About St. Paul · San Francisco, California
St. Paul's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish in San Francisco's Noe Valley neighborhood, founded in 1880 and serving the community at 221 Valley Street (corner of Church and Valley Streets) for over 140 years. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of San Francisco and is anchored by a striking English Gothic-style church designed by architect Frank T. Shea, completed in 1911 with a 1,400-seat capacity. Today St. Paul's remains an active, welcoming community offering daily and weekend Masses, sacramental preparation, a parish school, a preschool, and ministries for men and women, all guided by the motto "Loving Christ, Loving Others."
- Established
- 1880
- Patron
- St. Paul (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas V. Martin
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Francisco
Why belong here
St. Paul's is a deeply rooted Catholic community with 140+ years of continuous service in San Francisco's Noe Valley, offering the full rhythm of parish life — several weekend and daily Masses, Saturday confessions, monthly First Fridays Eucharistic Adoration, a parish school (K–8) and a preschool, and faith formation from K–8 Religious Education through OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). Generations of Noe Valley families have worshipped, gone to school, and served together here, and parishioners remain actively involved through the Women of St. Paul and Men of St. Paul organizations. A recent pastor transition brought Fr. Thomas V. Martin (January 2026), continuing a tradition of warm, community-centered Catholic life in one of San Francisco's most beloved neighborhood churches.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm, or by appointment
Adoration times
- First Fridays, 2:30 – 7:00 pm in the Church
Welcome & Parish Mission
St. Paul's describes itself as a welcoming Catholic community called by God to live out the message of Christ in love and service to all people. Its parish mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the local community in word, deed, and truth — summed up in the parish motto "Loving Christ, Loving Others." The parish sits at the corner of Church and Valley Streets in the heart of Noe Valley and serves families across the immediate neighborhood.
Parish History
St. Paul's traces back to 1876 and the founding letter from George Shadbourne to Archbishop Alemany. The original 750-seat church (cornerstone 1880) was replaced by the present English Gothic structure, built 1897–1911 debt-free through parishioner labor and quarrying at 30th and Castro. The parish overcame a near-closure in 1993 and an eight-year seismic-retrofit project and remains a Noe Valley anchor.
- 1876 — George Shadbourne petitions Archbishop Alemany to found a parish
- 1880 — Cornerstone of first (750-seat) church laid by Archbishop Alemany; Rev. Lawrence Breslin is first pastor
- 1897 — Construction of present Gothic church begins under Fr. Michael D. Connolly and architect Frank T. Shea
- 1906 — Earthquake interrupts construction; granite salvaged from quake ruins is incorporated
- 1911 — New 1,400-seat church dedicated by Archbishop Patrick W. Riordan; parish is debt-free
- 1916–1920 — St. Paul's Elementary, High School, and Primary School founded; BVM Sisters take over
- 1993 — Threatened with closure by Archdiocese; saved after parishioner appeals to Archbishop John Quinn
- 1993–~2001 — $8.5 million, 8-year seismic retrofit and parish-center project
- 2026 — Fr. Thomas V. Martin succeeds Fr. Mario P. Farana as pastor
Parish Staff & Directory
The parish is led by Fr. Thomas V. Martin with the assistance of Deacon Bill McLoughlin and a small rectory and music staff. The Parish Office & Rectory is located at 221 Valley Street, San Francisco, CA 94131; phone 415.648.7538; fax 415.648.4740. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
- Rev. Thomas V. Martin — Pastor (January 2026–present)
- Deacon Bill McLoughlin
- Laurie Miller — Parish Secretary ([email protected])
- Joan Strachan — Liturgical Schedule & Bulletin Editor
- Eloice Helms — Chair, Finance Committee
- Joseph Duggan — Music Director
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Paul's Religious Education Program serves parish youth (K–8) on Saturdays from 9:30 am to 11:00 am, September through May, with special parent meetings around the Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. Parents are recognized as the primary educators of their children, and the program supplements and supports what families teach at home. A separate Confirmation program for teenagers runs October through May.
- Faith Formation (K–8) — Saturdays, 9:30–11:00 am, September through May
- Confirmation Program for Teenagers — October through May
- Parent meetings for Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation
- Director of Faith Formation & Religious Education: Sr. Mary Margaret Mary, LHC
OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation for Adults
St. Paul's offers OCIA (formerly RCIA), the Church's ancient, communal process for formally initiating new members — non-baptized adults and baptized Christians from other traditions — through the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation) at the Easter Vigil. The parish notes OCIA follows the practice of the earliest Church and was restored by the Second Vatican Council as the normal way adults prepare for baptism. The parish's OCIA journey includes Pre-Catechumenate (Period of Inquiry), Rite of Initiation, Catechumenate, Rite of Election, Sacraments of Initiation, and Mystagogy.
- Welcomes unbaptized adults / older children seeking full initiation
- Welcomes baptized Christians from other traditions seeking Communion and Confirmation
- Sponsor / community team supports inquirers
- Sessions include weekly catechumenate and Sunday 'Our Spiritual Journey' gatherings
St. Paul's Elementary School & Preschool
St. Paul's Elementary School is a K–8 Catholic school at 1690 Church Street, San Francisco, fully accredited by the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Under Principal Jacqueline Curran, the school commits to academic excellence, diversity, and community, with laboratory science, health and wellness, Spanish, fine arts, and technology integrated across the curriculum. St. Paul's Littlest Angel Preparatory Preschool is led by Director Tina Baluyet.
- St. Paul's Elementary School (K–8) — 1690 Church Street, SF 94131
- Principal: Jacqueline Curran — 415.648.2055 — [email protected]
- Fully accredited by WCEA and WASC
- St. Paul's Littlest Angel Preparatory Preschool — Director: Tina Baluyet, 415.824.5437
Parish Ministries & Organizations
St. Paul's active parish life centers on long-standing women's and men's organizations, plus liturgical, musical, educational, and financial ministries. Men of St. Paul serve as ushers, cooks, and event hosts and meet monthly; Women of St. Paul work, play, and pray together, raising awareness and funds for the parish.
- Women of St. Paul
- Men of St. Paul — monthly meetings, all men of the parish welcome
- Liturgical Ministry
- Parish Music Ministry (Joseph Duggan, Music Director)
- Finance Committee (Eloice Helms, Chair)
- Religious Education team (Sr. Mary Margaret Mary, LHC)
- OCIA team
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for all the Sacraments of Initiation and continues Reconciliation, Anointing, and Marriage through the parish office.
- Baptism — preparation class Tuesdays at 7:00 pm at the Rectory
- First Eucharist & First Reconciliation — preparation within the K–8 Religious Education program
- Confirmation — teen program Oct–May; adult process via OCIA
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Saturdays 3:30–4:15 pm or by appointment
- Marriage & Anointing of the Sick — by arrangement through the parish office
Visit, Contact & Directions
The Rectory and Parish Office are at 221 Valley Street, San Francisco, CA 94131, at the corner of Church and Valley Streets. Phone 415.648.7538; fax 415.648.4740; office hours Monday–Friday 9:00 am–5:00 pm. Email [email protected]. The parish is also part of the new Noe Valley Cluster Website.
- Address — 221 Valley Street, San Francisco, CA 94131
- Phone — 415.648.7538
- Email — [email protected]
- Office hours — Monday–Friday, 9:00 am–5:00 pm
- Website — https://www.stpaulsf.org/
- Facebook — St. Paul's on Facebook
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Lawrence Breslin1880–1890
First pastor; oversaw construction of the original 750-seat church (cornerstone laid 1880).
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. Michael D. Connolly1891–1932
Architect/builder of the present church; recruited parishioners to quarry and haul stone; saw the parish built debt-free by 1911 and founded St. Paul's Elementary, High School, and Primary School.
- Rev. Cornelius E. Kennedy1932–1951
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. Robert I. Falvey1951–1968
Initiated a program of renovation and modernization of the church and schools.
- Rev. Msgr. John T. Dwyer1968–1978
- Rev. Kevin P. Gaffey1978–1983
- Rev. John J. Cloherty1983–1990
- Rev. Martin Greenlaw1990–1993
- Rev. Mario P. Farana1993–2025
Long-serving pastor who led the parish through the 1993 threatened closure, the eight-year $8.5 million seismic retrofit and restoration, and the parish centennial.
- Rev. Thomas V. Martin2026–present
Current pastor.