Chapter 11 Court Required Notification

Safe Environments
Victim Assistance
Credibly Accused List

How We Protect the Young

Reporting Abuse

Starting in 2002, the U.S. Catholic Church directed every diocese to implement Safe Environment programs to keep children safe from sexual abuse. These were mandated in the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” which was a response to the revelations of sexual abuse by priests and other clergy.

 

The San Diego diocese implemented these programs at all of its parishes, schools and administrative offices. The diocese reviews compliance yearly at all of those locales. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has found the San Diego diocese to be in compliance in every one of its audits.

 

The Safe Environment programs at the diocese cover adults and children:

All adults who work or volunteer in our diocese

All adults in the diocese who interact with minors must have a criminal background check and take comprehensive Safe Environment training. This includes all priests (locally based or visiting) and deacons; all diocesan and parish staff; all school personnel; and all volunteers (such as catechists) who interact with minors or potentially interact with them. In addition, all adults who work with children must sign a “Code of Ethical Standards for Church Ministers” that clearly states what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior, and our “Electronic Communications with Minors policy.”

Children in our Catholic schools and parish programs

All children who attend K-12 Catholic schools in the diocese or who participate in faith formation at parishes participate annually in a program called “No-Go-Tell.” This program instructs children in grade-appropriate language what to do if “anyone touches my body in a way that makes me feel weird, or uncomfortable or worried or scared.” Its central rule tells them how to say “No,” where to “Go” to be safe and to “Tell” what happened to them to a trusted adult as soon as possible. This information is posted prominently at all schools and parishes.

Contact Information

Staff

Send Us A Message

Stay Connected

Stay Informed

Follow the news about our Catholic community,
in English and Spanish.

The Southern Cross

Our Life is Mission

Nuestra Vida es Misión

Follow Us

Contact us
Copyright © 2025.

Catholic Diocese of San Diego

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.

Topics