Bishop McCarthy has chosen as his motto “Gloriari in Cruce” (Boast in the Cross) from St Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians 6:14.

Bishop McCarthy has chosen arms which, in the language of heraldry, may be blazoned as:

Per fess Argent and Gules, in chief a cross of St Michael the Archangel Gules (a cross pomme) and in base a stag Argent attired and unguled or which in plain English may be described as:

The shield is divided horizontally – silver half above is with a red cross of St Michael the Archangel and red half below is charged with the stag of the McCarthy clan in silver with horns and hooves gold.

These canting arms which represent the bearer’s name is a visual pun and say, in heraldic terms, Michael McCarthy.

During his service as Bishop of Rockhampton, the Bishop will use his arms impaled (two coats of arms joined on the one shield with a vertical line of division) with the arms of the diocese which were adopted by Bishop Rush (as he then was) in 1961. The diocesan arms are blazoned as:

Azure issuant from a chalice or a bezant charged with a tongue of flame Gules all between two hands respectant couped at the wrists proper, which in plain English may be described as:

The blue background and the chalice represent the Virgin Mary, the living chalice from whom came Jesus Christ, who, in turn, is represented by a red flame surrounded by a golden halo. The whole is protected by the enfolding hands of St Joseph, guardian of the Holy Family and patron of the Diocese of Rockhampton.

The Bishop’s arms were designed by Richard d’Apice AM and Sandy Turnbull of The Australian Heraldry Society and Fr Guy Selvester, and were emblazoned by Sandy Turnbull.

Bishop McCarthy has chosen as his motto “Gloriari in Cruce” (Boast in the Cross) from St Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians 6:14.