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Category: Homilies

Diocese celebrates priest ordination

A clergymember seated in a ceremonial robe holds a liturgical object while others in white vestments look on inside a church. A floral arrangement is placed on the steps nearby, and congregants are seated in the background.

Cardinal Robert W. McElroy ordained to the priesthood Sean Embury on June 8 at St. Gabriel Church, which “nourished him in faith and love for the whole of his life.”

Cardinal Ordains Four to Priesthood

A person in red headwear sits in a chair on a tile floor while another kneels before them, holding a book. Four other people in white robes stand nearby with hands clasped, and a congregation observes in the background.

Cardinal Robert W. McElroy ordained four men to the priesthood at Good Shepherd Church, where more than 1,600 witnessed the joyous afternoon Mass on June 2.

Ordination of Aux. Bishop Bejarano

A clergymember wearing a mask and robes places hands on another kneeling clergymember's head in a decorative church setting with marble columns and statues, while others stand nearby observing.

Bishop Robert McElroy delivered this homily at the ordination of Bishop Ramón Bejarano as Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego on July 14, 2020, at the Church of The Immaculata.

Mass with African American Community

Several people stand in a row indoors, with one person in the foreground wearing a white sweater, clapping hands. The background is softly focused, highlighting a sense of attention and engagement.

San Diego Bishop Robert W. McElroy delivered the following Homily during a special Mass with the Catholic African American Community at the Church of The Immaculata on June 7, 2020.

Bishop’s Ministry Begins

A clergyperson stands at a wooden podium with multiple microphones, speaking. A camera records the event, and a banner with religious symbols is visible beside them. A cross hangs on the wall in the background.

Bishop Robert McElroy was installed as the sixth bishop of San Diego on April 15, 2015, at St. Therese of Carmel Parish in Carmel Valley. In his homily, the bishop foreshadowed the central elements that would illuminate his leadership of the San Diego Diocese.

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About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pulido’s coat of arms is divided into four quarters with wavy horizontal lines from top to bottom. The blue and white lines represent the Blessed Virgin Mary. They also suggest water, which alludes to Jesus washing the feet of His disciples and to the waters of baptism. The red and gold lines represent the Holy Spirit and fire. The colors also can be seen as referring to the Blood that (along with water) poured from Jesus’ side at His crucifixion, as well as to the bread (gold) and wine (red) transformed into the Eucharist. At the center is a roundel featuring a symbolic representation of the “mandatum” (washing of the feet), which he believes exemplifies service to all humanity. The roundel’s outer edge is a line composed of small humps; it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Diocese of Yakima, where Bishop Pulido served as a priest before being named a bishop.

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pham’s coat of arms depicts a red boat on a blue ocean, which is crisscrossed by diagonal lines suggesting a fisherman’s net. This symbolizes his ministry as a “fisher of men,” as well as how his own father had been a fisherman. The boat is also a symbol of the Church, which is often referred to as the “barque of Peter.” At the center of the sail is a red beehive (a symbol of the bishop’s baptismal patron saint, St. John Chrysostom, who was known as a “honey-tongued” preacher). The beehive is surrounded by two green palm branches (an ancient symbol of martyrdom; the bishop’s ancestors were among Vietnam’s first martyrs). The eight red tongues of fire around the boat are a symbol of the Holy Spirit and a representation of the diversity of ethnic and cultural communities. The red of the boat, the beehive and the tongues of fire allude to the blood of the martyrs.

About the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms combines symbols that reflect Bishop Bejarano’s spiritual life and priestly ministry. The main part of the shield shows four wavy vertical lines on a gold background. These represent flowing waters. This alludes to his chosen motto and also symbolizes the graces that come from the Divine life to quench our thirst for God. The upper third of the shield is red because it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Order of Mercy, of which the Bishop’s patron saint, Raymond Nonnatus, was a member. The central symbol resembles a monstrance because St. Raymond is often depicted holding one. The Eucharist is Bishop Bejarano’s inspiration for his vocation. It was through the Eucharist that he received his call to the priesthood at age seven and which keeps his faith and his ministry going. It represents the call to offer oneself as a living sacrifice. The monstrance is flanked on either side by an image of the Sacred Heart, alluding to the mercy of God and echoing the idea of a sacrificial offering of oneself united to the sacrifice of Christ, and of a rose for Our Lady. It is an allusion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, and highlights the bishop’s Hispanic heritage.

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