GC History

GRACE CATHEDRAL HISTORICAL BACKGROUND From its humble roots as a little clapboard and shingle church to its soaring edifice today on Nob Hill, Grace Cathedral has become internationally known as a house of prayer for all people.

The cathedral is descended from Grace Chapel, which was built during the gold rush of 1849 in what is today Chinatown. A later structure, called Grace Church, located on the site of San Francisco’s Ritz Carlton hotel, was destroyed in the fire following the 1906 earthquake. The railroad baron-banker-philanthropist Crocker family gave their ruined Nob Hill property for a diocesan cathedral, which took its name and founding congregation from the nearby parish.

While the cornerstone for the new cathedral was laid in 1910, no work was done until construction began in 1928, starting with the Chapel of Grace. The current cathedral was build over time with completion at consecration taking place in November 1964.

Grace Cathedral is largely late 12th century and 13th century French Gothic in inspiration, with a major source of inspiration coming from Notre Dame in Paris.

However, the wide nave, shallow pointed arches, and tall aisles without a triforium are Spanish (Catalan) Gothic features. The use of traditional architecture style for the cathedral reflects the sense of tradition in the Episcopal Church during the first half of the 20th century.

Grace Cathedral faces east to take advantage of the permanent open space of Huntington Park and to face downtown.

Grace Cathedral is one of the largest church buildings in the West, and American’s third largest Episcopal cathedral following the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, and Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul (“National Cathedral”), Washington, D.C. “A House of Prayer for All People” Enshrined in Grace Cathedral’s constitution are the words, “A House of Prayer for All People.” This welcoming statement holds as true today as it did in 1910 when they were first written. Each year, the cathedral hosts thousands of visitors

from around the world and from countless religious traditions. Each Sunday, many worshippers at the average Sunday service are visitors.

In addition to serving as the heart of the Bay Area’s Episcopal community, many special services are held at Grace Cathedral each year. The 50th and 60th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the UN, in 1995 and 2005 respectively, were held at the cathedral. Memorial services have been held for newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, U.S. Senator Alan Cranston and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Herb Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Grace Cathedral has welcomed over the years many distinguished guests to deliver the sermon at Holy Eucharist, including the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., host of radio’s “Prairie Home Companion” Garrison Keillor, the Rev. Billy Graham, Dr. Margaret Meade, theologian Paul Tillich, the Most Rev. Desmond Tutu and Dr. Jane Goodall. In 1962, two successive Archbishops of Canterbury were preachers within one month’s time.

Grace Cathedral’s Role as a Community Leader Over the Years People are drawn to Grace Cathedral for many reasons: its beautiful liturgy, rich in Anglican tradition; the exquisite musical offerings, featuring the Choir of Men and Boys and a 1934 Aeolian-Skinner organ (one of only three in the U.S. and the only one West of Chicago); the French Gothic architecture; and the Ghiberti doors ("The Gates of Paradise"), two labyrinths, varied stained glass, and medieval and contemporary furnishings that fill its environment.

In addition to its exceptional physical space, Grace Cathedral has played a significant role in city, state, national and global affairs since its inception.

In Sept. 1956, the Cathedral School for Boys (CSB) opened its doors to eight young men, who eventually became the first graduating class, in 1960. With more than 1,300 alumni, CSB is a department of the cathedral, although managed independently, maintains integral ties at many levels with Grace Cathedral, most notable at the board level and with CSB students participating in the Choir of Men and Boys.

Grace Cathedral has been at the forefront of AIDS awareness and response since 1981. To honor the victims of the epidemic, the cathedral opened its AIDS Interfaith Chapel in 2000, featuring an altarpiece, the last work by worldrenowned New York artist Keith Haring (1958-1990). The chapel also houses the

Book of Remembrance, a hand-bound volume in which are inscribed the names of people who have died of AIDS. In cooperation with the NAMES Project, a block of the AIDS quilt is displayed and is rotated on a regular basis.

In the 1980s, homelessness emerged as another challenge for San Francisco. In 1983, Mayor Dianne Feinstein contacted the Rt. Rev. William Swing, asking if Grace Cathedral could house some people to alleviate the city’s “temporary” homelessness problem. Bishop Swing and Grace Cathedral responded immediately, and the homeless were housed in the crypt of the Cathedral. Out of that work came the creation of Episcopal Community Services (ECS) to provide shelter, housing and social services to homeless and formerly homeless people. Today it runs seven supportive housing centers in San Francisco’s Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods. On any given night, 60% of the homeless in San Francisco are housed by the Episcopal Church and ECS has provided housing to more than 1,150 homeless and over 11,000 have found work, helping them transition independent living.

The labyrinth movement started at Grace Cathedral by the Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, who today is the director of Veriditas: The Worldwide Labyrinth Project.

Labyrinths, once a medieval French meditation tool, are now at the center of an international spiritual movement, which is led by the Rev. Dr. Artress. The cathedral features an indoor and outdoor labyrinth. At almost any hour of the day, one will see individuals meditatively walking one of the labyrinths.

2010: Grace Cathedral Welcome its New Dean & Looks Ahead to its Next Centennial On November 6, 2010, Grace Cathedral welcomes the Very Rev. Dr. Jane Shaw as its eighth dean. Dr. Shaw joins Grace Cathedral from the University of Oxford in England where she has served as the Dean of Divinity and a Fellow of New College, Oxford. In addition, she has taught history and theology at the university for 16 years; she has been at New College for nine years.

She is known internationally for her exceptional talents in the communication of Christianity in the public sphere. In Great Britain, Dr. Shaw has been successful in bridging differences in governance and policies pertaining to inclusion, and has served as Theological Consultant to the Church of England House of Bishops. She is Canon Theologian at Salisbury Cathedral and an honorary canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.

Under Dr. Shaw’s leadership, Grace Cathedral will grow in its richness of worship and as a leading institution that offers San Franciscans and visitors alike a place to celebrate in times of joy and to seek solace in times of pain. The cathedral will continue offering inspiring, world-class artistic performances and exhibits, and displays stunning architecture, murals, tapestries, stained glass and other treasures. The trustees, congregation, clergy and lay staff of Grace Cathedral are committed to ensuring that the ministries of the cathedral will uplift and transform the people of San Francisco and beyond.