Quarterly per pale and per fess: I, Gules, a monogram of the letters “A” and “M” conjoined Argent; II, Argent, a stylized letter “B” Azure fimbriated Or; III, Azure, a fleur-de-lis Or; IV, Argent, a torch enflamed Or, overall a bend sinister per bend Azure and Or. Upon a scroll below the shield, the motto: Virtutem Forma Decorat.
Description of the Coat of Arms
As with many things that are meant to be emblematic of an organization, The Brownson Record’s coat of arms is carefully designed to tell the viewer something about her. In this case, it is a story of the journal, from its inception to its mother institution, and ultimately, its goal. The idea of having a coat of arms for The Brownson Record began when the staff was putting the finishing touches on Issue Seven, which was released in May of 2025. Editor-in-Chief Nolan Williams remarked that many formal institutions in existence – from universities to ecclesiastical provinces, and from important individuals to entire towns and cities – have their own coat of arms. If The Brownson Record is meant to be a professional publication, then it would be prudent to develop a coat of arms for it. With the design expertise and artistic skills of editorial staff member Anna Dang, the remote idea for a Brownson Record coat of arms became a reality. The next few paragraphs will detail the charges (the symbols on the shield), as well as their overall significance.
The first and third quarters (the sections on the left of the shield as the viewer looks at it) are stylized depictions of charges in the Mount St. Mary’s University coat of arms. The first quarter (the top part) depicts a stylized monogram of the letters “A” and “M,” which is the abbreviation for the phrase “Ave Maria.” This phrase, “Hail Mary” in English, comes from the Gospel of Luke, and it highlights the Mount’s nature as a Marian institution. Not only is the university named after the Mother of God, but her mission statement – to form servant leaders in service to God and others – is very Marian in nature. The third quarter (the bottom part) depicts the fleur-de-lis, which has a two-fold meaning with respect to its use as a religious heraldic symbol. First of all, the lily is associated with both the purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Secondly, as it has three leaves united in one flower, the fleur-de-lis can also represent the Holy Trinity.
The second and fourth quarters (the right side when the viewer looks at the shield) were designed with The Brownson Record principally in mind. The charge in the second quarter (the upper section) is a stylized letter “B” in The Brownson Record’s primary colors, which are midnight blue and gold. This “B” comes directly from The Brownson Record’s masthead, which also served as her first logo. Known internally as “the Brownson B,” this Gothic letter serves to connect The Brownson Record’s new iteration to her original roots. The charge in the fourth quarter (the lower section) is a torch, which represents The Brownson Record’s stated mission of seeking out the truth in our world. Lit torches are often associated with the objective truth, and as such, the inclusion of one on the organizational coat of arms represents our desire to share the objective Truth with the world.
In between the second and fourth quarters is what is known in heraldry as a “bend,” or a diagonal colored stripe, that serves to connect two parts of a coat of arms. In the case of The Brownson Record’s shield, the bend is colored with her primary colors and serves to connect the two quarters that represent The Brownson Record explicitly. There are two more design choices that deserve an explanation here. The first is the overall coloring of the background of the coat of arms. The viewer will notice that there is a red section, a blue section, and a white section. These colors are reminiscent of the colors of America’s beloved Old Glory. This symbolism serves to remind the viewer that The Brownson Record serves a community that is not just Catholic, but also American. Finally, the motto beneath the shield is Virtutem Forma Decorat, which is a Latin phrase that means “Beauty Adorns Virtue.” At The Brownson Record, we firmly believe that virtue is indeed adorned by beauty, and that as such, our publication should strive to recognize beauty in everything. In doing so, we hope to pursue stories that will ultimately allow us to reflect on what really matters, chiefly the True, the Good, and the Beautiful.
