Of Cathol, and all she teaches (2)

Fr. Peppard was the moderator of my high school's theatre program, and he approached me about this project when I tried out for a part in the play. I was cast in a minor role (I was one of the priests who blessed Henry IV at his coronation); sensing my disappointment, Fr. Peppard asked me if I would design setpieces featuring the heraldic arms of the characters in the play, who were actual historical figures who had actual heraldic pedigrees.

I immediately set to work researching the history of Heraldry and meticulously scanning for the arms that would have been used by the people in Shakespeare's play. I learned a great deal, and the stage production benefitted from the added touch of historical authenticity. At each scene change, two "squires", dressed in the heraldic arms of King Henry IV would come out onto the stage with the banners bearing the arms of the particular royal house where that particular scene was being set. It was so rewarding to see months of hard work receive such approval from the audience. I had crafted each banner with the proper colors and insignia and they were visible through the entire production. The stage crew had even incorporated my research on the proper colors into their set design.

I thanked Fr. Peppard afterwards for allowing me the chance to research and realize the project independently. He said he knew I was the right man for the job because I'm such a perfectionist. He just put that perfectionism to good use!

When I first discovered Noonan's work, The Church Visible: the Ceremonial Life and Protocol of the Roman Catholic Church, I was electrified to learn how richly intricate is the Church's life and legacy. It was the beginning of my deep and abiding love for "Cathol, and all she teaches" (to borrow a line from the Anglican comedian Eddie Izzard). Up to that point I was a dedicated and faithful Catholic, but I was becoming more and more of a Papist. I voraciously consumed those 553 pages from one cover to the next in less than three days. I couldn't stop reading it. It's one of the reason why I love the movie Shoes of the Fisherman so much. [story continues below]