About the Diocese of San Diego
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego serves the Catholics of San Diego and Imperial Counties in the far south of California, along the international border with Mexico. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and is led from the Diocesan Pastoral Center in the Clairemont neighborhood of San Diego, with ministries ranging from 96 parishes and 13 missions to more than 75 Catholic schools, Catholic Charities, the diocesan newspaper The Southern Cross, and Holy Cross Cemetery. The diocese's patron is St. Didacus of Alcalá, and its mother church is St. Joseph Cathedral, founded in 1874 in downtown San Diego.
- Established: July 11, 1936
- Territory: San Diego County and Imperial County (~22,942 sq km)
- Cathedral: St. Joseph Cathedral, San Diego
- Patron: St. Didacus of Alcalá
- Ecclesiastical Province: Los Angeles
- Bishop: Most Rev. Michael Pham (since 2025)
- Pastoral Center: 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, CA 92117
History of the Diocese
Catholic life in the San Diego region predates the diocese by 167 years: Mission San Diego de Alcalá was founded in 1769 by St. Junípero Serra, and Mission San Luis Rey de Francia followed in 1798. After several boundary changes, the modern Diocese of San Diego was carved out of the new Archdiocese of Los Angeles on July 11, 1936. Its first bishop, Charles Francis Buddy, was installed on February 3, 1937. The diocese's territory shrank in 1978 when Pope John Paul II created the Diocese of San Bernardino, and its leadership has passed through six additional bishops — Francis Furey, Leo Maher, Robert Brom, Cirilo Flores, Cardinal Robert McElroy, and Michael Pham — down to the present day. The diocese has celebrated two Jubilees of its own history: the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph Parish/Cathedral in 2024, and the diocesan-wide fifth Synod that began in 2021.
- 1769 — Mission San Diego de Alcalá founded
- 1840 — Diocese of Both Californias erected with see at San Diego
- 1936 — Diocese of San Diego erected from Archdiocese of Los Angeles (87 parishes in 4 counties)
- 1937 — Bishop Charles F. Buddy installed as first bishop
- 1943 — First Diocesan Synod
- 1949 — University of San Diego land acquired
- 1978 — Diocese of San Bernardino created; San Diego now 2 counties, 88 parishes
- 2021 — Fifth Diocesan Synod opens
- 2024 — 150th anniversary of St. Joseph Cathedral
- 2024 — Diocese files second Chapter 11 bankruptcy
- 2025 — Bishop Michael Pham installed as 7th bishop
Parishes, Missions and Deaneries
The diocese organizes its 96 parishes and 13 missions into deaneries covering Central San Diego, San Diego Coastal, South Bay, East County, Imperial Valley, North County Coastal, and North County Inland. Each parish is listed on the diocese's online 'Find a Parish' directory, which allows searching by zip code, language, and historic-mission status. Among the most historically significant are the parish sites connected to California's Spanish missions, especially Mission San Diego de Alcalá (a Minor Basilica) and Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside.
- Central San Diego deanery
- San Diego Coastal deanery
- South Bay deanery
- East County deanery
- Imperial Valley deanery
- North County Coastal deanery
- North County Inland deanery
- Mission San Diego de Alcalá (Minor Basilica)
- Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside
- 96 parishes and 13 missions (2023)
Catholic Schools in the Diocese
Catholic education is a major ministry of the Diocese of San Diego. About 15,300 students are enrolled in 31 preschools, 40 elementary schools, and seven Catholic high schools, educating 'in the image of Christ for our Church and for our world.' The schools are organized by region — Central San Diego, San Diego Coastal, South Bay, East County, Imperial Valley, North County Coastal, and North County Inland — and include nationally recognized institutions like the Academy of Our Lady of Peace and Cathedral Catholic High School. Recent years have also seen closures, including St. Michael Academy and St. Katharine Drexel Academy, as the system adjusts to enrollment and budget realities.
- Academy of Our Lady of Peace (1882) — oldest Catholic high school in San Diego, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
- Cathedral Catholic High School, Carmel Valley (founded 1939, coed since 1970)
- Cristo Rey San Diego High School (founded 2020, Congregation of Jesus and Mary)
- Mater Dei Catholic High School, Chula Vista (replaced Marian Catholic, 2007)
- St. Augustine High School, North Park — Augustinians
- Vincent Memorial Catholic High School, Calexico
- Roughly 40 elementary schools including St. Patrick (Carlsbad), St. Mary Star of the Sea, School of the Madeleine, and St. Francis of Assisi
- 31 diocesan preschools
- Diocesan Office for Schools (Tuition assistance and Catholic identity support)
St. Joseph Cathedral
St. Joseph Cathedral, located in downtown San Diego, is the mother church of the diocese and the seat of the bishop. The parish was founded in 1874 by Fr. Antonio Ubach, and it became a Cathedral in 1936 when the Holy See established the Diocese of San Diego apart from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Bishop Charles F. Buddy was installed in the Cathedral on February 3, 1937. The Cathedral marked its 150th anniversary in 2024, and for the universal Jubilee Year 2025, the diocese designated it as the local pilgrimage church, with the faithful invited to walk symbolically from Waterfront Park through Beech Street.
- Parish founded 1874 by Fr. Antonio Ubach
- Became a Cathedral in 1936 with the erection of the diocese
- Site of installation of every Bishop of San Diego
- 150th anniversary celebrated in 2024
- Designated pilgrimage church for Jubilee Year 2025
- Weekly Sunday and weekday Masses; sacrament of reconciliation
Bishop Michael Pham — Seventh Bishop of San Diego
Most Rev. Michael Pham was named the seventh Bishop of San Diego by Pope Leo XIV on May 22, 2025, and was installed on July 17, 2025, at St. Therese of Carmel Parish before 1,200 family, friends and dignitaries. He is the first American bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV and the first Vietnamese American diocesan bishop in the United States. A refugee from Vietnam at age 13, he was sponsored by an American family and resettled in Minnesota in 1981 before his family moved to San Diego in 1985. He studied aeronautical engineering at San Diego State University before entering St. Francis Seminary and was ordained a priest of San Diego in 1999. As an Auxiliary Bishop, he served as Vicar for Ethnic and Intercultural Affairs, where he helped launch the annual Pentecost Mass for All Peoples in 2018.
- Seventh Bishop of San Diego
- First Vietnamese American diocesan bishop in the U.S.
- First American bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV
- Installed July 17, 2025 at St. Therese of Carmel Parish
- Auxiliary Bishop and Diocesan Administrator of San Diego 2023–2025
- Founder of the annual Pentecost Mass for All Peoples (2018)
- Ordained priest for San Diego in 1999
Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego
Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego (CCDSD) is the social-services arm of the diocese, committed to the Judeo-Christian vision of love, hope, peace and justice for all. Its administrative offices are at the Diocesan Pastoral Center on Paducah Drive, with direct services delivered from sites across San Diego and Imperial Counties. Programs include the Emergency Food Distribution Network (launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to serve 21 partner parishes), disaster relief and recovery, immigration legal services (citizenship, DACA, naturalization), refugee resettlement, and the annual Million Meal Event, which has packed more than five million meals since 2021.
- Emergency Food Distribution Network
- Million Meal Event (5+ million meals since 2021)
- Disaster Relief and Recovery
- Immigration Legal Services — DACA, citizenship, naturalization
- Jubilee of Migrants: Matthew 25 initiative
- Refugee resettlement
- Caring for vulnerable women and children in the immigration crisis
- Volunteer engagement with parishes and schools
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery & Mausoleum
Owned and operated by the Diocese of San Diego, Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery & Mausoleum at 4470 Hilltop Drive in south San Diego is the only Catholic diocesan cemetery serving San Diego County. The cemetery offers full Catholic burial services, with the Rites of Burial concluded on its grounds, and celebrates weekly Mass for the deceased — including a weekly Friday remembrance. It also runs a 'Memory Light' and 'Candle Service' remembrance program, with votive candles lit weekly for a year in memory of loved ones.
- Only Catholic diocesan cemetery in San Diego County
- 4470 Hilltop Drive, San Diego, CA 92102
- Phone: (619) 264-3127
- Daily cemetery hours 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
- Weekly Friday Mass and remembrance list
- Memory Light and Candle Service programs
Offices, Ministries and Pastoral Services
The Diocese of San Diego operates a wide range of pastoral offices, ministries, and administrative departments, all listed on the diocese's website under 'Offices and Ministries.' Pastoral offices include Youth and Young Adult Ministry, the SDSU Newman Center, and Schools; ministries include Adult Faith Formation, Annulments, Care for Creation, Culture of Life, Healing Pathways for Families, Marriage Preparation, Prison Ministry, Restorative Justice, Sacramental Records, Special Needs, and Victim Assistance. Administrative offices include the Child and Youth Protection office, Cultural Diversity, the Diocesan Institute, the Diocesan Tribunal, Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Evangelization and Catechetical Ministry, Family Life and Spirituality, Life Peace and Justice, Liturgy and Spirituality, and the office for Women Religious.
- Pastoral Offices: Schools, Youth and Young Adult Ministry, SDSU Newman Center
- Ministries: Adult Faith Formation, Marriage Prep, Prison Ministry, Restorative Justice, Culture of Life, Care for Creation
- Administration: Child and Youth Protection, Diocesan Tribunal, Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
- Diocesan Institute for ongoing formation
- Office for Women Religious
- Victim Assistance and Healing Pathways for Families
Synod on Synodality & Diocesan Synod
The Diocese of San Diego has been an active participant in Pope Francis's Synod on Synodality, holding two cycles of small-group dialogues at parishes and schools in 2022 and 2023, accompanied by an electronic survey in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The first cycle of dialogues drew more than 11,000 participants; the second cycle in fall 2023 — focused on 'Building Eucharistic Communities' — drew more than 13,000 participants, with a significant number of youth and young adults. As a result, the diocese launched a pilot project involving 17 parishes in spring 2024, calling on them to use a synodal approach in their decision-making. The diocese also convened its fifth Diocesan Synod beginning in 2021 as a multi-year effort to promote a culture in the local Church where all members walk forward in communion.
- Two cycles of synodal dialogues (2022, 2023)
- More than 24,000 participants total
- Spanish, English, and Vietnamese surveys
- 17-parish pilot project launched spring 2024
- Fifth Diocesan Synod opened in 2021
- Pentecost Mass for All Peoples — annual ethnic and cultural celebration
Chapter 11 Reorganization (2024)
On June 17, 2024, the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California (Case #24-02202), the second such filing in its history. The first filing, in 2007, resulted in a $198 million settlement to 144 abuse survivors. The 2024 filing was driven by more than 450 new claims arising from California's AB 218 revival window, almost 60% of which were more than 50 years old. Cardinal Robert McElroy's letter to the faithful explained the diocese's two moral commitments: just compensation for victims of abuse, and continued funding for education, pastoral service, and outreach to the poor. Parishes, parochial schools, Catholic high schools, and Catholic Charities did not file and continued normal operations.
- Filed Chapter 11 on June 17, 2024 (Case #24-02202)
- Second bankruptcy filing in diocesan history
- Approximately 450 abuse claims at filing
- 2007 prior settlement: $198 million to 144 survivors
- AB 218 (2019) revival window drove 2024 claims
- Parishes, schools and Catholic Charities not part of filing
Jubilee Year 2025 in San Diego
For the universal Jubilee Year 2025, the Vatican opened a Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica on December 24, 2024, and the year was scheduled to close on January 6, 2026. The Diocese of San Diego designated St. Joseph Cathedral as its local pilgrimage church, with the faithful invited to make a symbolic pilgrimage from Waterfront Park through Beech Street. Several scheduled pilgrimages to Rome and Italy were organized for youth, young adults, and individual parishes. The diocese also highlighted the special plenary indulgence available during the Jubilee, applied to oneself or to a deceased person in Purgatory.
- St. Joseph Cathedral designated local pilgrimage church
- Youth and Young Adult Ministry Pilgrimage to Rome (May 12–22, 2025)
- San Rafael Parish Golden Jubilee Pilgrimage to Italy (Sept. 18–30, 2025)
- Parish 12-day Jubilee Pilgrimage (Oct. 13–24, 2025)
- Special plenary indulgence available
- Saturday parish-level pilgrimages encouraged
Communications — The Southern Cross
The Southern Cross has been the official newspaper of the Diocese of San Diego since 1937, the year Bishop Charles F. Buddy was installed. It covers diocesan news, schools, parishes, the bishop's columns, Catholic Charities initiatives, and feature reporting on the Catholic life of the region. The Southern Cross also publishes news online at thesoutherncross.org and serves as the principal public voice of the diocese.
- Official diocesan newspaper since 1937
- Covers schools, parishes, ministries, and Catholic Charities
- Publishes bishop's pastoral letters and columns
- Online at thesoutherncross.org
