Below the statue of Saint Bernardine, but above the portico, are the coats of arms of the two churchmen who were in office when Monsignor Wagener oversaw the building of the church. These two were, of course, the pope and the archbishop of Chicago. The pope at the time was Pope Pius XII. The archbishop at the time was George Cardinal Mundelein. The coat of arms on the left is that of the pope. The coat of arms on the right is that of Carindal Mundelein.

The papal coat of arms has at its top the triple tiara, or crown, which was one of the symbols of the office of pope until Pope Paul VI eliminated it in the name of simplicity. What the Pope did was to sell the tiara and donate the proceeds to the poor. The three levels of the crown indicate the threefold jurisdiction of the pope. He is teacher, he is the sovereign ruler of the city-state of the Vatican, and he is director of the means of grace that the church conveys to the faithful through her exercise of the sacramental life. There are three columns in the coat of arms which also indicate this triple jurisdiction of office."

In the upper corner of the coat of arms can be distinguished the keys of primacy, that remind us o the words of Peter: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell shall not prevail against her. And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." The binding and loosing has to do with the forgiveness of sins. A power given not just to Peter, but to the twelve, who would come to represent the office of the bishop, wherein lies the figure of unity for each local church. Recall that the pope becomes pope only by being elected bishop of Rome."

Also in the arms is a dove with an olive branch in its beak.

Mundelein's coat of arms include, the round, red hat given to each new Cardinal as a sign of office, the miter, symbol of the authority of the bishop, the cross divides the coat of arms into for with the Greek letters alpha and omega being in the upper left, a star in upper gith, a staff or crozier in lower left, a crown and the Latin word humilitas in lower right. "The motto Dominus Adiutor Meus is from the Book of Psalms: The Lord is my Shepherd." This was Mundelein's chosen motto.

From Father Pat Tucker, The Chimes, January 10, 1999, 3.