The bishop’s coat of arms is composed of a shield, with its charges, which is the central and most important feature of any heraldic device, a motto scroll and the external ornamentation. By heraldic tradition, the arms of the local bishop (called the “ordinary”) are joined to the arms of his jurisdiction, in this case, the arms of the Diocese of Buffalo.

The left side of the coat of arms represents the Diocese of Buffalo. It is composed of a red buffalo on a silver field standing on a green orb which represents the world. The buffalo is carrying the red and white banner of our Savior.

On the right side is the bishop’s personal coat of arms. His Excellency, Bishop Kmiec, has retained the design that was adopted at the time of his selection to become a bishop, as he served as auxiliary bishop of Trenton and which was retained during his tenure as bishop of Nashville.

These arms are based on the colors of the Polish flag, red and white, a symbolism used to honor the heritage of His Excellency’s parents, John and Thecla (Czupta) Kmiec. Also, the tri-colors of red, white and blue on the arms honor the American heritage of the bishop.

In the lower portion of the design is a plow to signify that the bishop’s family name is the Polish word for a “landholder farmer.”

In the upper portion is a crescent and twelve stars, garnered from the Book of Revelation, as the symbol to honor the Blessed Virgin and the bishop’s deep devotion to Mary under her title of Our Lady of Czestochowa.

For his motto, His Excellency, Bishop Kmiec, has retained the phrase “Charity and Service.” These are the two chief virtues to which every deacon, priest and bishop should strive in his life ... to love and serve the People of God with the true love and charity of Jesus Christ.

The device is completed with the external ornaments which are a gold processional cross, which is placed in back of the shield and which extends above and below the shield, and a pontifical hat, called a “galero” with its six tassels, in three rows, on either side of the shield, all in green. These are the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop by instruction of the Holy See of March 31, 1969.