Chapter 11

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Chinese Community

Who We Are Between 80 to 100 families are registered with the San Diego Chinese Catholic Community, based at the St. Thérèse of Carmel Parish, where the pastor serves as […]

Vietnamese Community

Discover the vibrant Vietnamese Catholic community in San Diego, active across five parishes, with cultural events and youth engagement initiatives.

Samoan Community

Who We Are About one in five people is Catholic in Samoa. In the San Diego region, they have an active presence. They are clustered at St. Rita’s Parish, in […]

Tongan Community

Who We Are The Tongan Catholic Community primarily gathers at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in San Diego. However, Tongan Catholics worship at various parishes across the San Diego Diocese.
 A […]

Chamorro-Guamanian Community

Who We Are A people indigenous in Guam, the Chamorros have a strong Catholic heritage, which they brought with them to the United States. Locally, the Chamorro-Guamanian Catholic population is […]

Brazilian Community

Who We Are The population of Brazil is predominantly Christian, with more than 60% participating in the Catholic Church.   In the San Diego region, Brazilian Catholics number around 45. […]

African Community

Who We Are The African Catholic Community, whose members come from the continent of Africa, meet on the 2nd Sunday of each month at Blessed Sacrament parish for a mass […]

Mary, Mother of the Church

A statue of a woman holding a child, both wearing ornate golden crowns. The child is in pink attire, holding a small model of a building. The woman is draped in a golden cloak, with another figure partially visible below.

The Office for Ethnic and Intercultural Communities commissioned the creation of a Mary, Mother of the Church statue, to be shared at pastoral events.

Pentecost Mass for All Peoples Event

Once a year, at the Feast of Pentecost, all Catholic cultural communities of the diocese come together in a vibrant, Mass that celebrates their faith and traditions.

Cultural Communities

See the diverse cultural communities served by the Diocese of San Diego, promoting unity and inclusion in the Catholic faith.

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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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