all in gold. These symbols are used to honor the Irish heritage, represented by the shamrock, that has come to Bishop Murray from his parents, James and Clare (Harris) Murray. Both the Murray and the Harris family arms are displayed on the blue fields. The Murray arms have three stars and the Harris arms have the gold chevron.

The stars of the family arms have a particular significance for the bishop because of his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who in her title of the Immaculate Conception, is titular of St. Mary Cathedral in Lansing. This is where Bishop Murray received all of his sacraments of initiation and was ordained a priest. The coat of arms is completed with the external ornaments of a gold processional cross, that is placed in back of the shield and extends above and below the shield, and the pontifical hat, called a "galleron," with its six tassels in three rows, on either side of the shield, all in green.

- Deacon Paul J. Sullivan