Chapter 11

Former Bishops of San Diego

HIS EMINENCE

Robert W. McElroy

Ordained
April 12, 1980

Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco
July 6, 2010

Installed as Sixth Bishop of San Diego
April 15, 2015

Installed as Cardinal
August 27, 2022

Installed as Archbishop of Washington
March 11, 2025

Cardinal's Legacy

MOST REVEREND

Cirilo Flores

Ordained
June 8, 1991

Appointed Auxiliary Bishop Orange
January 5, 2009

Consecrated
March 19, 2009

Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of San Diego
January 4, 2012

Succeeded as Fifth Bishop of San Diego September 18, 2013

Died
September 6, 2014

MOST REVEREND

Robert H. Brom

Ordained
December 18, 1963

Appointed Bishop of Duluth
March 25, 1983

Installed
May 23, 9183

Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of San Diego
April 22, 1989

Succeeded as Fourth Bishop of San Diego
July 10, 1990

Retired
September 18, 2013

Died
May 9, 2022

MOST REVEREND

Leo T. Maher

Ordained
December 18, 1943

Appointed First Bishop of Santa Rosa
February 21, 1962

Consecrated
April 5, 1962

Appointed Third Bishop of San Diego
August 27, 1969

Installed
October 4, 1969

Retired
July 10, 1990

Died
February 23, 1991

MOST REVEREND

Francis J. Furey

Ordained
March 15, 1930

Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia
August 17, 1960

Consecrated
December 22, 1960

Appointed Coadjutor and Apostolic Administrator of San Diego
July 21, 1963

Succeeded as Second Bishop of San Diego March 6, 1966

Appointed as Archbishop of San Antonio
May 23, 1969

Died
April 23, 1979

MOST REVEREND

Charles F. Buddy

Ordained
September 19, 1914

Appointed First Bishop of San Diego
October 31, 1936

Consecrated
December 21, 1936

Installed
February 3, 1937

Died
March 6, 1966

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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 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.

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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