The Coat of Arms
of
St. Mary Basilica
Natchez, Mississippi

Blazon
Per fess wavy argent and azure. In point a Mississippi riverboat of two stacks and a stern-mounted paddlewheel proper. In chief between two fleurs-de-lys azure a cross potent gules, and in base three bars wavy argent. Behind the shield, on a staff or surmounted by a cross of the same a pavilion gyronny of gules and or, the border panels counterchanged.

Significance
A blazon is a technical description of a coat of arms. It exists to aid heralds and heraldic artists in adapting arms and making precise copies. Heraldic terminology has its roots in French; thus argent, azure, gules, and or mean silver, blue, red, and gold, respectively. Per fess means that the shield is divided horizontally into two areas of contrasting color; fess is the French equivalent of the Latin fascia, meaning a band.

In point locates an object in the center of the field, while in chief and in base refer to the upper and lower divisions. Proper means that the steamboat is shown in its usual colors, in this case, white, with red trim. Three bars wavy argent means that there are three undulating silver stripes against a blue background; this is the classic heraldic way of depicting water. Gyrons are triangular sections of cloth; thus gyronny of gules and or means that the gores of the pavilion are shown alternately red and gold. Finally, the term counterchanged means the the border panel adjacent to each gore is rendered in the opposite color.

The Coat of Arms of St. Mary Basilica was designed by Reverend James D. White, of Skiatook, Oklahoma. The artist was Mr. Paul Tourigny, of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The umbrella was fabricated by Annibale Gammarelli, Rome, Italy.

Related
Symbols of a Basilica