St. Patrick's Catholic Church, San Francisco Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Saint Patrick's Catholic Church

Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
District	Archdiocese of San Francisco
Province	Archdiocese of San Francisco
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Church
Leadership	Archbishop of San Francisco
Location
Location	San Francisco, California, United States
San Francisco Designated Landmark
Designated	September 3, 1968
Reference no.	4
Website
stpatricksf.org

St. Patrick's Catholic Church is a Catholic church in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1851. You can find it at 756 Mission Street, right across from Yerba Buena Gardens. It's in the busy South of Market district.

History of St. Patrick's Church
Architecture of the Church
- Gothic Revival Style
- Colors and Decorations
Images for kids
See also

History of St. Patrick's Church

Early Days and Growth (1851-1870)

The very first church service was held on June 9, 1851. It took place in a hall on 4th and Jessie streets. A few months later, a temporary church was built. It faced Market Street. This is where the Palace Hotel stands today.

The church was named after Saint Patrick. He is the patron saint of Ireland. This was because many Irish people lived in the area. After the American Civil War, many more people moved to San Francisco. This meant a bigger church was needed. So, a new church was built facing Mission Street. It opened in April 1870. People said it was the most amazing church west of Chicago.

Rebuilding After the 1906 Earthquake

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake completely destroyed the church. Only the foundation and some walls were left standing. Many church members were very sad and left the area. For a while, services were held outside in sandlots. A permanent shelter was also built. It was first called Tir-Na-Og, meaning "Land of the Young." Later, it was named St. Patrick's shelter.

Those who stayed worked to build a new church. It looked much like the old one. They wanted it to be the main church for Irish people on the West Coast. Special materials were brought in for the rebuild. These included Caen stone from Ireland and green marble from Connemara. An Irish artist named Mia Cranwill designed the main altar's metal cross.

In 1923, an Irish designer named Kitty MacCormack was asked to create special clothes for the church leaders. These clothes are called vestments.

A Landmark and a Changing Community

In 1968, St. Patrick's Church became a San Francisco landmark. This means it is an important historical building. Even as the area around it changed and became more modern, the church stayed the same.

Over the years, many different groups of people have called this church home. First, it was mostly Irish people. Then, the Spanish-speaking community became the majority. Today, most of the church members are from the Filipino community. The church also welcomes business people and tourists.

The church offers classes like CCD and RCIA. These classes teach about the Catholic faith. Many special prayers and devotions are held, often influenced by the Filipino community. Church services happen every day. The church is open until 6:15 pm on weekdays and 6:45 pm on weekends.

Architecture of the Church

Gothic Revival Style

St. Patrick's Church is built in the Gothic Revival architecture style. This style uses features like ribbed vaults (curved ceilings with stone ribs) and pointed arches. It has a large central area called a nave and two smaller side aisles. The nave also has a triforium and a clerestory, which are upper levels with windows.

Colors and Decorations

The church's design uses colors inspired by Ireland. It features green Connemara marble and white and gold Bontticino marble. The green marble is a type of serpentine rock.

The church is decorated with beautiful Tiffany-style stained glass windows. These windows show the patron saints of Ireland's 32 counties.