About St. Patrick · San Francisco, California
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish in the South of Market (SoMa) district of San Francisco, California, founded on June 9, 1851 — making it one of the oldest parishes in the city and predating the establishment of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Located at 756 Mission Street across from Yerba Buena Gardens, the parish was named for Ireland's patron saint to reflect the Irish immigrant population of mid-19th century San Francisco and is designated as San Francisco Landmark #4. Originally an Irish church, the parish has reflected successive waves of immigration in its neighborhood — from Irish, to Spanish-speaking, to its current identity as one of the largest Filipino-based parishes in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, while also serving downtown businesspeople and tourists.
- Established
- 1851
- Patron
- Saint Patrick
- Rector
- Reverend Andrew Spyrow
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Francisco
Why belong here
St. Patrick offers a rare combination of historic beauty, ethnic-cultural vitality and downtown convenience. Daily Mass (including a Tagalog Mass on the first Sunday and a Charismatic Mass on the third Sunday), rich Filipino-influenced devotions such as Santo Niño and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and First Friday Exposition and Benediction make it a thriving center of devotion. Add to that active CCD/OCIA faith formation, a parish music program, and a long legacy of social outreach (rooted in the post-1906 St. Patrick's Shelter tradition), and visitors find a parish that is at once a tourist-worthy SoMa landmark and a deeply welcoming faith community for Filipinos, downtown workers, SoMa residents, and visitors from around the world.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM (in the church)
- Monday–Friday: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM and 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (in the rectory/office)
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after the 7:30 AM Mass until 12:00 PM, and again from 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM, concluding with Benediction
- First Friday: Exposition with Benediction 8:00 AM – 12:45 PM (per parish calendar)
About St. Patrick Catholic Church
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish at 756 Mission Street in the South of Market district of San Francisco, founded on June 9, 1851. It is one of the oldest parishes in the city, predating the establishment of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and is designated San Francisco Landmark #4 (since 1968). Once the church of San Francisco's Irish Catholic community, it has successively become a Spanish-speaking parish and, today, one of the largest Filipino-based parishes in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The parish welcomes downtown workers, SoMa residents, and visitors from around the world who come to worship in its historic Gothic Revival sanctuary.
- Founded June 9, 1851
- San Francisco Landmark #4
- Located across from Yerba Buena Gardens
- Largest Filipino-based parish in the Archdiocese
History
St. Patrick's was founded in 1851 to serve the Irish Catholics of early San Francisco, and over the next century it became one of the most consequential parishes on the West Coast — at its 1872 peak, it counted an estimated 30,000 parishioners. The 1906 earthquake destroyed the church; only the foundation and parts of the walls survived. In the aftermath, the parish built the Tir-Na-Og shelter for those displaced — the seed of its enduring outreach work — and then rebuilt the church in Gothic Revival style using Irish Caen stone and Connemara marble. Designated a city landmark in 1968, it survived the redevelopment of the surrounding Yerba Buena area unchanged. The 2025 installation of Father Andrew Spyrow as the parish's 12th pastor marked its 174th year of continuous parish life.
- 1851 — First Mass in a hall at 4th and Jessie Streets
- 1870 — Second (much larger) church dedicated by Archbishop Joseph Alemany, O.P.
- 1872 — Parish rolls estimated at 30,000
- 1906 — Church destroyed in the San Francisco earthquake; Tir-Na-Og shelter founded
- Post-1906 — Rebuilt in Gothic Revival style with Irish Caen stone and Connemara marble
- 1923 — Vestments commissioned from Kitty MacCormack of Dublin's Dun Emer Guild
- 1968 — Designated San Francisco Landmark #4
- July 27, 2025 — Father Andrew Spyrow installed as 12th pastor
Architecture
The rebuilt church is a textbook example of early-20th-century Irish-American Catholic Gothic Revival, designed to evoke Ireland itself. The structure is built of Irish Caen stone, with interior finishes in green Connemara marble ('Verd antique' / serpentine marble) and white-and-gold Botticino marble — a deliberate nod to the national colors of Ireland. A central nave with two lower side aisles, ribbed vaults, pointed arches, a triforium and a clerestory-like top tier give the interior its traditional Gothic verticality.
- Gothic Revival style
- Ribbed vaults, pointed arches, triforium and clerestory
- Green Connemara marble and white-and-gold Botticino marble
- Tiffany-style stained-glass windows of the patron saints of Ireland's 32 counties
- Tiffany-glass image of St. Patrick with the Irish harp above the altar
- Main altar crucifix by Irish artist Mia Cranwill
Clergy and Parish Staff
Father Andrew Spyrow serves as the 12th pastor of St. Patrick Catholic Church, installed by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone on July 27, 2025. He is assisted by two parochial vicars and a permanent deacon, supported by a parish staff that handles religious education, music, the office and the buildings.
- Rev. Andrew Spyrow — Pastor (12th pastor, installed 2025)
- Fr. Celestine Tyowua — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Ted Magpayo — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Mr. Ferdinand Mariano — Permanent Deacon / OCIA Coordinator
- Nenette Murata — Religious Education Coordinator
- Rachelle V. Morales — Religious Education Coordinator
- Charles Corpus — Music Coordinator
- Emy Pasion — Bookkeeper
- Nora Regaspi — Office Manager
- Camelle Sudario — Receptionist
- Marino Reyes — Custodian/Sexton
- Rosie Drapiza — Housekeeper
Becoming Catholic (OCIA / RCIA)
The parish runs an OCIA (formerly RCIA) program for adults seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church, coordinated by permanent deacon Ferdinand Mariano. The program follows the ancient catechumenal pattern used in the first and second centuries and prepares participants for the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.
- Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA / RCIA)
- Coordinated by Rev. Mr. Ferdinand Mariano
Religious Education and Youth Faith Formation
Faith formation for children and youth is offered through the parish's CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program, coordinated by Nenette Murata and Rachelle V. Morales, in coordination with the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation.
- CCD / Religious Education program
- Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation
Sacraments
Baptisms are celebrated on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month at 10:30 AM. Weddings are scheduled on Saturdays at 2:00 PM, with additional times available on the 1st and 3rd Saturday at 10:00 AM. Couples and families should contact the parish office to begin preparation well in advance.
- Baptism: 2nd & 4th Saturday, 10:30 AM
- Wedding: Saturdays at 2:00 PM; 1st & 3rd Saturdays at 10:00 AM
- Confession: Monday–Friday, 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM in the church
Outreach and the St. Patrick's Shelter Legacy
Since the 1906 earthquake, when the parish built the Tir-Na-Og ('Land of the Young') shelter for the displaced — later known as St. Patrick's Shelter — social outreach has been part of the parish's DNA. The work gave rise to the long-running St. Patrick's Men's Shelter, one of the city's historic Catholic outreach institutions. The parish continues to host Filipino community devotions and to serve the working poor and unhoused of the SoMa neighborhood.
- Tir-Na-Og shelter founded after the 1906 earthquake
- St. Patrick's Men's Shelter — historic outreach ministry
- Filipino community devotions and ministries
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Andrew Spyrow2025–present
Installed as the 12th pastor on July 27, 2025 by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone; also serves a second term as Vicar for Clergy for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.