A House of Prayer for All People on Nob Hill
Grace Cathedral crowns Nob Hill at 1100 California Street in San Francisco, where the great steps climb from Taylor Street to a wide plaza and a pair of Gothic towers. It is the cathedra, or seat, of the bishop of the Diocese of California, and so the mother church of Episcopalians across the Bay Area. At the same time it is a working parish, a concert hall, a pilgrimage site, a preschool, and a center for social outreach, drawing visitors from around the world.
The parish goes back to the Gold Rush. The Rev. John Ver Mehr, the first Episcopal minister appointed to San Francisco, founded Grace Chapel in 1849 at Powell near Jackson, where the opening collection was taken in gold dust. Bishop William Kip became rector in 1854, a more ambitious brick Gothic church opened at California and Stockton in 1862, and the brief formal name "Grace Cathedral" was already in use when that building burned in the great earthquake and fire of 1906. The Crockers, whose Nob Hill mansions also burned, gave their city block to the diocese as a cathedral site. The present building was begun in 1927, the Chapel of Grace opened in 1930, and the largely completed cathedral was consecrated in 1964. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Duke Ellington both preached at Grace in the years that followed. The labyrinth was introduced in 1991 by Canon Lauren Artress, the cathedral close was finished in 1995, and the eighth dean, The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young, has led Grace since 2015, together with Bishop Austin K. Rios.
The cathedral's vision is summed up in the phrase a house of prayer for all people, the same words Bishop King used to describe it. Its gatherings, programs, and ministries aim to be "spiritually alive": a congregation that reimagines church with courage, joy, and wonder through prayer, action, service, and the arts.
The Rhythm of the Week: Daily Worship
Grace Cathedral is a working cathedral, and worship is the steady center of everything else. Three Sunday services anchor the week, with weekday prayer and a contemporary Wednesday gathering between them.
- Sundays at 8:30 am, Holy Eucharist with Hymns. A simple spoken celebration of the Eucharist including a sermon, organ music, and hymns. About 45 minutes.
- Sundays at 11 am, Choral Eucharist. The cathedral's principal Sunday Eucharist, with anthems and service music sung by the Cathedral Choir. Sixty to 75 minutes. Livestreamed for those who cannot be present.
- Sundays at 6 pm, Vesper Light: Evening Eucharist. Held around the indoor labyrinth, with hymns, Taize-style chants, and spoken prayers. Forty-five to 60 minutes, also offered on Zoom.
On the second Sunday of each month, Healing Prayer is offered immediately after the 11 am service in the AIDS Interfaith Memorial Chapel, where Healing Ministers pray one-on-one with anyone who wishes it. Select Sundays at 4:30 pm bring Sunday Choral Evensong to the Chapel of Grace.
Weekday prayer holds the cathedral's daily office. Morning Prayer is prayed on Zoom at 9 am each weekday, twenty minutes of psalms, canticles, readings, and prayers. Evening Prayer follows on Tuesdays at 5:30 pm in person and on Zoom; when the Choir of Girls is in residence, Choral Evening Prayer takes its place. Midday Eucharist on Wednesdays at noon offers a brief, spoken sharing of communion. The Vine SF, a contemporary worship experience with a sermon, communion, and a band, gathers on Wednesday evenings at 6 pm. Choral Evensong on Thursdays at 5:30 pm is sung by the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys and is offered in person and by livestream.
Clergy are also available for the Rite of Reconciliation, traditionally between services on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and by appointment at any time of year. Confession at Grace follows the Episcopal refrain that "all may, none must, some should," and clergy offer counsel and, when appropriate, a prayer, a text, or a path toward reconciliation with another person.
The Cathedral Choir and a Living Tradition of Music
Music is one of the cathedral's signature gifts to the city. Three choirs sustain the regular round of worship: the Cathedral Choir (a mixed ensemble of adults and older students), the Choir of Men and Boys, and the Choir of Girls. The Choir of Men and Boys, whose choristers are students at Cathedral School for Boys, sings the Thursday Choral Evensong and parts of major services. Evensong, rooted in the ancient monastic practice of praying at set times of day, has been a living Anglican tradition since the sixteenth century and remains free and open to everyone.
The organ recital series draws visitors from across the region, and the schedule of choral services includes settings of the Sparrow Mass, anthems by Benjamin Britten and others, and an annual performance of Handel's Messiah that has become a Christmas tradition. Concerts are also livestreamed on YouTube and later released as podcasts, including The Forum on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
The Labyrinths: Walking as Prayer
Grace Cathedral is home to two labyrinths, and both are open to all. The indoor labyrinth in the nave is a full-scale replica of the medieval labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral. People walk its winding path as a moving meditation, often for an hour or so, then linger to pray in the candlelit AIDS Interfaith Memorial Chapel. The outdoor labyrinth on the cathedral plaza is open around the clock and is reached by a long ramp through the gardens from the corner of the plaza; it is always free.
The labyrinth is not a maze: there is one path in, and one path out. People come with grief, with questions, with a need for stillness. Cathedral docents and members of the Companions on the Way meditation group (Sundays at 5 pm) are regular guides to this practice.
Sacred Arts, AURA, and a Working Building
The cathedral is also an arts venue. In 2012, then-Dean Jane Shaw launched an Artist in Residence program that has brought figures including Anna Deavere Smith, Alonzo King, Lee Mingwei, Patrick Makuakane, Elaine Buckholtz, and Bryant Terry into the building, and the Ghiberti Center for Culture now supports that work alongside The Forum, the organ recital series, sound baths, and seasonal installations such as AURA, an immersive light and sound experience that fills the nave each autumn.
Concerts, lectures, and film shoots also bring the cathedral to wider audiences. Grace has hosted performances by St. Vincent and the Free Key Choir of Oakland, the Phantom of the Opera in Halloween programs, and art installations such as Bill Fontana's Resonance, a sound sculpture that turned the cathedral into a living instrument. The Forum, a long-running conversation series hosted by Dean Malcolm Clemens Young, invites writers, scientists, politicians, and artists to talk about faith and ethics in the world. Recent guests have included Paulina Borsook, on the prescient critique of tech culture in her book Cyberselfish, and John Macaskill, Prior of the U.S. Priory of the Order of St. John.
Mind, Body, and Spirit: Yoga, Sound Baths, and Silent Practice
Grace has built a sizable mind-body-spirit program around the cathedral's contemplative architecture. Yoga on the Labyrinth is a weekly Saturday-morning class at 9 am, set to live music from world-renowned musicians and held in the cathedral nave; tickets are required and the doors close on time, since the practice is quiet. Chair Yoga is offered as well. Sound baths run on weekday evenings from 7 to 8:30 pm, and Companions on the Way meets in the Chapel of the Nativity on most Sundays at 5 pm for thirty minutes of sacred silence, with monthly communal Lectio Divina in the Chapel of Grace. A Healing Prayer team prays with worshippers after the 11 am Eucharist on the second Sunday each month.
These offerings are intentionally accessible: anyone who cannot afford a yoga class can write to the cathedral's yoga team at least 24 hours ahead and receive a complimentary spot, no explanation needed.
Children, Youth, and Family Ministry
Young people are full members of the cathedral. The Children, Youth, and Family Ministry, led by the Rev. Dr. Mees Tielens, Director of Formation, runs programs from preschool through high school.
At the 11 am Sunday Eucharist, families gather in the South Transept, where there is a library and activity tables stocked with drawing materials and stickers. Years of Wonder is the Sunday morning program for children age three and older, with ushers ready to show newcomers the way. Children younger than three are welcome with a grown-up. Baptized children of any age are welcome to receive communion. The Youth Group combines service, creativity, worship, and games; every other year the program partners with other youth groups in the Diocese for a Racial Justice Youth Pilgrimage through Alabama and Georgia, tracing the story of the civil rights movement from Montgomery to Atlanta.
The growing-with-grace video series for children and a children's map of the cathedral (available at the Welcome desk) round out the family welcome.
Seniors with Grace
Seniors with Grace is a community of older adults that gathers in two ways each month: in person on the third Wednesday from 10 am to 1 pm for Senior Community Day, with brunch, a program, and Eucharist in the Chapter House Dining Room, and virtually on the second Tuesday from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm for Senior Tuesday Zoom, accessible by internet, cell phone, or landline. The Rev. Canon Mary Carter Greene, Canon Pastor, and the Rev. Margaret Deeths, Deacon, lead these gatherings together with Jennifer Davis, Outreach Ministries and Seniors Program Specialist. An annual Spring Senior Retreat at Bishop's Ranch in Healdsburg adds prayer, walks on the labyrinth, arts and crafts, and pastoral care to the rhythm.
Adult Formation: Classes, Bible Study, and Conversation
Education is treated as central rather than supplementary at Grace. Formation programs are organized by the Director of Formation and offer both one-time courses and ongoing groups.
- Inquirer's Class. A seven-week introduction to the Christian faith through the lens of the Episcopal Church, taught on Monday evenings on Zoom by the Rev. Dr. Mees Tielens and other clergy. The class also prepares adults for baptism, confirmation, reception, or reaffirmation.
- Thursday Morning Bible Study. A weekly drop-in Zoom study on a book of the Bible, currently the book of Job, led by clergy and lay leaders.
- Sunday Book Group. A long-running Zoom group that reads together in five- or six-week series. Authors have included Howard Thurman, Cynthia Bourgeault, Barbara Brown Taylor, C. S. Lewis, Richard Rohr, and Ilia Delio.
- Education for Ministry (EfM). A four-year lay education program in scripture, church history, and theology, meeting Thursday evenings.
- Community Reading Circle. A monthly Zoom circle engaging curated articles from The Christian Century.
- Civil Discourse: Make Me an Instrument of Peace. A five-Sunday course created by the Office of Government Relations of The Episcopal Church to help people bridge divides in polarized settings.
Short programs round out the year, including What is Religious Life? with the Cathedral Precentor Br. Richard Helmer, a member of the Brotherhood of St. Gregory, and Our Human Calling with David Richo and Barry Brown.
Reaching Out: Bayview, the Tenderloin, and Beyond
Outreach and volunteer work are a substantial part of cathedral life, and several programs carry the cathedral into neighborhoods across the city.
Bayview Mission, a special mission of the Episcopal Diocese of California with strong support from Grace Cathedral, serves the Bayview/Hunters Point neighborhoods from a Victorian home on Jerrold Avenue. On the second Monday of each month, volunteers fill bags with food, diapers, toiletries, and supplies for families with infants and toddlers, seniors, and veterans. An annual backpack drive and Christmas party accompany the monthly work.
Dinner with Grace is a collaborative ministry of Grace Cathedral, Episcopal Community Services, and formerly unhoused residents of two Tenderloin SROs, the Mentone Hotel and the Crosby Hotel. Twice a month, teams of volunteers cook at the cathedral and serve a hot meal the next afternoon. The ministry is now recruiting lead chefs, reheat volunteers, and drivers.
Serve Breakfast with GLIDE takes a Grace Cathedral team to GLIDE's Daily Free Meals Program once a month to plate food, sanitize the workspace, and hand out boxed meals. Jail Ministry, including the Stories from Mom & Dad project, records incarcerated parents reading children's books that are then sent home to keep families connected. The Stitching Ministry meets on the first, third, and fifth Sundays to knit and crochet items for Bayview Mission, the San Francisco Homeless Prenatal Program, Laguna Honda, and the Night Ministry. Braid Mission, founded by Episcopal priests and now supported by more than a hundred volunteers, builds long-term mentoring relationships with youth in foster care. Men of Grace and Women in Community provide fellowship and service opportunities; Bayview Mission, GLIDE, and the cathedral's own programming all welcome volunteers of every background.
The Community Preschool
Just inside the cathedral close on Taylor Street, The Community Preschool at Grace Cathedral serves children ages three to five. The preschool is intentionally mixed across socioeconomic backgrounds: roughly one-third of families pay full tuition, one-third pay on a sliding scale, and one-third attend on full scholarship. Classrooms are inquiry-based and play-based, with a teacher-to-child ratio of one to five. Lunch is prepared on site daily by Acre Gourmet, and the program is committed to anti-bias and anti-racist education. Tours are scheduled throughout the year.
Life's Big Events: Weddings, Baptisms, and Funerals
Weddings at Grace Cathedral follow Episcopal Church canon law, which requires at least one member of the couple to be a baptized Christian; couples need not be Episcopalians or members of the parish. The cathedral welcomes people of all cultures, languages, sexual orientations, and gender identities, and staffs weddings from its own clergy, with clergy of other traditions assisting. Three to four sessions of preparatory instruction are required for every couple, and only sacred music is performed. Weddings Specialist Mahogany Moton coordinates bookings, which are scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays outside Holy Week, Memorial Day weekend, and the month of December.
Baptism is offered five times a year at Sunday Eucharists, with a required preparation class for parents and recommended for godparents. Adults preparing for baptism, confirmation, reception, or reaffirmation are guided through the Inquirer's Class.
Funerals and memorial services are arranged through the pastoral staff. The cathedral also maintains a columbarium in the cathedral close, where remains may be entombed or memorial plaques dedicated.
Visiting Grace Cathedral
The cathedral is open to sightseeing visitors Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, and on Sundays from 1 to 5 pm. Anyone coming to pray or light a candle is admitted without charge at any time the building is open; just check in at the Welcome desk. The self-guided tour is built around fourteen touchscreens stationed throughout the cathedral and is available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. A brochure with a children's treasure-hunt map is offered at the desk, and themed docent-led tours are available for a small additional fee.
Getting there. Grace Cathedral sits at the corner of California and Taylor Streets, with the main entrance at the top of the great steps on Taylor. Public transportation is encouraged: the #1 California bus, the #27 Bryant bus, and the California Street cable car all stop within a block or two. The Powell BART station is the closest, though the walk uphill is steep; Embarcadero BART connects more comfortably with the cable car and the 1 bus.
Parking. The underground cathedral garage on Taylor Street, between California and Sacramento, is operated by SP+ Parking and accepts debit and credit cards, with 110 spaces (including six accessible ones), a bike rack, and a maximum clearance of 8 feet 2 inches. Hourly rates and an early-bird flat rate apply; reservations can be made through the cathedral's SpotHero page. Two nearby garages, the Masonic Center Garage across California Street and the Crocker Garage half a block west, are alternatives.
Accessibility. Three accessible entrances lead into the cathedral: the double glass doors at 1051 Taylor Street, immediately north of the great steps; the cathedral garage; and the Sacramento Street breezeway. Each leads to an elevator that opens onto the main floor. Service animals and, by request, well-behaved dogs are welcome. Masks are encouraged inside the building.
Stewardship and membership. Members of the cathedral's warm congregation make an annual stewardship pledge. A separate cultural membership, GraceArts, supports the arts and well-being programming, with discounts on yoga, concerts, and lectures. The cathedral accepts gifts of stock and securities, donor-advised fund grants, IRA distributions, corporate matching gifts, and car donations, and offers bequests through its planned giving society, the Circle of Grace.
For ongoing connection, the cathedral publishes several free email newsletters: weekly highlights of cultural and community events, a monthly Mind Body & Spirit newsletter, weekly congregation updates, and weekly Children, Youth, & Family Ministry updates. All are available from the cathedral's main page.