St. Paul's Catholic Church (San Francisco) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Paul's Catholic Church |
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St. Paul's Catholic Church from Church Street
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| Location | San Francisco |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | http://www.stpaulsf.org/ |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1897 |
| Completed | 1911 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Nave width | 68 ft (21 m) |
| Width across transepts | 108 ft (33 m) |
| Height | 365 ft (111 m) |
St. Paul's Catholic Church (also known as Parroquia de San Pablo in Spanish) is a parish church in San Francisco, California. It belongs to the Roman Catholic faith. The church is located in the city's Noe Valley neighborhood, at 221 Valley Street and the corner of Church Street.
Contents
History of St. Paul's Church
Building the First Church
The story of St. Paul's Church began in 1876. A man named George Shadbourne wanted a new church built in the area. He spoke to Archbishop Joseph Alemany, a leader in the Catholic Church. George offered to help raise money and find land for the new church.
Archbishop Alemany agreed to the idea. By 1880, the first church building was finished. A home for the priest was also built next to it. This first church could hold about 750 people. It served around 200 families in the community.
Constructing the Current Church
The community grew, and more space was needed. So, in 1897, work began on the much larger church you see today. This new building was designed in the English Gothic style. It could seat 1,400 people.
Building the church took a long time, about 14 years! This was because the church paid for the construction as they went along. This way, they did not have to borrow money. When the church was finished in 1911, it had no debt. Archbishop Patrick W. Riordan officially opened the new church on May 29, 1911.
Earthquake Repairs and Safety
In 1989, a big earthquake called the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake shook San Francisco. St. Paul's Church needed special repairs to make it stronger and safer. At first, church leaders thought about closing St. Paul's because the repairs would be very expensive.
However, they decided to keep the church open. The parish sold some nearby buildings to help pay for the work. They spent about $8.5 million to make the church and other buildings safe.
St. Paul's in Movies and TV
St. Paul's Church has also been a filming location for movies and TV shows. In an episode of The Streets of San Francisco from 1975, you can see both the inside and outside of the church.
In 1992, the church was used for filming the comedy movie Sister Act. The movie starred Whoopi Goldberg. In the film, St. Paul's was called "St. Katherine's Monastery." Even though the church is in a nice neighborhood, the film crew changed the surrounding area to make it look like a much poorer part of the city.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Pablo (San Francisco) para niños
