Arms of His Majesty’s Royal Chapel of the Mohawks (St. Paul’s)
Arms of His Majesty’s Royal Chapel of the Mohawks (St. Paul’s)
Blazon
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;
Symbolism
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 of His Majesty’s Royal Chapel of the Mohawks (St. Paul’s)
Blazon
FAITH • HOPE • CHARITY;
Symbolism
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.
