My arms in a clerical form.

[Harold Cannon]

Something I have been thinking about. What are your feelings?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Superb draftmanship, but not the way clergy would normally display their arms. Generally speaking the arms of a simple priest (or pastor) are surmounted by the clerical hat indicative of their rank within their church while those priests of episcopal rank would use the appropriate mitre.

[Harold Cannon]

The only problem I find is that there is no tradition so to speak of in terms of fire service chaplains.

[piperdbh]

The church you are ordained through may or may not have a symbol for its clergy, such as the hats Mac of Rath mentioned. To me, the shepherd's crook and fire axe look contradictory. The crook, to me at least, is a symbol of pastoral care, while the axe is a symbol of destruction, even though it used to quench fires and often save lives. What if, instead of them, you incorporate water somehow? Water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, of baptism, of life, and is the universal fire-putter-outer.

[MacRobert's Reply]

Beautiful graphics Harold. Clergy often use a lozenge rather than a shield since is less martial.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Clergy often use a lozenge rather than a shield since is less martial.

Really?

[Chas]

Clergy often use a lozenge rather than a shield since is less martial.

I've seen a cartouche used for the clergy.

Regards

Chas

[Germankilter]

But St. Florian ( patron saint of Firefighters) is always retrayed as a soldier with an water pitcher. So yes it maybe opposites as a firefighter I think it works.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I've seen a cartouche used for the clergy.

Regards

Chas

No doubt; the cartouche is regularly used on the continent (and to a lesser extent, in Britain) to display one's arms; the lozenge is, however, a more specific shape and in the context of British heraldry, it is used to display the arms of a lady. An armiger may display his arms in any manner he wishes, and it would not surprise me in the least if, on the odd occasion, a clergyman's arms ended up on something other than a shield. I just don't think it is something "often" done.

[creagdhubh]

Not too keen on this variant, Harold...sorry mate. But I do agree with Scott, superb draftsmanship!