SAN DIEGO — A “field of dreams” with more than 1,800 faithful gathered for the diocese’s annual Pentecost Mass for All Peoples, celebrated by Bishop Michael Pham.
At the beginning of the liturgy, the bishop surveyed the packed stands at Cathedra Catholic High School on May 23 and compared what he saw to one of his favorite movies.
“People of all cultures gathered together like in a field of dreams, united in Christ here at the altar,” he said. “It’s a glimpse of the heavenly kingdom we yearn for.”
The ninth annual Mass has become a tradition at the diocese since then Father Pham had first organized it in 2018, under the leadership of then Bishop Robert W. McElroy.
More than 20 Catholic cultural communities came together that first year, with roots in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. They turned out for the 2026 edition, as well, processing into the high school’s gym wearing brightly colored traditional attire, as they had done since the beginning.
The Mass drew dozens of priests and deacons, as well as religious men and women from across the San Diego region. One busload of faithful arrived from Mission San Luis Rey Parish in Oceanside.
“On this day we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, the descending of the Holy Spirit,” Bishop Pham said in his opening remarks, “gathering us together as one people, as one family, one in Christ. We are being sent into the world to share the Good News.”
After the Mass, the nearly 2,000 faithful moved into the school grounds, where they lined up to pick up food samples from the participating cultural communities and to enjoy live music.
