Saints Peter and Paul Church

A beautiful Catholic Church in the middle of San Francisco. Came for a wedding and enjoyed the stained glass windows, the altar and the various church members coming in to pray during the wedding.

This is a beautiful church. It is located behind Washington Park. The setting is perfect for photos. It’s surrounded by North Beach and it’s Italian restaurants.
Years ago on my first solo trip to the city an older man told me how Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe had married there. Apparently DiMaggio was from the area.
It’s a great place for a wedding. Pretty sitting and I imagine a great cake from one of the Italian bakeries…

This is where Joe DiMaggio & Marilyn Monroe did NOT get married! I know it gets confusing but here are the facts:
FACT 1: In 1954 Joe DiMaggio & Marilyn got married at San Francisco’s City Hall, not here, and only because the Roman Catholic Church did not recognize Joe’s divorce to his first wife, due to not having an annulment. Joe married his first wife here tho. Confused? Well, Joe & Marylyn did take wedding photos here, minus the tying the knot part. So now you know…
FACT 2: In 1939 Joe DiMaggio married his first wife, Dorothy Arnold at this historic church. The marriage lasted 5-​years, which was 4-​years longer than his marriage to Marilyn.
FACT 3: American pop singer Michelle Lambert, considers this church her spiritual home, and regularly attends mass if in the area. The movie Sister Act 2, starring Whoopi Goldberg, was partially filmed here, but I would disagree if you said Whoopi called it her spiritual home.
FACT 4: In 1999 Joe DiMaggio passed away, a legend not only in baseball, but also forever etched in San Francisco lore, he along with his brothers Vince & Dom learned to play baseball in Martinez, CA and literally on the streets of San Francisco. In the 1930’s Vince played for the San Francisco Seals, and Joe followed his brothers footsteps in 1932. Later becoming one of the greatest players in NY Yankees history and all of baseball. Joe will always be remembered for his class and style… & it is said that although married to Marilyn Monroe for only a year, they were truly «in love». Joe’s funeral was held at…
SAINTS PETER & PAUL CHURCH!
A Roman Catholic Church rebuilt after the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. The origins date back to 1884, however after it was destroyed in the earthquake and fires that followed, it was rebuilt with as much love as before. The first stone was set in 1913 and finally completed in 1924 for all to enjoy! I’ve been here maybe a dozen times or so, and today too, to splash ‘O holy water, and appreciate the amazing architecture & history. Many movies used the beautiful grounds as a backdrop. Truly one of the many historic gems in the great city of San Francisco!
«…The Love that was rekindled in Thy womb
sends for the warmth of the eternal peace
within whose ray this flower has come to bloom.
Here to us, thou art the noon and scope
of Love revealed; and among mortal men,
the living fountain of eternal hope.» — Dante
REST IN PEACE JOE & MARILYN!

Beautiful landmark in the area. Spectacular building and surroundings. Very nice layout.

What makes a Church special? I am sure there are many valid opinions on this. All can agree that it should be an inviting place where all are welcome. Also it should fill one with a sense of awe at the transcendence of the divine. And further it should be a vehicle that one can employ to reach the plane of serenity. A powerful feature of many Catholic Churches is to give a glimpse of heaven, hence the many statues and pictures in many Churches. Saint Peter Saint Paul gets all of this right. The lighting, decorations, all serve this end. And the community is also very welcoming. The location in North Beach also makes it accessible to many of those tourist visiting the Pier, a short refreshing walk from the Pier attractions.

The facts about Sts. Peter & Paul Church…
Joe DiMaggio & Marilyn Monroe were NOT married here! Yes, this was Joe’s church, since he grew up here in North Beach. But he & Marilyn were actually married at SF City Hall. Only, who really wants their wedding pictures taken at City Hall? That’s precisely what Joe thought, so he brought his bride here after the ceremony to have their «official» wedding pics taken. It is a stunning church. Win win.
The church peeps were actually ok w this address. I didn’t get the whole entire low down, but I was told that when they were made aware of what the numbers would be, they said fine. Was it the strong belief that those particular numbers can’t hold a candle to the powers that be? That the myth & the stigma were just that; & they’re certainly not powerful enough to threaten the sanctity of the Catholic Church? I don’t know. But that’s a comforting thought, no?
The masses…
English,
Italian,
Chinese,
Latin.
Yep, there’s a mass in each language (4 in English) every Sunday. With the exception being the Latin mass; that’s on the first Sunday of the month only.
The light. The lighting out in front of the church at night is downright ethereal. It’s fantastic photography light; it actually looks like daylight. See pic…
Father Al. He’s great. The new kid in town, he’s only been w Sts. P&P for a couple of years now. Straight from working in Africa. We love him.
The foundation for this neighborhood for a long time.
5 stars.

Beautiful church inside and out. Dont hate non-​believers. Just a beautiful, must-​see. Great photography (allowed). Free holy water in the front and back.
As for parking may God be with you in this city.

Beautiful Saints Peter and Paul Church is a Roman Catholic church located in the North Beach District. Completed in 1924 it originally served the area’s Italian-​American community and with the passage of time now also serves Chinese-​American Roman Catholics. Weekly Masses are offered in English, Italian, and Chinese as well a monthly Mass in Latin and is open to the public.
The architecture style of the church is Romanesque with a stone façade and two 191-​foot twin spires. Many interesting features are contained inside, including replicas of Michelangelo’s La Pieta and The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine. Directly across the street is Washington Square park whose large open space showcases the beauty of the church.

Mi piace la massa italiana in domenica ma doverrebano parlare con microfonino perche i padri Sono molto vecchi e non si sentano a mezza chiesa. Anche suoi aiutanti dovrebbano portare uniformi tradizionali e non jeans e tennis per respeto.
I like italian mass in Sunday’s but the priests should wear microphones bc it’s hard to hear then halfway down. Also, their helpers should wear traditional uniforms and not jeans and tennis out of respect.
Me gusta la misa italiana los Domingos pero los Padres deben cargar microfonos porque es dificil escucharlos a media parroquia. Tambien, sus ayudantes deben portar uniformes tradicionales y no pantalones de mezclilla y tennis por respetar.

Gorgeous church. What’s up with the address though? I’m confused.

Very very inspiring church with a strong community behind it and a beautiful park in front of it. The stone sculptures inside are enduring as the well preserved outer structures — a great tribute to the spirt of the people and the spirits that drive them to create such an tribute to what bigger that the individuals and forever lasting.

Simply beautiful. Quintessential North Beach. This is a must see in San Francisco.

This church really stands out in the North Beach area. The interior is absolutely beautiful and magnificent. My visit to this church earlier this afternoon was a somber one, but the message delivered by the priest was uplifting. After several prayers and incantations, people around me said «peace be with you».
My former boss’ mother passed away recently due to illness. Since I have known my former boss for over 15 years, the least I could do was attend the memorial mass at 3:30 PM and pay my respect to her and her family.

Magnificent!
What a beautiful building! Great find for the bride and groom.
Came here for a wedding which was an amazing ceremony. I can’t believe this church can hold over 550 people. It was your normal bench seating. The bathrooms were down the hall and surprisingly very small for the size of the church. Other than this small hiccup, Gorgeous.
Oh yeah, there is a parking garage at the corner. Not very far from the church at all. Whew, this is great when you are wearing heels.

Came here for a wedding last weekend. The service as the quickest catholic ceremony I had ever been to… So 5 stars for that!
The only thing that was odd was that the church is absolutely beautiful, but the restrooms looked like public bathrooms.

Saints Peter and Paul Church is a beautiful Roman Catholic Church located in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. Ironically, the church’s address is 666 Filbert Street.
Joe DiMaggio was an alter boy at Saints Peter and Paul Church. He married his first wife, Dorothy Arnold, in the church in 1939. Since Joe DiMaggio did not file for an annulment after his divorce he was unable to get married in the church a second time. After his civil ceremony with Marilyn Monroe in 1954, Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn took photographs on the steps of this church.
There is a very pretty park outside of the church, perfect for photographs!

This church is so pretty! It’s open during the day and the statues and alter are so beautiful! Perfect location in front of a park! Would love to get married here like marlyn manroe

One of the most gorgeous churches in California!
Am not saying that because my parents got married there, or that I was baptized there or that my husband and I got married there, am saying it because it is the most elegant church I have ever seen. It is so magical and it is so breath-​taking! You cant help but look up when you are there to gaze at all the artwork, stained window glasses, works of Michael Angelo (well not him exactly), this history and architecture galore. Everyone will think that you are praying and looking at God.
I was raised Catholic and I really appreciate a beautiful church being that my town’s church is a simple as it gets. I usually go here for special events like Easter or Christmas or a wedding. It is magnificent and it is like a place you must visit once in your lifetime like places in Rome ever you ever get a chance.

I’ve never written a review on a church before. I hope it’s okay.. .
I attended a wedding here and the church was gorgeous.
All the intricate detail in the church was stunning.
Such a cute place to have a wedding.
I love.

I should be ashamed of myself.
Last time I attended mass was Easter Sunday.
Of last year! =(
I’m reminded of my shortcomings as a Catholic while I stare at the beautiful façade of this church.
It was closed by the time I got here, but mass on Sundays are held in English (3 morning services), Chinese (10:15 am) and Italian (11:45am).
Also, don’t you find it ironic that this church is located on 666 Filbert St?!
Dios mio!
* Janice doing the sign of the cross *