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The Coat of Arms of Bishop Michael T.T. Castori, SJ

Coat of Arms

An episcopal heraldic achievement, commonly known as a bishop's coat of arms, consists of three principal elements: the shield with its heraldic charges (symbols), a motto displayed on a scroll, and the external ornamentation that signifies episcopal rank. At the heart of every heraldic achievement is the shield, which serves as its central and most significant element, conveying the personal and spiritual symbolism of the bishop.

The heraldic achievement is completed by its external ornaments, consisting of a gold processional cross positioned behind the shield and extending above and below it, together with a green, broad-brimmed bishop’s hat, known as a galero. Suspended from the galero are six green tassels on each side of the shield, arranged in three descending rows. The coast of arms joins together the coat of arms of the Diocese of Honolulu and Bishop Castori's personal coat of arms. The joining indicates that he is wed to the diocese.

The Shield

The upper quadrant of Bishop Castori’s shield displays the seal of the Society of Jesus (“the Jesuits”), the religious congregation to which he belongs. The three letters at the center of the seal, IHS, are the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek, while the surrounding sunrays represent Christ the Light of the World. The three nails below the monograph symbolize the nails of the Cross as well as the religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. In Church heraldry, argent, the color of the quadrant’s background, conveys purity and innocence.

Directly underneath the quadrant bearing the name of Jesus are the Hawaiian Islands, which rise majestically from the Pacific Ocean and comprise the Diocese of Honolulu. The white dove hovering above the archipelago with an olive branch in its beak represents the Diocese’s patroness, Our Lady of Peace, the Mother of God, who protects the faithful of the Diocese from harm and places them with her Son. In statuary of Our Lady of Peace, the Blessed Mother is often depicted holding a dove close to her heart.

The golden poppies and blue lupines in the seal’s left-hand quadrant evoke Bishop Castori’s home and native state of California. When the bishop was a boy growing up in Sacramento, his parents would take him and him and his sisters for weekend drives through the Central Valley to instill in them an appreciation for the beauty of the wildflowers that blanket the flatlands and surrounding foothills.

In the shield’s right-hand quadrant, Bishop Castori’s other home, in Fasi-moe-afiʻa Tungi, Tonga, is represented by the kumete – the large wooden bowl out of which is served kava, the ceremonial drink central to Tongan culture. Red, the color filling the quadrant’s background, is the national color of Tonga and, in Church heraldry, symbolizes the redeeming blood of Christ.

The Motto

Displayed at the bottom of the coat of arms, and taken directly from the Hawaiian "Our Father," is Bishop Castoti's episcopal motto, "E Hiki Mai Kou Aupuni" ("Thy Kingdom Come"). The motto raises the prayer that God's Reign be proclaimed and fully realized in our Island Diocese, and beyond the sea.

The coat of arms was created by Bishop Castori's sister, Pamela Castori.