Download flyerThe fire season is stretching longer and longer, and we must be as prepared as possible. With recent rain alleviating the current conditions, now is a good time to […]
The Diocese invites all to a prayer service and procession to proclaim our faith and to speak up for migrant families, the elderly and the destitute in our community. The prayer […]
Download flyer You are invited to the 32nd annual walk in downtown San Diego commemorating Jesus' journey to Calvary and his solidarity with the suffering of today. Please join us […]
Auxiliary Bishop Ramón Bejarano will lead the 20th annual Pro-Life Stations of the Cross. All are invited to gather at 11:45 a.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral, from where they will […]
One of the services offered by the Caring for the Whole Person initiative, is to accompany elderly and/or ill parishioners and their family, who are facing difficult questions and decisions […]
Los invitamos a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (El Centro, CA) a las 5 p.m. el 20 de mayo para una cena y una sesión de escucha en español en donde […]
Please join us at Our Lady of Guadalupe in El Centro at 5PM on May 22nd for a dinner and English listening session discussing your experiences with the environment, followed […]
May 24, 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si'. It is with a bitter sweetness that we recognize this day, but we praise God for this […]
ARE YOU READY TO GET ON THE PLATFORM??? The Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development invites us all to take creation care action via the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, […]
The Camino de California Eucharistic Pilgrimage brings Our Eucharistic Lord to the people of California, visiting all 21 missions along the Camino Real. The pilgrimage will travel from Northern to […]
The California Eucharistic Pilgrimage is an event designed to bring Our Eucharistic Lord to the people of California, visiting all 21 missions along the Camino Real. The pilgrimage will travel from […]
The Camino de California Eucharistic Pilgrimage is an event designed to bring Our Eucharistic Lord to the people of California, visiting all 21 missions along the Camino Real. The pilgrimage […]
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Our Life is Mission
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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.
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.
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.
