St. Paul's Cathedral (San Diego) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Paul's Cathedral, San Diego |
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Cathedral in 2010
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| 32°44′1″N 117°9′35″W / 32.73361°N 117.15972°W | |
| Location | 2728 Sixth Avenue San Diego, California |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Episcopal |
| Website | stpaulscathedral.org |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 1869 as Holy Trinity, reincorporated at St. Paul's in 1887 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Philip Frohman |
| Style | Neo-Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 1950 |
| Completed | First worship in 1951; technically still unfinished. Named as cathedral in 1985 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Episcopal Diocese of San Diego |
| Province | Province VIII |
St. Paul's Cathedral is an Episcopal church in the Bankers Hill area of San Diego, California. It is the main church for the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. The church started as the first Protestant church in San Diego in 1853. That first church was in Old Town. The current building was finished in 1951.
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What St. Paul's Cathedral Believes
St. Paul's Cathedral is a busy and growing church community. They call themselves "the Cathedral 4 the City." Their goal is to mix old church traditions and music with new ideas. They want to help solve important social problems in the world.
Everyone is welcome at St. Paul's, no matter their background or beliefs. On Sundays, they tell everyone that "whoever you are and wherever you are on the journey of faith, you are welcome." This means they welcome people with strong faith and those with little faith. They welcome people who have been there many times and those who have never been.
The church has traditional Christian services. But they also work closely with other faiths in the community. For example, they work with the local Islamic community to promote understanding between religions.
Worship Services
St. Paul's uses a special prayer book called the Book of Common Prayer. On Sundays, there is an early service at 8:00 am. A larger service with a choir and procession happens at 10:30 am. There is also a Spanish service at 1:00 pm and a traditional evening service at 5:00 pm. During the week, they have morning and evening prayers and a daily service.
Besides the regular services, St. Paul's has unique events. These include a labyrinth walk on New Year's Eve and a "Zydeco Mass" on Mardi Gras. They also have parades on Palm Sunday and St. George's Day. A special "Blessing of the Animals" service is also held.
Learning and Community
The cathedral offers many learning programs for adults on Sundays. A "forum" at 9 am discusses various topics. These can be about religious practices, environmental issues, or ways to help the community. They also have classes during the week.
For children, there are special Sunday gatherings. Child care is also available during the 10:30 am service. Many small groups and ministries meet regularly. St. Paul's also shares a lot of information online and through social media.
In the 1950s, the church helped start a place for older adults to live. It was first called St. Paul's Episcopal Home. Now it is called St. Paul's Senior Homes and Services. The leader of St. Paul's Cathedral helps guide this organization. They also help homeless seniors in the community.
Music Program
St. Paul's is famous for its music program. It is led by Martin Green, the Canon for Music. There are three choirs at the church. The adult choir sings at the 10:30 am Sunday service. The Cathedral Choristers (boys and men) and St. Cecilia's Choir (girls and men) sing at the weekly evening service.
Many concerts are held at the cathedral, including chamber music and choir performances. These concerts are open to everyone. The cathedral is also home to the Pacific Academy of Ecclesiastical Music (PACEM). It has a very large music library.
The cathedral has a historic Aeolian-Skinner organ. Parts of it come from the first organ ever built in San Diego in 1887. This organ was moved to the current church in the 1950s. It was made bigger several times. In 2011, the church raised money to fix the organ. It was taken apart and sent away for a full repair. A temporary digital organ was used until the restored organ returned in December 2012.
The organ is used for weekly concerts on Tuesdays at noon. It is also played during worship services. Carol Williams, who has been San Diego's Civic Organist since 2001, also plays the organ at St. Paul's.
Helping the Community
St. Paul's cares a lot about helping people in San Diego and beyond. They work with the Uptown Community to help those in need. Each year, St. Paul's provides housing for homeless adults for several weeks. They also give out food weekly in the church parking lot with Jewish Family Services.
The church community also works to support fairness for immigrants. They have a Spanish-speaking group and reach out to Hispanic communities. A big project they support is Vida Joven. This is a home for foster children in Tijuana, Mexico, whose parents are in jail.
The cathedral also cares about the environment. They try to be as "green" as possible. During the Advent season, they hold an Alternative Gift Fair. This fair promotes gifts that are good for the environment and support fair trade.
St. Paul's Cathedral openly welcomes all people, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT). The cathedral works for equality by holding events and movie showings. In 2010, they won an award from the San Diego Gay Pride organization for their service. The cathedral spoke out against California's Proposition 8 in 2008. This law tried to take away the right for same-sex couples to marry. After it passed, St. Paul's held a service for people to come together and heal.
In 2013, after a court decision, the bishop of San Diego allowed same-sex marriages in the diocese. The first wedding for a same-sex couple at St. Paul's happened in July 2013. Couples seeking marriage at St. Paul's, whether heterosexual or same-sex, follow the same rules, including counseling before marriage.
Church Leaders
Like other Episcopal cathedrals, St. Paul's is led by a dean. The current dean is The Very Rev. Penelope Bridges. The cathedral is the main church for the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. A group of elected leaders called the cathedral chapter helps guide the church.
Many other clergy members work at the church. Some are retired, and some are special priests called canons. There are also lay canons, who are church members in important administrative roles. Many volunteers help the cathedral run smoothly. These groups include altar servers, vergers, ushers, and greeters.
Past Deans
- 1978–1994: The Very Reverend James Earle Carroll DD
- 1996-2001: The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane
- 2003–2012: The Very Reverend Scott Richardson
- 2014–present: The Very Reverend Penelope Bridges
History of the Building
The church's history goes back to the first Protestant church in San Diego. It was started in Old Town in 1853. This church later became Holy Trinity downtown. In 1887, it became St. Paul's.
By 1919, St. Paul's was getting too small. The church bought land across from Balboa Park. They hired Philip Frohman, a famous architect who designed the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.. He designed a large new church in the neo-Gothic style. The church leaders expected St. Paul's to become the main church for San Diego one day.
The Great Hall was finished in 1929. But building the church was delayed by the Great Depression and disagreements with the architect. So, construction did not start until 1950. The first service in the new church was held in 1951, but the building was not fully complete. Over the years, a chapel and an office wing were added.
In 1973, the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego was created. This happened by dividing the larger Los Angeles diocese. In 1985, St. Paul's officially became the cathedral for the new San Diego diocese.
Future Plans
In 2011, the cathedral made a plan for its property. This plan suggests building two apartment towers with shops on the ground floor next to the cathedral. It also includes renovating the church campus with new offices and parking. The money from these projects will help support the cathedral's work in the community.
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