The International Association of Amateur Heralds

Abbot Benedict Neenan, elected Nov 22 2016, and installed earlier this year. An elegant design, I say, though Fr. Pachomius didn't emblazon it quite the way he blazoned it, viz. the drops are 2, 3, 3, 2. In all actuality, I prefer the emblazonment and wouldn't have specified 2,3,3,2 in the first place, leaving it up to the artist.

I wonder if Fr. P. thought that 2-3-3-2 meant from dexter to sinister instead of top to bottom.

The blazon does say "palewise two, three, three, two" which quite unusual, but does suggest that the numbers are to be counted vertically rather than the usual (default, and therefore not stated) horizontally.

The designer did manage to wring a lot of (I assume, not being of his faith) meaningful symbolism from relatively few charges. I especially like the dovetailing reference to his former secular trade craft.

The blazon does say "palewise two, three, three, two" which quite unusual, but does suggest that the numbers are to be counted vertically rather than the usual (default, and therefore not stated) horizontally.

Blazoning the gouttes de sang as illustrated but from top to bottom instead of dexter to sinister would be a considerable challenge and make the blazon cumbersome to say the least.

But given the normal (unspoken) default, the addition of "palewise" at least suggests counting vertically rather than the normal horizontally. It's not crystal clear, but there is still at least that clue.

...and there's always "...as is more clearly shown in the margin"