Beginning Experience Retreat
Stories section sectionIf you are grieving the loss of your marriage through death, divorce or separation, join us for the Beginning Experience Retreat.
deposit to confirm reservation is $75
If you are grieving the loss of your marriage through death, divorce or separation, join us for the Beginning Experience Retreat.
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 […]
Friday evening, March 28, 2025–Sunday afternoon, March 30, 2025Did you grow up in a divorced family? Are your parents recently divorced or separated?Join the Diocese of San Diego and the Diocese of Orange as we offer the opportunity for adults (18+) from divorced families to give voice to your pain and find healing through Christ. This […]
Not willing to let go of your marriage? Many couples continue to struggle but are not willing to give up on each other. There is hope. Retrouvaille is a program designed to help struggling marriages regain their health. It helps a husband and a wife re-awaken the love, trust and commitment that originally brought them together. Date: […]
Not willing to let go of your marriage? Many couples continue to struggle but are not willing to give up on each other. There is hope. Retrouvaille is a program designed to help struggling marriages regain their health. It helps a husband and a wife re-awaken the love, trust and commitment that originally brought them […]
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Our Life is Mission
Nuestra Vida es Misión
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.
