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.
Famous quotes containing the words san francisco, sunset, church, san and/or francisco:
“Mining today is an affair of mathematics, of finance, of the latest in engineering skill. Cautious men behind polished desks in San Francisco figure out in advance the amount of metal to a cubic yard, the number of yards washed a day, the cost of each operation. They have no need of grubstakes.”
—Merle Colby, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“The freedom of indifference, the indifference of freedom, the will dust in the dust of its object, the act a handful of sand let fall—these were some of the shapes he had sighted, sunset landfall after many days.”
—Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)
“Having grown up in shade of Church and State
Breathing the air of drawing-rooms and scent ...”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)
“It is an odd thing, but every one who disappears is said to be seen at San Francisco. It must be a delightful city, and possess all the attractions of the next world.”
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)
“Mr. Wiggam, I want you to change the policy of The Clarion. I want you to write a story I should have written myself long ago. I want you to tell the people of San Francisco that no city can exist without law and order. Write a story about that flag, write about what verifies and brings a promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There are some people in this town who don’t seem to know that. Let The Clarion tell them.”
—Ben Hecht (1893–1964)