St. Anne of the Sunset Church in San Francisco
Encyclopedia
St. Anne of the Sunset Catholic Church in San Francisco is a parish
of the Archdiocese of San Francisco in San Francisco, California
. St. Anne is one of four Sunset District Catholic churches and mainly caters to the Inner Sunset area near Golden Gate Park
and the University of California, San Francisco
hospital campus.
The larger, rosy-red church can easily be seen from anywhere in the Inner Sunset and a MUNI
streetcar has a line that travels along Judah Street in front of the Church. Every year, the parishioners of St. Anne's hold a novena
honoring their patron saint, in which they have a procession around the neighborhood, commencing in the vestibule of the church.
The parish has an illustrious history, dating back to its founding in 1904. The parish grew up with the Sunset neighborhood, originally known as the "Outside Lands," which were made up entirely of sand dunes extending out to present-day Ocean Beach
. The first church, a small wood-frame structure, was built in 1905 on land donated by a Mrs. Jane Callahan. The church, which seated up to 450 people, was toppled in the 1906 earthquake
. Though it was rebuilt and extended to accommodate the growing parish, it became apparent that a new church was needed. Groundbreaking and construction began in 1930 and the church was completed three years later and dedicated by Archbishop John J. Mitty.
The church is notable for its Romanesque-revival architecture, massive dome, uneven twin towers, great rose windows, and the frieze sculpture that adorns the front facade entrance. The sculpture, created by Mission San Jose Sister Justina Niemierski, depicts a "scriptural account of the whole of salvation history." The parish school opened in 1920 and still serves the children of the neighborhood.
In addition to English, the church celebrates mass in Arabic and Cantonese, a reflection of the very diverse parish.
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of the Archdiocese of San Francisco in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. St. Anne is one of four Sunset District Catholic churches and mainly caters to the Inner Sunset area near Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
and the University of California, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco is one of the world's leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF's medical, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world...
hospital campus.
The larger, rosy-red church can easily be seen from anywhere in the Inner Sunset and a MUNI
Muni
"Muni" is a common abbreviation for "municipal" or a city-related service or organization:*The Muny, an outdoor musical theatre in St. Louis, Missouri*Municipal bond*San Francisco Municipal Railway, the public transit agency for San Francisco, California...
streetcar has a line that travels along Judah Street in front of the Church. Every year, the parishioners of St. Anne's hold a novena
Novena
In the Catholic Church, a novena is a devotion consisting of a prayer repeated on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces. The prayers may come from prayer books, or consist of the recitation of the Rosary , or of short prayers through the day...
honoring their patron saint, in which they have a procession around the neighborhood, commencing in the vestibule of the church.
The parish has an illustrious history, dating back to its founding in 1904. The parish grew up with the Sunset neighborhood, originally known as the "Outside Lands," which were made up entirely of sand dunes extending out to present-day Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach
- Places :Australia* Ocean Beach * Ocean Beach New Zealand* Ocean Beach, Hawke's Bay* Ocean Beach, OtagoUnited States* Ocean Beach, San Diego, California, also community* Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California...
. The first church, a small wood-frame structure, was built in 1905 on land donated by a Mrs. Jane Callahan. The church, which seated up to 450 people, was toppled in the 1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
. Though it was rebuilt and extended to accommodate the growing parish, it became apparent that a new church was needed. Groundbreaking and construction began in 1930 and the church was completed three years later and dedicated by Archbishop John J. Mitty.
The church is notable for its Romanesque-revival architecture, massive dome, uneven twin towers, great rose windows, and the frieze sculpture that adorns the front facade entrance. The sculpture, created by Mission San Jose Sister Justina Niemierski, depicts a "scriptural account of the whole of salvation history." The parish school opened in 1920 and still serves the children of the neighborhood.
In addition to English, the church celebrates mass in Arabic and Cantonese, a reflection of the very diverse parish.