Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral

Place of Worship

Emilie

Publié le 12/03/2025

Ce point d’intérêt est disponible en audio dans le circuit: Visit San Francisco, From skycrapers to fortune cookies

Here we stand before the Old St. Mary’s Cathedral. Yes, the “Old” part implies there’s a “New” St. Mary’s Cathedral nearby, and if you’re interested in a rather peculiar religious structure, I’d suggest paying it a visit as well. For now let’s focus on the original St. Mary’.
You see, it’s the first cathedral of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. It’s even the first in California to be built expressly to serve as a cathedral, although churches had been used to fulfilled this function in the meantime. At its inauguration in 1854, it was the tallest monument in California. Look, beneath the clock face, you can see the following line: “Son, observe the time and flee from evil.” This quote from the book of Sirach was directed at men who frequented the many brothels in the vicinity. In 1891, it was replaced as a cathedral by the first Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption because the growing number of Catholics in the region demanded more space. It thus reverted to being a church and survived the 1906 earthquake, but not the subsequent fires. The flames melted the bells and the marble altar. Three days later, only the brick walls and the bell tower remained. Thankfully, in 1909, restoration efforts began, and the church has undergone several renovations since then. It is still an active parish today, catering to the communities of Chinatown and Nob Hill.