The Order of Malta and the Diocesan Office for Life, Peace and Justice invite the community to celebrate the World Day of the Sick Mass in observance of the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
The Vietnamese Catholic community will celebrate St. Andrew Dũng Lac and his Companions, the Vietnamese Martyrs, at its annual diocesan Mass.
Join us as we pilot a new ministry for newly married couples at Good Shepherd Parish. Every first Thursday of the month, we will gather for fellowship and learning practical, hands-on tools that will assist couples in building a strong foundation for their life together. While geared towards newly married couples, couples of all ages […]
The Chrism Mass celebrates the institution of the priesthood at the Last Supper and provides the occasion for the blessing of oils that will be used in sacramental celebrations throughout the year at parishes.
The Diocese of San Diego invites married couples of all ages to its fifth annual Marriage Anniversary Mass and Reception. Those celebrating major anniversaries are especially invited. At the Mass, couples will be able to renew their commitment in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Pulido will celebrate this Anniversary Mass, which will be followed by […]
Date: February 8 Location: Good Shepherd Parish (8200 Gold Coast Dr. San Diego, CA 92116) Time: 10 a.m. Main Celebrant: Bishop Michael Pham The Order of Malta and the Diocesan Office for Life, Peace and Justice invite the community to celebrate the World Day of the Sick Mass in observance of the Feast of Our […]
The entire Catholic community is invited to the annual Vietnamese Martyr’s Mass, to be celebrated by Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, along with Auxiliary Bishops Michael Pham and Ramón Bejarano and Vietnamese priests from across the diocese. The Mass honors St. Andrew Dũng Lạc and his Companions — The Vietnamese Martyrs. The Vietnamese Catholic Community organizes […]
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.
