Everyone is invited to the annual celebration for Our Lady of Guadalupe, a tradition of more than 50 years at our diocese. It all begins with a joyful procession through North Park streets featuring brightly decorated floats, Aztec dancers, musicians and dozens of parish groups and movimientos. That's followed by a bilingual Mass at the […]
Are you wondering how to avoid awkward conversation at a holiday party? Are you dreading your first Christmas without the kids? The holiday season can be filled with practical and emotional challenges when you are separated and divorced. Join us for this unique opportunity to meet and learn from others who are trying to navigate […]
Holy days of obligation (also known as feasts of precept) are days when the faithful are obliged to participate at Mass and abstain from unnecessary work or other activities which hinder the suitable relaxation of mind and body. Each Sunday is a holy day of obligation, and six Solemnities are also observed as feasts of […]
The entire Catholic community is invited to this Mass, to be celebrated by Cardinal Robert W. McElroy. The Mass is a holiday tradition among Filipino Catholics, and invites Filipino faithful and clergy from across the diocese. The Mass features a procession of star-shaped lanterns that symbolically light the way to Christ as they accompanied Mary […]
Join over 300 young adult Catholics for a festive evening at the Annual Young Adult Christmas Gala with catered dinner, drinks, dancing and the 2024 Fiat Award Presentation. All young adults ages 18-39 are welcome. Cocktail attire. This will be a sold-out event, so purchase your tickets today! Tickets will NOT be sold at the […]
Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, Bishop of the Diocese of San Diego, will celebrate St. Joseph Cathedral’s traditional Christmas Eve Family Mass. Christmas caroling will be at 3:30 p.m., with Mass at 4 p.m. Contact: Aida Bustos, abustos@sdcatholic.org
Holy Day of Obligation
The Diocese of San Diego will begin its celebration of Jubilee Year 2025 with a procession and Mass, joining dioceses across the world marking the opening of this anniversary year in the Catholic Church. The theme of the Jubilee Year is Pilgrims of Hope. The procession is to begin at 9:15 a.m. from Our Lady […]
As a spiritual preparation for the San Diego Walk for Life, the Catholic community will offer a Multicultural Novena for Life, Jan. 10 to 18, at parishes across the diocese. The novena is to pray for the protection of human life. Each day’s intention is accompanied by a short reflection and suggested actions to help […]
We invite you to attend this event hosted by the Diocese of San Diego Office for Life, Peace, and Justice about the Catholic perspective on end of life issues. This free event will feature a talk by Dr. Charles Camosy, a professor of Medical Humanities at Creighton University School of Medicine. Lunch is included! We […]
Theme: Life is a Right, Not an Option “As a gift from God, every human life is sacred from conception to natural death. The life and dignity of every person must be respected and protected at every stage and in every condition. The right to life is the first and most fundamental principle of human […]
Cardinal Robert W. McElroy will celebrate a special Mass commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King’s Call to Service. The entire community is invited to the Mass, which will feature the parish’s Gospel choir. Everyone is invited to a reception afterward in the parish hall. The day’ events are organized by the Diocesan Commission for African American […]
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Catholic Diocese of San Diego
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.
