Chapter 11 Court Required Notification

African American Community

A person in a white robe with colorful patterned sashes walks down a church aisle, holding a book. There are people seated in the background and the church interior is visible.

Who We Are

Vision

The Diocesan Commission for African-American Catholics exists to celebrate, support and share Black Spirituality by promoting growth and renewal through liturgical and social justice activities as tools of evangelization for the Diocese of San Diego.

History

The Commission started around 1976, founded by Audrey Chung. It was comprised of the following members who were part of original commission and the churches they represented: Audrey Chung (St. Rita), Jean Robertson (Christ the King), Shannon Percy (St. Michael in Paradise Hills), Leota Peterson (Holy Family in Linda Vista), Joan Smith (Catholic Church in Mira Mesa) and Loraine Bergeron (Holy Spirit).

The Commission decided in 1977 to add a Catholic gospel music director, Randy Glover, and a deacon, Dr. Marvin Threatt. The first major event sponsored by the Commission was a musical weekend workshop in 1978-79 lead by Grayson Brown and Ron Harbor. The second major event was the start of our annual revivals, which began in 1979 and were held at Christ the King for several years. The revivals then started rotating among three churches: Christ the King, St Rita and Holy Spirit.

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African American Community

Rick Stewart
Chair
Selma Johnson
Vice Chair
Deacon Marvin Threatt
Spiritual Advisor

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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.

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