The Abbot

Most Reverend Abbot
André Marie of the Holy Cross, OSP

Abbot André was born Damian Legacy in 1991 in Bennington, Vermont. Growing up in a non-religious family, he felt an early call to ministry after wandering into a church alone at age 7. When asked why he was there, André simply pointed to the crucifix and said “He told me to follow Him.”

This profound experience set André on the winding path to priesthood. He served in various roles and ministries in the greater Washington, D.C. area as well as his native Vermont. He was elevated to the Episcopate in 2016 and consecrated bishop in the old Holy Cross Novitiate Chapel in Bennington at just 25 years old. He was elected to lead the Oblates of the Holy Passion as its first Abbot, and has served as its principal Apostolic Protector since its inception in 2020.

As a bishop, André remains committed to serving God’s people however possible. He warmly welcomes all correspondence from those seeking spiritual guidance.

Despite his youth, Archbishop André brings deep devotion and care to his ministry. His story inspires vocations in the next generation of Church leaders.

Coat of Arms

An Armorial or Heraldic Achievement, more commonly known as a ‘Coat of Arms’, was initially used to mark documents and other property. Ecclesiastical heraldry evolved as a system for identifying people, rank, and dioceses/ jurisdictions. It has been most formalized within the Catholic Churches, where most bishops, but even many priests and deacons, have a personal coat of arms. These arms are usually but not always, assumed ex-officio, meaning an individual would lose their right to bear arms if they renounce their clerical office. When the shield is displayed with all its surrounding parts it is termed a complete achievement.

Ecclesiastical heraldry differs notably from other heraldry in the use of special insignia around the shield to indicate rank in a church or denomination. Archbishop Bruno Heim, a noted ecclesiastical armorist (designer of arms) stated that:

“Ecclesiastical heraldry is not determined by heraldic considerations alone, but also by doctrinal, liturgical and canonical factors. It not only produces arms denoting members of the ecclesiastical state but shows the rank of the bearer. … In the eyes of the Church it is sufficient to determine who has a right to bear an ecclesiastical coat of arms and under what conditions the different insignia are acquired or lost…. The design of prelatial arms is often a disastrous defiance of the rules of heraldry, if only as a breach of good taste.”
Heraldry in the Catholic Church: Its Origin, Customs, and Laws