Chapter 11

Suppression Notice

Archives

Finding Grace Within Our Republic Of Suffering

San Diego Catholic Bishop Robert McElroy issued the following statement on June 1, 2020, in light of the killing of George Floyd and the protests that erupted across the country, including in this county: “A deep and crippling sadness envelops this nation that we love so deeply. The peril and the burden of a pandemic […]

Bishop Announces Measures to Address Potential Spread of COVID-19

(SAN DIEGO, March 4, 2020) – Bishop Robert McElroy, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, issued the following statement today concerning changes parishioners and the public will see at Mass to respond to concerns about the spread of what is now known as COVID-19 or the coronavirus.  The diocese is continuing to […]

El Obispo Anuncia Cambios Temporales en la Misa en Respuesta al Coronavirus

(SAN DIEGO, March 4, 2020) – Bishop Robert McElroy, who heads the Catholic Diocese of San Diego, issued the following statement today regarding changes parishioners and the public will see at Mass in response to the potential spread of the coronavirus, or COVID -19. The diocese continues to be in contact with state and county […]

Conscience, Candidates and Discipleship in Voting

A clergymember wearing a black suit and clerical collar stands at a podium, speaking into a microphone. The background is dark, emphasizing the speaker.

Conscience, Candidates and Discipleship in Voting Harpst Center for Catholic Thought and Culture University of San Diego Feb. 6, 2020 Bishop Robert W. McElroy In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis points powerfully to the vocation of faith-filled citizenship: “An authentic faith…always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow […]

Catholic Diocese Monitoring News of Coronavirus

(SAN DIEGO) –The San Diego Catholic Diocese has not called for the suspension of any practices at Mass in response to the new coronavirus that appeared in China and has been detected in several countries, including the United States, but is closely monitoring the situation. On Jan. 29, San Diego County health authorities said that […]

San Diego Diocese’s Statement Regarding New Lawsuits

San Diego Diocese’s Statement Regarding New Lawsuits STATEMENT RETRACTION AND CORRECTION **ATTENTION EDITORS** A statement released on January 2, 2020 by Kevin Eckery, vice chancellor of the Diocese of San Diego and spokesperson for the diocese contained a major factual error concerning the status of deceased Rev. Alexander Pinter, a credibly accused priest of the […]

Statement from the San Diego Diocese about Refugee Resettlement

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 14, 2020 – Bishop Robert McElroy and Auxiliary Bishop John Dolan thank the Board of Supervisors for their unanimous support today of a resolution to accept the resettlement of refugees in San Diego County. The Diocese’s agency that has worked for decades to resettle refugees, Catholic Charities, also thanks the organizations that […]

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 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.

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.

Topics