Robert John Brennan
ROBERT JOHN BRENNAN
Born: June 7, 1962
Deceased :
Auxiliary Bishop of Rockville Centre, 2012-2019
Bishop of Columbus, 2019-2021
Bishop of Brooklyn, 2021-present
 Auxiliary Bishop of Rockville Centre |
 Bishop of Columbus |
 Bishop of Brooklyn |
| English | blazon wanted |
Argent a cross flory azure throughout charged at the base point with a mullet of seven points of the field between in chief two escallop-shells gules, over all at the fess point a hurt charged with a lamb's head couped Or.
Origin/meaning
The main charge on the shield is the Cross, the foundation of the Christian faith. The arms of this cross flory resemble a fleur-de-lis, a stylized lily often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. A cross flory also appears on the coat of arms of the Dominican Sisters whose schools the Bishop attended in his youth.
At the bottom of the cross appears a small white star, another symbol of Our Lady. Its position recalls the moment of the Commendation, when, "standing by the cross of Jesus" (John 19:25), Mary became, at her Son's command, the Mother of all of his disciples (cf. John 19:27). The star has seven points, recalling the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and so is a fitting symbol of the one who is both "full of grace" (Luke 1:28).
At the center of the cross appears a lamb's head painted gold. The same charge figures prominently on the coat of arms of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, which Bishop Brennan has served as a priest for 23 years, and as Auxiliary Bishop. Because the Latin word for lamb is agnus, the gentle animal has long been a symbol of Saint Agnes, the twelve-year-old Roman martyr who suffered persecution and death in the early fourth century in defense of her faith and her virginity, which she had consecrated to Jesus Christ. Saint Agnes is the patroness of the Diocese, and of the Cathedral church, where Bishop Brennan resided for 16 years.
The chief shows two scallop shells in red. Although the charges are the same, they are used here to allude to two different saints: John the Baptist and James the Greater. Bishop Brennan attended Saint John the Baptist High School (West Islip) and Saint John's University, and the patron of these schools is often depicted in sacred art using a shell to baptize the Lord Jesus. The date of Bishop Brennan' s ordination as a bishop - July 25, 2012 - is the feast of Saint James, the brother of Saint John the Evangelist and the first of the apostles to be martyred, during the persecution of the early Church (Acts 12:1-2). Medieval pilgrims to the shrine of Saint James in Compostella, on the northwest coast of Spain, would pick up scallop shells from the beaches and wear them on their cloaks or caps as a sign that they had completed the journey. The red color of the shells recalls the fact that both of these saints gave their lives as martyrs for the faith.
The motto, "Thy will be done" is taken from the Lord's prayer (Mt 6:10) summarizes and responds to the symbolism depicted on the shield. Standing with Our Lady by the Cross of the Lord , and recognizing he is called to "drink the cup" of the Lord's suffering by bearing his own cross (cf. Mark 10:38-39), a disciple must rely on the Lord for strength and make his own Jesus ' words in the Garden: "Not my will but yours be done" (Luke 22:42).
The achievement is completed with the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop by instruction of the Holy See, of March 1969, confirmed in March 2001.
 The arms in the Columbus cathedral (image from Facebook) |
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