The left side of the Cardinal's crest is the coat of arms of the archdiocese, while the right side contains his personal coat of arms.

In the lower right is a cross, heraldic symbol of the Keeler family and representative of the two bishops of Harrisburg, under whom he had served: Bishop Joseph Daly and Bishop George Leech.

The cross is surrounded by four circles, representing the Bread of Life. In the upper portion, in sable and silver (the colors of the Conway family crest, his mother's heritage), is a baker's oven and tower, symbols of Saint William the baker, His Eminence's patron. The circles on either side of the tower represent service to God and to country.

Behind the shield is a metropolitan cross (a cross with two bars instead of one) showing that Cardinal Keeler is Metropolitan Archbishop of the surrounding dioceses. Below the shield is the Cardinal's motto: Opus fac evangilistae ("Do the work of an evangelist"). Over the shield, is the galero, the pontifical red hat, symbolic of His Eminence's service to the Church as a cardinal. The hat is a depiction of the one given by the pope to each new cardinal. This hat has been replaced by the more simple biretta that Cardinal Keeler received from Pope John Paul II in 1994.

More about Cardinal Keeler