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Mary, Mother of the Church

The Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

In March 2018, Pope Francis decreed that “the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church” be celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost every year in churches throughout the world. Honoring Mary on the day after Pentecost highlights that she was present with the disciples on Pentecost, praying with them as the Holy Spirit descended — and she has never ceased to take maternal care of the pilgrim Church on earth. Mary, the first disciple of Jesus, is a model for all Christians. We are reminded that while the Spirit gives us gifts, the Blessed Mother points us to Jesus so that we might use those gifts at the service of Him and His Church.



In 2019, the Diocese of San Diego’s Office for Ethnic and Intercultural Communities commissioned the creation of this four-foot, wooden statue to be shared at pastoral events, especially at Pentecost celebrations. Artist Alexander Kostner carved the statue in Italy and it arrived in San Diego in May 2020, amid the devastating pandemic in the U.S. and around the world. It would be a year later when the diocese could introduce the statue, “Mary, Mother of the Church,” at the Pentecost Mass for All People on May 22, 2021.

Young Jesus

The statue depicts the Blessed Mother carrying young Jesus, who is holding St. Peter’s Basilica, a symbol of our earthly Church. As the annual Pentecost celebration gathers all of us as brothers and sisters, “One in Christ Unum in Christi”, her mantle embraces the diverse cultures of our local diocese, and several saints that accompany us on our spiritual journey.



Under the Blessed Mother’s mantle at the front are children representing the cultural families, as designated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: Asian-Pacific Islander, Euro American, African American, Hispanic and Native American.

Children and Saints

Under her mantle, below her right arm, are pictured St. Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and patron of the Universal Church; Venerable Augustus Tolton, a former slave and the first African American priest in the United States; St. Teresa of Calcutta, a universal symbol of God’s merciful and preferential love for the poor and forgotten; and St. Pio of Pietrelcina (“Padre Pio”), the Italian Franciscan priest known for his suffering, humility and miracles.



Under her mantle, below her left arm, are pictured St. John Vianney, patron of parish priests; St. Pope John Paul II, remembered for his love for young people, his passion for strengthening families, and for building bridges with peoples of other faiths; St. Faustina Kowalska, the “Apostle of Divine Mercy,” whose apparitions of Jesus inspired the devotion; and St. José María Robles, devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Mexican priest and Knight of Columbus martyred during the Cristero War.

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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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