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 […]
May 20 and May 27 @ 6:30 PM - 8:30 PMDuring this Jubilee year, being pilgrims of hope calls us to be present to our brothers and sisters affected by […]
The Diocese invites the entire community to its eighth annual Pentecost Mass for All Peoples, a celebration of faith and culture. The event starts with prayer and music in various languages. […]
End of Year Retreat: Jubilee of Hope - Bearers of Jesus' Love, Mercy, and Compassion Join us for a transformative journey of reflection, renewal, and spiritual growth as we celebrate […]
The deacons of the Diocese of San Diego come together to live out their mission to serve the needy by coordinating an annual event that provides one million nutritious meals […]
The Catholic community is invited to the ordination of three seminarians to the priesthood at the Diocese of San Diego. The Mass will be celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Ramón Bejarano, […]
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 […]
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 […]
Bishop Michael Pham invites the entire community to pray for our refugee and migrant brothers and sisters at a special Mass on World Refugee Day, June 20, an international day […]
Retiro de fin de curso: Jubileo de Esperanza - Portadores del Amor, la Misericordia y la Compasión de Jesús. Únete a nosotros para un viaje transformador de reflexión, renovación y […]
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 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.
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.
