Looking up into the modern “rafters” of St. Mary’s Cathedral 50 years after it was dedicated, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone marveled at the structure designed and constructed by chance in the years following the meeting of the Second Vatican Council from 1962-65.
“It’s bold, it’s imaginative and it perfectly expresses what the Church has been discerning for a long time now, since the world moved into this modern era,” the archbishop said in the video produced by the cathedral in 2021, its anniversary year. “How can the Church better communicate the timeless eternal truth of the Gospel in the world that we are living in today?”
St. Mary’s Cathedral is the first cathedral in the world built after Vatican II. It is a monument of sorts to the vision of council fathers, who called for a renewal of certain church traditions and liturgical practices in order to help the Church better maintain relevance to the increasingly secular world around it.
After the destruction of the cathedral on Van Ness Avenue in 1962, newly installed Archbishop Joseph T. McGucken began unfolding plans for a new St. Mary’s Cathedral. Three local architects were chosen. Angus McSweeney, Paul A. Ryan and John Michael Lee produced traditional designs that ranged from traditional Romanesque to California mission-style. The designs were critiqued by some as missing the mark in embodying the liturgical changes wrought by Vatican II.
Even the secular media made note of the missed opportunity for “greatness.”
“The cathedral must belong to its own people and place, but also to the world,” wrote Alan Temko, prize-winning architectural critic for the San Francisco Chronicle in 1963. “It must express the oneness of things, as well as their ineffable mystery.”
A Benedictine monk named Father Godfrey Diekmann agreed with Temko’s article and requested a meeting with Archbishop McGucken. “He advised him to go back to square one,” said Msgr. Talesfore, and create a cathedral in the spirit of Vatican II.
Archbishop McGucken seized the day. At his advisers’ recommendation, he approached the innovative Pietro Belluschi, dean of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Architecture, to lead the team. Belluschi was reluctant to accept the commission but did.
Archbishop McGucken encouraged Belluschi to design the cathedral with three major considerations: That the church would stand tall as a beacon to the modern world on the San Francisco skyline; that it should seat a large number of people, since it would function as the center of archdiocesan and civic events; and that it should wrap the congregation around the altar to help them become an integral part of the liturgy.
Some Catholics indeed expressed discomfort with the ultramodern design of the cathedral. It earned some humorous nicknames, including Our Lady of Maytag, from those who thought it resembled a washing machine agitator.
Full story at sfarchdiocese.com.
Oh my! I took a patristics class from Father Diekmann in the 90s. Absolutely wonderful teacher. I had no idea he influenced the SF Cathedral!
Someday someone will reveal the latent gayness in that sculpture that even the sculptor himself didn’t know was in it when he made it and that nobody realized was there until now. It will be revealed to be a sculpture that not only has gayness in it, but really is only and all about gayness. And it will be celebrated as being apt for display in the cathedral because it will be a sign that the gospel is about accepting and affirming and promoting gayness always, everywhere, and fully.
Now that you mentioned it. I have only been in that cathedral once and have never gone back. I took some classes for catechists there around 1972. One class was on human sexuality, and I was expecting orthodox Catholic teaching, but was shocked by what the teacher taught. It was an everyone has a right to sex philosophy, and he was from “Dignity”, an organization forbidden by the pope of that time. That and an “unusual” thing that went on outside when we were having lunch, clued me into how weird S.F. can be.
Hopefully things have changed for the better under Archbishop Cordileone.
The weird thing that happened was that it was freezing cold outside, and a man with a little boy took off all the toddler’s clothes and let him play in the fountain there. He then looked over at all the women, including some nuns, as if to see their reaction. An elderly woman walked over to him and calmly said something such as this, “It is very cold, and your little boy might get sick. Don’t you think you had better put his clothes back on.” Thankfully the man followed her advice.
Yes, we know so much more and better now than did Jesus, St. Peter, St. Paul, every doctor of the Church, and all Church councils. Thank God the revelation of gay has been given to us whereas it was withheld from everyone who lived before us. We are fortunate to be so blessed and so enlightened. I wouldn’t be surprised if gay is revealed to be a heretofore unknown divine attribute. Yes, God is eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, omnibenevolent and omnigay.
Perhaps some of the things I said should have been left unsaid. Rehashing the past is not always good. People can and do change for the better, but if my comments stopped any younger person from making similar mistakes and having to live with it, the comments were warranted. I have a great deal of respect for Archbishop Cordileone and will leave it at that.
It was called the “maytag cathedral” because the square cruciform ” helmet” at the entrance seemed very much like a washing machine agitator in that day. Astute observers noted that the new cathedral in tokyo finished in 1964 seemed to have been the inspiration of that “special effect”. The public was told that the unusual shape represented a conquistador’s helmet. Rather good chance, though, that if was in hommage to the more effective styling seen in tokyo
Well, the church does wash away the stains of sin, so it kind of fits. Just remember to add soul softener to the detergent so people aren’t self-righteous. We don’t need no stiff, starchy souls.
I think some diocese should create a parish named Our Lady of MAGA. MAGA Mary could be the patroness of the United States and make America great again! More prayers! We could have MAGA rosaries, MAGA miraculous medals, MAGA Mary statues, MAGA novenas. Storming heaven with all those prayers to Our Lady of MAGA would surely make America great again.
Is it a coincidence that Mary MAGdAlene was the first to see Jesus risen? No.
It’s all becoming clear now. Choose the better part, like Mary did. Choose MAGA.
If there’s an Our Lady of the Snows, Our Lady of the Woods, Our Lady of the Sands, Our Lady of the Lake, there can be an Our Lady of MAGA.
Check out at Google images of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Tokyo. It’s interesting.
Remember those Orbit gas stations of the 1960s? The cathedral fits in perfectly to that “architecture” style and the spirit of Vatican II.
What an terribly depressing, sculpture. Look at it closely. Different people will see different things in it. I see Satan with a human being in its mouth.
De-consecrate, burn to the ground, salt the land
Once again we see a demonstration of eternal anger and hatred. You might not like the architecture, but God has seen. fit to do miraculous things in that building. Hundreds of thousands have received Our Lord there. Thousands of Confirmations and Ordinations have taken place there.
I accidentally gave you a thumbs down. Should not have clicked on your post at all. I did not click on Behemond’s.
I accidentally gave you a thumbs up sorry
You are forgiven (laughter). Just did not want to get into the middle of “behemond’s” and “YFC’s” fight.
On the other hand, I do not think the Church has ever deconsecrated, burned to the ground and salted anything’ as a policy. They used to perform exorcisms on old pagan temples, get rid of the idols and consecrated them to the Lord and his saints. If anyone can prove differently, I am open to correction.
Well, to me, the Cathedral architecture is not very inspiring nor holy, and does not resemble a true Catholic house of worship. The modernistic, ugly side chapels (with kneelers,, but no candles), and the little place in the wall, off to the left side, where the Blessed Sacrament is kept (not at the main altar) do not inspire religious devotion. The modernistic sculpture of Our Lady of the Assumption is unrecognizable. The art and architecturd of this cathedral is a tribute of praise solely to the modernistic artists snd architects– not lovingly created by devout Catholics, for the glory of God. And there have been, in the past, several gay clergy predators, including at least two former pastors. Many do not take the “Maytag Cathedral” very seriously, as a Catholic house of worship, an important Cathedral of an Archdiocese.
The gay clergy child molesters of the past, were eventually removed from ministry. It is very dangerous, because it seems that their Archbishops all were aware of their crimes, but kept these dangerous clergy child sex predators in ministry, until their crimes were publicly exposed. I felt sorry for good, faithful Catholics and their families, who all received many Sacraments from these criminals! Marriages, Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations (usually done by the Archbishop), Confessions, Last Rites (Annointing of the Sick), and Requiem Masses and burials. Lifetimes of your family receiving holy Sacraments, all given by criminals, all those special events, with pictures– ruined… all those collections, innocent Catholic parishioners’ money given to criminals… and your precious children never safe, in the house of God….
I believe our current Archbishop, Abp. Cordileone, is an excellent, sincere, devout Catholic prelate, and we are all blessed to have him as our spiritual leader.
When’s he gonna excommunicate Pelosi?
When– I totally agree with you. I have never agreed with Vatican II-era policies of “let each Catholic layman and cleric make their own decision.” I believe the Catholic Faith is a big responsibility, that all must take on freely, and then obey and uphold, following Jesus Christ.
I am brought to tears, over what happened to poor, 90-year-old Cardinal Zen! He has been so utterly BETRAYED by the Church!! Not fair! I feel so deeply depressed for him! They say that the poor Cardinal now faces an unjust sentence of life in prison! And the evil Chinese are trying to destroy religion, and get rid of our Church! Oh, how sad, for all the poor, true-Catholic laymen and clergy, of the underground Chinese Catholic Church– not supported by the Vatican! I am also so sad, for poor, pro-democracy activist, Jimmy Lai, also a Catholic, now unjustly suffering in prison. Oh, how awful all of this is!!
What? He’s free. Just a blip
No, poor Cardinal Zen is out on bail. It is expected that he will soon have a mock trial, and a sentence of life imprisonment. A horror! My heart is filled with tears and prayers for him, and for poor Jimmy Lai and his family, and for all the persecuted, suffering Chinese Catholics. Betrayed by the Vatican! The Chinese are carrying out their evil plan to end all freedoms, and destroy the Catholic Church, and all religions, in China and Hong Kong!
“Not a Tribute” is ranting again, under a different name, of course. Please take your hatred against the Church elsewhere. Stop being hateful against the Church, the Vatican.
No, jon. You completely misunderstood. There is also no emotion of so-called “hate” in what I said. Cardinal Zen and the authentic Catholics of China and Hong Kong, have expressed their dismay and sadness, feeling that they have been betrayed by the Vatican, which has a “deal” with China, to support the Chinese Communist-led version of the Catholic Church, in China. This matter is very serious, because the Chinese Communists have made a “puppet” out of the Catholic Church, in their country. Next week, poor Cardinal Zen will be put on trial for his alleged “crimes,” in Hong Kong– and a sentence is expected, of prison for life, for poor Cardinal Zen! The Chinese Communists have made clear, that they intend to eradicate Christianity and all religions, from Communist, atheist China. These are the tragic facts.
“Not a Tribute’s” words are blatantly false. The Holy See had expressed concern over Cardinal Zen’s arrest. Why doesn’t “Not a Tribute” mention that “fact”? Cardinal Zen has not expressed the “fact” that he was betrayed personally by the Holy See nor by Pope Francis. Please stop your hateful, anti-Magisterium, anti-Vatican ranting. Stop the hate. Stop the misinformation and the “spinning” of Church news to malign the Church.
No, jon. You are not seeing things in a normal light. Of course– this tragedy has nothing to do with the article on the Cathedral. Cardinal Zen, age 90, is the former Bishop of Hong Kong. He is outspoken on human rights, political freedom, and religious liberty. Four others were arrested with him. He is due in court on May 24th, and it is expected that he will get a life prison sentence– very tragic. He is not supported by the Vatican. The Vatican has a very strange “deal” with China, to support the Communist-controlled Church there– which the Chinese say, they plan to eradicate, as well as eradicate all religions in China. Nobody understands it. Cardinal Zen is all alone– strangely without Vatican support– for reasons that nobody understands. This very fine, faithful Catholic Cardinal badly needs our prayers! Do you know about the horrific plight of the poor Muslim Uyghurs, in China?? All the world– religious and secular– is deeply upset over their plight, as well as the tragic, unjust plight of poor Cardinal Zen! He badly needs our prayers!
From “Not a Tribute” is the same, old, tired ranting narrative of the “Vatican is bad”, “Francis is cruel,” “They’re persecuting tradition-minded Catholics”, the same old tired clichés. The folks should take a page from Donald Trump when he addressed the sorry Leftists: “If you don’t like it here, leave.” Day-and-night it’s all about “the Church is falling apart” and “what a bunch of lavender mafias these clerics are.” Really? Is that all you have to type about? Think about all the Catholics who were received into the Church or baptized this past Easter in the Ordinary Form. This doom-and-gloom pathetic narrative is not helpful, and never was.
Yeah, take your hatred for the Church elsewhere “Not.” You’re not being helpful with your constant “fault-finding” of the Church/Vatican.
And “Not,” this article is about the design of the SF Cathedral, not about Cardinal Zen. Ok? Clearly you use every opportunity to thrash the Church and her teachings. You’re simply hateful of the Church.
No, no, no, jon! Good place to ask for prayers for a great prelate of the Church, in extremely dire circumstances of persecution, lacking support! Scary, scary, scary!! What if this was our own dear Archbishop? We are so lucky to live in America! The poor Catholics of the Hong Kong Diocese are probably scared to death! What will happen to Cardinal Zen– and to their current leader, Bishop Stephen Chow? And next– to all Hong Kong Catholics?? Who will help them?? Who will help the brave Hong Kong Catholic, Jimmy Lai, now in prison? Please stop your trolling! Poor Cardinal Zen, the other four arrested with him, and all the suffering Catholics of Hong Kong and China, are in desperate need of our prayers, and any help we might be able to give them!
“Not”: Me? Trolling? You’re grasping on straws trying to figure out new ways to falsely accuse. Rather than trolling, I am calling you out on your non-stop, unreasonable, anti-Vatican, anti-clerical posts. You’re the troller. I have been commenting here for years.
A troll uses a different name at every post, “Not” which is your modus operandi (that’s Latin for “mode of operation” for you non-Latinists out there).
This hateful trolling from “Not” against the Church’s hierarchy, against the Church period, must stop.
jon, “Not a Tribute” loves and fully supports the Catholic Church and her hierarchy! Your thinking is extremely radicalized and abnormal. You randomly attack anyone and everyone for no good reason.
Stop the hatred towards the Pope, towards the Vatican, towards the clergy, towards Vatican II, towards the Ordinary Form of the Mass. Please stop it. “Not a Tribute,” you’re not doing the Church any good service, nor are you giving glory to Almighty God with your incessant negativity against the Church.
May 24th is the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China, initiated in 2007 by Pope emeritus Benedict XVI. It is an octave of prayer, and lasts a week. We all should join in this time of prayer, especially for persecuted Chinese Catholics, and for the plight of poor Cardinal Zen, and the four people arrested with him.
Freedom of religion is a very precious thing! In our country today, we have Godless, atheist, immoral leftist liberal groups, who are strongly combative against our precious religious freedom, in America! There are other parts of the world, like Hong Kong, as well as many atheist Communist countries, that have tragically lost their freedom of religious worship. We should do all we can, in America, to protect and preserve our cherished religious freedom!
hey jon,
maybe our lady of maytag is on spin cycle right now
peace, hasta
This is the Church where when I attended once there was a priest who in the homily said “We must stand up for the Church’s teaching on sexuality even if we are persecuted. Even if the persecution comes from those in our own family.”