history_art_achitecture

         The original St. Boniface Church, built at Sutter St. and Trinity place was dedicated on April 15, 1860. It was the center of the German Catholic community in San Francisco, a thriving, hard working, segment of The City's early population. On July 29, 1900 the cornerstone was laid for a new church at the current site on Golden Gate Avenue not far from Market Street. After only a few years, the beautiful, new church was severely damaged by the great earthquake of 1906 and left a burned-out shell by the devastating fire that followed. Undaunted, parishioners , civic leaders, and the ever-faithful Franciscan Friars rose to the task of rebuilding the church, friary, and school. Like the mythical Phoenix, a spectacular new structure rose literally from the ashes and, by 1908, the ornate Gothic/Romanesque Revival church welcomed the familiar faces of long-time parishioners and the new faces accompanying the changing cultural milieu of the Tenderloin.
         In 2002, in an effort to save the beloved St. Boniface from City-mandated demolition because of seismic inadequacies, a quiet miracle was happening on Golden Gate Avenue. The persistent prayers, works, fasting and commitment of the Franciscan Community, particularly of Friar Louie Vitale, OFM, and of St. Boniface parishioners were rewarded with abundant graces. In one of the most financially-challenged parishes in Northern California, over 12 million dollars was raised and a complete seismic repair and retrofit project was planned and completed within five years.
         During the retrofit construction project, workers excavating beneath the heavy stone walls found the ashes and crumbled mosaics of the 1906 cataclysm. It was said to be several feet deep. St. Boniface Parish in San Francsico is quite literally built upon the ashes of the past.

The dove above with outstretched wings symbolizes the Holy Spirit guiding the Church.
The cross and the crossed arms of Christ and St. Francis symbolize the Franciscan Order.
The other symbols represent the life of St. Boniface. The crozier signifies his office; the sword, his martyrdom. In the shield, shaped like the back of a chasuble, the lamp represents the Faith he brought to many; the book and the Greek letters, the written word of God; the fountain, the multitude of baptisms he performed; the oak tree, the pagan druidic worship he overcame.
When colors are used: red is for martyrdom; green for new life; blue for Our Lady.