The Coat of Arms of Bishop Elect Kieran O’Reilly consists of, on the left hand side, the ancient arms of the Diocese of Killaloe, and on the right, the personal coat of arms chosen by the new bishop. The arms of the Diocese consist of a latin cross between four trefoils with the emblem of the key occupying the chief position.
The arms connote the guardianship of Christ’s Kingdom, with special reference to St. Peter.
The personal arms of the Bishop-Elect consist of representations that reflect the Bishop-Elect’s love of Sacred Scripture and his new role as Bishop of Killaloe.
- The open Bible with the symbols of the A and Ω (the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet) reminding us of Christ, the beginning and the end of all we are and do.
- The sword is a reference to St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 6:17: “And then you must take salvation as your helmet and the sword of the Spirit, that is, the Word of God.”
- The fish is an ancient Christian symbol. In the Bishop’s coat of arms it recalls the bodies of water; the Atlantic, Lough Derg, the Shannon which are an integral part of the Diocese of Killaloe.
Behind the shield is a Celtic Processional Cross. The shield is surmounted by the galero (the pilgrim’s hat) with cords and fiocchi (tassels). The traditional colour of galero, cords and fiocchi for a bishop is green with six fiocchi on each side of the shield.
The motto Verbum Tuum Veritas (Your Word is Truth), chosen by Bishop-Elect O’Reilly is taken from the Gospel of St. John. (Jn.17:17) and is a further reflection of the new Bishop’s love of Sacred Scripture and expresses confidence in the promises of Jesus Christ for His Church.
SIC: PVT