Chapter 11

Suppression Notice

Diocesan Decree for the Year of St. Francis of Assisi

Pope Leo has designated a Year of St. Francis from January 10, 2026 to January 10, 2027 to celebrate the Eighth Centenary of the passage of St. Francis of Assisi.

The Apostolic Penitentiary issued a decree granting the Plenary Indulgence under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father) which can also be applied in the form of suffrage for the souls in Purgatory.

Besides offering the indulgence to all the Franciscan Families and anyone who observes the Rule of St. Francis, all the faithful without distinction can receive the indulgence “by visiting in the form of a pilgrimage any Franciscan conventual church, or place of worship anywhere in the world dedicated to St. Francis or connected to him for any reason, and there they will devoutly follow the Jubilee rites or spend at least a suitable period of time in pious meditation and will raise prayers to God so that, following the example of St. Francis, may sentiments of Christian charity towards one’s neighbor and authentic wishes for harmony and peace among peoples spring up in hearts, concluding with the Our Father, the Creed and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Francis of Assisi, St Clare and all the saints of the Franciscan Family” (Eighth Centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, Apostolic Penitentiary Decree).

Therefore, The Most Rev. Michael Pham, Bishop of the Diocese of San Diego, has decreed that the Churches of the

  1. Immaculate Conception, Old Town,
  2. Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, San Diego,
  3. Old Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside,
  4. San Luis Rey Parish, Oceanside,
  5. St. Anthony of Padua, Imperial,
  6. St. Didacus, San Diego,
  7. St. Francis Chapel at the Mission San Diego de Alcalá,
  8. St. Francis of Assisi, Vista,

have been designated as the pilgrimage destinations in this diocese.

The elderly, the sick and those who for serious reasons cannot leave home will also be able to obtain the plenary indulgence by spiritually joining the Jubilee celebrations and offering their prayers, pains or sufferings to God.

Conditions for receiving the Indulgence (for oneself or for the deceased)
– Sacramental confession to be in God’s grace (in the eight days before or after);
– Participation in Mass and Eucharistic Communion;
– To visit in the form of a pilgrimage any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship dedicated to St. Francis anywhere in the world, where one renews one’s profession of faith, through the recitation of the Creed, to reaffirm one’s Christian identity;
– The recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, to reaffirm the dignity of children of God, received in Baptism;
– To pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, to reaffirm belonging to the Church, whose foundation and visible center of unity is the Roman Pontiff.

Additional resources are forthcoming.

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 combines the Diocese of San Diego’s coat of arms on the left side, and his on the right. On his, a red boat on a blue ocean sits on 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 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, 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 communities.

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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