Parish of St. John's, Ancaster

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Civic heraldry of Canada > Ecclesiastical heraldry

St. JOHN'S PARISH (Ancaster, Ontario)

Denomination : Anglican

Official blazon

Arms: Gules a chief ogivy Argent, overall a Canadian pale counterchanged charged with a torteau bearing an eagle, wings displayed and inverted, nimbed Or, issuant from the pale on either side two iron strap hinges flory proper.
Motto: ABIDE IN MY LOVE

Origin/meaning

The arms were granted on July 15, 2015.

The side sections allude to the red doors with black ironwork that are a distinctive architectural feature of the church, and the section between them conveys the idea of openness. The eagle is the traditional symbol of St. John the Evangelist, and the depiction on a disc alludes to the medallion sculpted for the parish by parishioner Elizabeth Bradford Holbrook.

The motto is taken from the Gospel of St. John (15:9), this phrase is spoken by Christ about his love for his disciples, and his commandment to love others as Christ loves them.