Star of the Sea Church

San Francisco =SF= Everett Young

Location

4420 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118

Appearance

Aspect

"Like the inside of a jewelry box, this enchanting and feminine architecture never fails to delight and soothe a weary soul. So much beauty is great medicine for the mind, heart and soul. There is perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for Catholics and any person of goodwill that just needs some peace and quiet with the Good Lord. The parish is dynamic and has many varied activities, faith building and outreach. Something for everyone. Parking in back a bit tight but such a blessed relief to have it in The City! The priests are very serious about their ministry and role as shepherds and are true to Catholic teachings. A great place to learn the Catholic Faith or do a reboot for returning Catholics. Great pipe organ too. They exhibit a great deal of warmth and class. A very welcoming place." -- A Local Guide

History

The Star of the Sea has occupied the corner of 8th Street and Geary Street in San Francisco since 1894 when Archbishop Joseph Alemany established the first church on the site. A boys and girls school opened on the site in 1897 and twenty years later, The Young Men's Institute was founded at the Star of the Sea church.

By 1906, more than 300 families, mostly Irish, belonged to the Parish, but tragically, the original buildings were destroyed in the April 1906 earthquake and fire.

The parish hall was reconstructed soon after the earthquake and acted as a temporary school and church, but it wasn't until 1913 when the church was rebuilt. Though the church returned to the site, the surrounding community was never the same. Most of the Irish-Catholic families never returned to the area and the neighborhood became largely comprised of immigrants from Asian countries and Russia. In the 1980's, St. Joseph's was the largest mixed oriental Parish in the United States.

In 1991 the old parish priest died and Father Morley Read from Sacramento was transferred to the Star of the Sea. In the beginning everything seemed fine, but as time when along, unpleasant rumors began to circulate, yet few acknowledged these tales for more than rumor. But in 2005 an altar boy named Sanya Popov hung himself from the organ gallery and the suicide letter was a tell-all of the good father's perversions and abuse of altar boys over the years. Although the police investigated, they could find no corroborating witnesses from among ex-altar boys from the Star of the Sea church.

Despite Father Read's protestations of innocence and the Vatican's internal investigation clearing him of any wrongdoing, the membership of the church and its school steadily declined. By 2010 the church could no longer remain open with a none-existent congregation and a pall of unspoken corruption staining its reputation. Father Morley Read disappeared about the same time and most assumed he had been reassigned, although no one bothered to ask very many unwanted questions.

The building remained closed up for over a year, but not completely abandoned as the church continued to pay the city's property tax and the homeless quietly made the disused church a haven where they could escape the harsh realities of life on the mean streets of San Francisco. When the police informed the Catholic church they sent another fallen angel Father Andrew Rigby to act as caretaker for the Star of the Sea. Father Andrew was a far better man than Father Read, but the temptations of the flesh had led to an embarrassing scandal concerning the wife of a prominent member of his previous congregation and he was given another chance to redeem himself with the homeless of San Francisco. For his part, Father Andrew has struggled both with his vows and the corruption that seems to fester in the slowly decaying church and it his continued slide into the simple depravities has made him a part-time drug dealer and a reprobate.

The last nine years has left both Father Andrew and his congregation in limbo, a kind of gray moral purgatory from which neither the lambs, nor the shepherd have found deliverance. Some believe the church is haunted by the ghost of Sanya Popov or some other unknown wraith, but something else slowly crept into the church, making its home there in the darkness below and slowly weakening those desperate enough to seek shelter within the four walls of the Star of the Sea church.

Personalities

• -- Pastor Father Andrew Rigby
  

  • -- John Irvine (Gravedigger and Handyman)

    -- Jacob Maguire (Gravedigger and Handyman)

Layout

Ground Floor -- Interior

The church building was designed by San Francisco architect John J. Foley in the Romanesuqe Revival style, unusual for the time as the peak of this style occured during the third quarter of the 19th century.

The building is cruciform in shape, with an exterior constructed of brick and covered in stucco, emulating large stones. The main entrance is through doors set inside three large Roman arches just below a large rose window. The front facade of the church also boats two magnificent towers with gold cupolas. Other adornments include, stained glass windows, corbel tables and denticulated cornices.





The church interior demonstrates a classical basilca treatment. The three wooden entrance doors lead into a marble narthex, then into the nave. The floor slopes slightly and once contained a central aisle, flanked by oak pews. The side isles were located beneath the clerestory. The organ and choir loft sits above the entrance and the organ, dated to 1914, still remains.

Second Floor -- Choir Loft

Third Floor

A Place of Reflection

Underground

Personalities

• -- Pastor Father Andrew Rigby
  

  • -- John Irvine (Gravedigger and Handyman)

    -- Jacob Maguire (Gravedigger and Handyman)

Sources

http://wikimapia.org/7364160/Saint-Joseph-s-Church

https://noehill.com/architects/style_romanesque.aspx {research}

https://noehill.com/sf/landmarks/nat1982002250.asp {research}

https://starparish.com/ {Star of the Sea website}

https://richmondsfblog.com/2019/04/01/star-of-the-sea-school-may-close-after-continued-dissatisfaction-with-parish-pastor-and-classic-catholic-curriculum/ {its growing difficulties}

http://amyheiden.com/historical-essays/st-josephs-church-and-complex {Star of the Sea as it is now}

https://www.idesignarch.com/romanesque-revival-style-former-church-converted-into-luxury-contemporary-townhouse/ {Star of the Sea as it will be}

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