On a chief over all azure, an estoile of five points radiant proper, surmounting a cross botonny argent between the letters D and S of the last. Dexter field vert, a chevron or between two ears of wheat or and an anchor argent en pointe; sinister field impaled ermine.
On a cartouche or and argent, a chaplet pendant proper and the inscription Institut des Frères de l’Instruction chrétienne de Ploërmel (Morbihan).
A banderole or with motto: Sinite parvulos venire ad me.
Like other religious families, the Congregation of the Brothers of Christian Instruction has a coat-of-arms which affirms its identity, tells of its history and proclaims its purpose. The oval escutcheon is divided into three parts.
The upper half features a cross bracketed by the initials D and S, which constitutes the traditional emblem of the Congregation. Above the cross, a radiant star symbolizes the Brothers’ mission to spread the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.
The bottom half recalls the origins of the Congregation. The section with the golden chevron, the ears of wheat and the silver anchor refer to the la Mennais family. Pierre Louis Robert, a shipowner and importer, had generously supplied wheat and other cereals to the people of Brittany at a time of near-famine, thus earning letters of nobility entitling him to add the title de la Mennais to his surname. The other section of the bottom half a silver field dotted with ermines, is taken from the emblem of Brittany, where the Congregation was founded.
The rosary encompassing the escutcheon signifies the devotion of the Brothers to Mary, their Mother, and patroness of the Congregation. The official title of the Congregation is given on the border between the rosary and the cartouche.
The olive branches forming the background to the cartouche suggest the spirit of peace and charity animating the Brothers in their mutual relations and in their dealings with others, especially their students. Below the armorial display, a banderole features the Divine Master’s admonition to his disciples, Let the little children come to Me.
N.B. – The coat-of arms was designed by Br. Ange-Victor Garnier (1848-1926) and formally adopted by the General Chapter of 1876. Its description, in heraldic terms, was provided by Dr. James Muirhead-Gould, of Walsh College, Canton, Ohio. The interpretation is a paraphrase of the text of B. Leontin Le Sourd (1843-1881) which concludes the minutes of the General Chapter of 1876.
Source: Rule of Life, 1983