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 (Spanish: Parroquia de San Pablo) is a famous church in San Francisco, California. It is a Roman Catholic parish church, which means it serves a local community of people who worship together. The church is located in the city's Noe Valley neighborhood.
Contents
History of St. Paul's Church
Early Beginnings (1876-1880)
The story of St. Paul's Church began in 1876. A man named George Shadbourne wanted to create a new church for his community. He spoke to Archbishop Joseph Alemany, a leader in the Catholic Church.
Archbishop Alemany agreed to the idea. People in the community worked together to collect money and buy land. By 1880, they had built the first church building. They also built a home for the priest. This first church could hold up to 750 people and served about 200 families.
Building the Current Church (1897-1911)
As the community grew, the first church became too small. So, in 1897, the parish decided to build a much larger church. This new church was designed in the English Gothic style. It could seat 1,400 people.
Building the new church took 14 years to finish. This was because the parish paid for the construction as they went along. This way, they did not have any debt when the church was completed. The new church was officially opened on May 29, 1911, by Archbishop Patrick W. Riordan.
Earthquake Repairs and Rebuilding
After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, St. Paul's Church needed to be made stronger. The earthquake had caused damage, and the church needed special work to be safe. At one point, church leaders thought about closing St. Paul's because the repairs would be very expensive.
However, they later decided to keep the church open. The parish sold some nearby buildings to help pay for the repairs. They spent about $8.5 million to make the church and other buildings strong and safe again.
St. Paul's Church in Movies
St. Paul's Church has also been featured in movies and TV shows. In an episode of The Streets of San Francisco, you can see both the inside and outside of the church.
In 1992, the church was used for filming the popular comedy film 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. They made it look like the church was in a much poorer part of the city for the movie.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Pablo (San Francisco) para niños
