Chapter 11

Suppression Notice

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Diocesan Young Adult Mass

Bishop Michael Pham, of the Catholic Diocese of San Diego, delivered the following homily at the diocesan Young Adult Mass, held July 13, 2025, at The Immaculata Church: This is my first time celebrating Mass with you young adults. It’s a wonderful view to see many of you gathering here on this day. It gives […]

New Bishop Shares His Vision

Dear Friends,   With a grateful heart and with God’s grace and love, I begin my new responsibility as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of San Diego. I want to express my profound appreciation and gratitude to my predecessors who have led the People of God in this portion of the Lord’s vineyard over […]

Thư gửi từ Đức Giám Mục Michael Phạm Minh Cường

Quý bạn hữu thân mến,  Với một trái tim biết ơn và nhờ hồng ân Chúa cùng tình yêu của Ngài, tôi bắt đầu nhiệm vụ mới của mình với cương vị là Giám mục thứ bảy của Giáo phận San Diego. Tôi muốn bày tỏ lòng biết ơn sâu sắc đến các vị tiền […]

World Refugee Day Homily

Bishop Michael Pham delivered the homily on June 20, 2025, World Refugee Day, at St. Joseph Cathedral.

Statement on Antisemitic Attacks and ICE Raid

The Administrator of the Diocese of San Diego, Bishop Michael Pham, issued the following statement today: With profound sadness and righteous indignation, we unite in prayer for the victims and families who suffered the violent Antisemitic attacks in Washington, D.C., and in Boulder, Colorado. We denounce any form of hatred towards others that undermines the […]

Pope Names Auxiliary Bishop Michael Pham as Seventh Bishop of San Diego

(SAN DIEGO) – His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has named Bishop Michael Pham as head of the Diocese of San Diego. He is the first Vietnamese American to lead an American diocese and is the seventh Bishop of San Diego. His installation Mass will be held on July 17. “With profound gratitude and blessing, I […]

We Joyously Welcome New Pope

Aerial view of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego Pastoral Center. It is located at 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, CA, 92117.

The Administrator of the Diocese of San Diego, Bishop Michael Pham, issued the following statement today after Cardinal Robert F. Prevost was elected the new pope of the Catholic Church: It is with great joy we greet the news that the world has a new Pope! Pope Leo XIV, an American from Chicago and an […]

Statement from the Diocese on the Death of Pope Francis

Aerial view of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego Pastoral Center. It is located at 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, CA, 92117.

The Administrator of the Diocese of San Diego, Bishop Michael Pham, released the following statement on the passing of Pope Francis: “Pope Francis died today at 7:35 in the morning Rome time on Easter Monday.  The Holy Father cared deeply for all of us, but especially for people living at the margins of our society.  […]

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.

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