On Monday, May 24 at 11 a.m. Pacific, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone conducted a tour of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption for more than 35 students from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, marking the 50th anniversary of the Cathedral. The tour was arranged by the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship.
Nikolaus Hohmann, chairman of Humanities at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, offered expert insights into the art and architecture of this great Cathedral. The event was videotaped for archival purposes and video clips and photos will be available to the media.
“Shortly after the new Cathedral was built, Dorothy Day reminded us all that there is a hunger for beauty as well as for bread, and that the beauty of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption is as accessible to the homeless in the Tenderloin as it is to the mayor of San Francisco,” said Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone. “This great Cathedral in the heart of this great city is a treasure for all and a witness to God’s grace. I’m very happy to be sharing it with students from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, another San Francisco treasure.”
“St. Mary’s Cathedrial is one of the most iconic landmarks of San Francisco, still striking in its modernity after 50 years. Its soaring interior is considered one of the most extraordinary interior spaces in all of modern architecture and one of the great engineering accomplishments of its time,” said Hohmann. “This is an opportunity for Conservatory students to experience and appreciate one of the great artistic, cultural and religious monuments of San Francisco.”
Hohmann’s essay “The First Cathedral in the World Built Since Vatican II” was just published in CatholicArtsToday.com.
In 2017, Architectural Digest named the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption one of the 10 most beautiful churches in the United States.
From benedictinstitute.org.
For more on the cathedral’s 50th anniversary, see CalCatholic story Saint Mary’s cathedral to mark 50th anniversary
Beauty truly in the eye of the beholder.
Crime in San Francisco is way up.
Another cloudy day in the city by the bay. “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” (Mark Twain)
I have always hoped that someday the Archdiocese would decide to build a new, truly beautiful, truly Catholic cathedral, similar to Old St. Mary’s, the very first one.
If it has the eucharist in it, it’s Catholic.
Not necessarily. A Catholic church is one that has been erected by the diocesan Bishop or Archdiocesan Archbishop.
And the local cathedral design chosen and forced on the local Bishop/Archbishop, by an untalented, not-very-religious group of Catholic laymen, who choose modernistic, non-religious, ugly church designs, rejecting traditional religious art, architecture, beauty, inspiration, and holiness. Ugly, unimportant, uninspiring, un-religious, ghastly modern landmark, not cherished nor loved by anyone, someday to be deemed too expensive to run, unwanted, forgotten as a place of worship, and sold off to some real estate company to tear down and build other, better, more needed things. “Ugly as sin.” Crummy for Weddings, First Communions, Confirmations, priestly ordinations, and funerals of loved ones. Scroll through your special photo album of memories– precious moments ruined by ugly Modernistic styles — allowed by the modern Vatican!! What a shame! Everyone says the SF Cathedral looks just like a giant, ugly, modernistic “Washing Machine.” How awful, for a cathedral!
So it has the Blessed Sacrament in it– off to a plain, uninspiring place in a wall to the left of the altar—people often ask, “where is it? I cannot find it! Where do we genuflect?” So awful! And most people remark, “oh, this cathedral does not look like one! It does not look like a church or cathedral at all! It looks just like a giant washing nachine!”
As expected, Abp. Cordileone
says he is “deeply grieved” at the attempted delays of consideration of a Eucharistic teaching document, by certain liberal USCCB bishops– especially, Cdl. Cupich. So sorry for this!
60+ worthless “Judas” USCCB bishops, so far. Shame on them all. And shame on the Vatican and their post-Conciliar policies.
I have always said make St. Peter and Paul’s church in San Francisco the new cathedral, neo Gothic perfect for The Traditional Latin Mass.
Lovely but minimal parking
Vatican II did away with the TLM. That’s why this new cathedral was built with the floor plan it has. Accept Vatican II. Don’t live in the past, don’t worship in museum churches, and don’t celebrate a museum Mass trying to role-play what you think Catholicism was back in the day. It’s anti-historical.
Vatican 2 did not do away with the TLM.
It looks like a prison.
Rather put this way:
“St. Mary’s Cathedrial is one of the most horrific landmarks of San Francisco, still shocking in its modernist assault upon the Catholic Faith after 50 years.
70’s Masonic butt-ugly best describes it.
After the old SF Cathedral burned down, traditional, lovely Catholic architectural designs in Romanesque and California Mission styles were submitted for the new Cathedral, to Abp. McGucken, by three well-known local architects– Angus McSweeney, Paul A. Ryan, and John Michael Lee. But Abp. McGucken went away to the Second Vatican Council, and many critics called for a “bold, new, modern-style Cathedral,” reflecting the city of San Francisco, and the upcoming new dictates of Vatican II. So, two internationally-famous Italians were added to McGucken’s design team– Pietro Belluschi, who was Dean of Mass. M.I T.’s School of Architecture, placed in charge of design, and the other, Pier-Luigi Nervi, an engineering genius from Rome, placed in charge of structural concerns. So, they ended up with an internationally-famous, critically-acclaimed new modern Cathedral. The design is called: “Structural Expressionist Modern.” Today, Catholic laymen are often asked to participate in the plans for building a new Cathedral, to represent their interests– as per Vatican II, calling for more lay participation.
Thanks for the history. I looked up the Cathedral that burned in 1962. People online remember it burning. Interesting.
It reaches up to the sky just like a cathedral should. The worship space dignifies the assembly, as it should after Vatican II in the reformed liturgy. People who don’t like this cathedral just don’t like Vatican II. Fess up.
I am very sad for Bishop Michael Barber of Oakland! On Sat. May 22nd, at about 3pm, Bp. Barber was out for a walk around his Cathedral area, praying the Rosary, when he was approached by a young man who stuck a gun in his face, and demanded his wallet and holy episcopal ring. The bishop handed these items to the
evil robber, who then quickly left on a bike. I pray Bp. Barber’s episcopal ring will be recovered, along with his wallet and money. Hope the Oakland police catch and punish that horrible robber. My heart is so hurt for poor Bp. Barber. Glad he has his life. Hope this never happens again, bless him. May his Guardian Angels, along with Christ and Our Blessed Mother, always watch over him, and protect him.
I’m shocked no one brought up the fact that the cathedral is aptly named St. Mary’s Maytag since it looks like the agitator of a washing machine! Loving said with a bit of tongue in cheek.
To wash away the dirty sinfulness of the city.
I have been to the Cathedral. Nice property, great view on a clear day. The building itself is ugly and uninspiring. As I recall, it was among the first of the U.S. cathedrals to be built in the Vatican II era. I believe Cordileone is a good man, well meaning, but I cannot understand how he could show off this monstrosity with pride.
Because the archbishop accepts Vatican II and what that meant for future church design.
Anonymous at 9:44 PM, Museum masses?? The second Vatican Council never did away with the Latin mass, however I sure prefer the 1950s compared to today’s disaster in the world and the Church. So what you’re saying is the mass that was celebrated for 1500 years was a fraud? Please tell that to all the saints over the centuries.
Vatican II never said do away with the Latin mass, high altars, statues, communion rails, confessional’s, beautiful vestments, kneeling, communion on the tongue while kneeling, the organ, Gregorian chant, polyphony. The second Vatican Council was hijacked by liberals and modernists and freemasons and we let it happen.