The Coat of Arms of
The Most Reverend Joseph P. McFadden, D.D., V.G.
Titular Bishop of Orreomargo
Auxiliary to the Archbishop of Philadelphia

Blazon:
Azure, a cross gyronny Or and argent between in dexter chief a rose of the second and in sinister base a fleur-de-lis of the third.

Bishop McFadden’s coat of arms incorporates elements that express his faith and devotion, as well as his family heritage. The blue field is charged with a Cross—that clearest symbol of the Christian faith—which is colored in an alternating pattern of gold and silver (gyronny Or and argent). In the spaces created by the arms of the Cross are symbols representing the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The gold rose in the top left section (dexter chief) alludes to the apparitions of the Blessed Mother as Our Lady of Knock. The fleur-de-lis in the bottom right section (sinister base) is a stylized lily, the symbol of Saint Joseph, Bishop McFadden’s baptismal patron saint. The motto, “Mary the Model – Jesus the Center”, is seen on the scroll below the shield.

The shield is ensigned with external elements that identify the bearer as a bishop. A gold processional cross appears behind each shield; in the arms of Bishop McFadden this takes the form of a Celtic cross, to recall the bishop’s Irish heritage. The galero or “pilgrim’s hat” is used heraldically in various colors and with specific numbers of tassels to indicate the rank of a bearer of a coat of arms. A bishop uses a green hat with three rows of green tassels.

Bishop McFadden’s coat of arms was designed with the assistance of Rev. Mr. Paul Sullivan, a permanent deacon of the Diocese of Providence (Rhode Island), and with the help of the bishop's friend, Monsignor Daniel Thomas, a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia serving in the Congregation for Bishops at the Holy See.