Blazon of arms:
Shield: Or, a dexter hand couped at the wrist grasping a sword erect, pommel and hilt Gules; the blade entwined with a serpent Proper between two lions rampant respecting each other Gules, over all a bordure Blue céleste.
SOURCE/NOTES & CREDITS: Illustration of arms for background is from “Irish Families” by Edward MacLysaght, Dublin 1957, plate XXVI; plus some text on pp 270-271. The blazon of arms for background is from Burke’s “General Armory”, 1884, page 765, left column: 4th and 5th entries from the bottom; reprinted by Heraldry Today, Ramsbury, 1989.
The arms blazoned are attributed arms of admiration for Fr. O’Sullivan differenced from the main arms of the O’Sullivan Mor then differenced again by a bordure Blue céleste, it self, an allusion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Fr. O’Sullivan occasionally used the suffix E.D.M. (a self description of himself) which stands for (Engant de Marie), we think Portuguese, for a ( Child of Mary ). We thank J. H. Gaylor for his assistance in creating a unique simple elegant shield of arms for Fr. O’Sullivan.
Fr. Paul Henry O’Sullivan, O.P., S.T.L. was born in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland on 7 Feb 1871. Shortly after becoming a Dominican priest his health deteriorated and he was sent to Portugal to recover. Portugal at that time suffered from Masonic persecution of Catholics and the Catholic Church. He did indeed regain his health but decided to remain in Portugal to work to raise the level of Catholicism there.
Fr. O’Sullivan was a prolific author of Catholic books and pamphlets and an inspired speaker as well. This became apparent through his works which were and are published in both Portuguese and English. These publications are written simply and clearly and are both popular and inspiring. In the United States, Tan Books has published many of Fr. O’Sullivan’s works. Some examples are: “Read Me or Rue It”, “How to be happy-How to be Holy”, “All about the Angels”, “The Secrets of Confession”, and so on. His works are also available, at this writing, through Amazon.com.
As far as we know he was not an armiger nor had any interest in Heraldry. However, we thought that arms of attribution and admiration for him appropriate.
Fr. O’Sullivan died in Lisbon, Portugal, on 21 Nov 1958, at age 87, pray for his soul.
The artwork is an interpretation of John Hamilton Gaylor.
2024 0203
dqw266@gmail.com
