On Wednesday, February 11, we celebrate the 27th anniversary of the canonical founding of the Brooklyn Oratory in 1988. This summer Oratorians world-wide will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Philip Neri on July 21, 1515. In commemoration of both joyful events, the Congregation has printed new St. Philip prayer cards which also display our new coat-of-arms designed by parishioner and choir member, Karen Blankenship. We invite you to take one of these cards for your own private prayer and ask that you continue to ask God’s blessing on our Oratorian community, both lay and ordained, as well as ask God’s help in raising up more vocations to our Congregation so that we can continue to be of service to St. Boniface parish and all the people of downtown Brooklyn and beyond. 

This new coat of arms of the Congregation (as distinguished from the one for the parish which we have had for more than a decade) utilizes several important symbols including: the flaming heart recalling St. Philip’s heart which was filled by the Holy Spirit; three stars which was part of the Neri family’s coat-of-arms; the Gothic arches of St. Boniface church which also bring to mind the arches of the Brooklyn Bridge; the galero hat traditionally worn by the Roman clergy; and the Latin motto, “Joy in All Things,” as St. Philip is known as the Patron Saint of Joy.