Mission Delores
Published On: Feb 14, 2006

Mission Delores
Corner of 16th and Delores Streets
San Francisco, CA

For the religious history buffs that might be touring San Francisco, Mission Delores is a must see.

Founded in 1776, Mission Delores is the oldest building in San Francisco and is the spiritual nexuses of the Mission District.

Despite being over 100 years old, masses are still held in the mission made of adobe walls and redwood beams lashed together. While it doesn't sound very sturdy, rest assured that the building has seen its way through several disasters, including the 1906 earthquake that leveled surrounding areas, and has come away still standing.

Step outside the mission and you will see a diorama that was created for the 1939 World's Fair, which shows what the mission and district looked like in 1791.

Another part of the Mission District is the Basilica. Built in 1918, the Basilica took the place of the parish church that was leveled in the 1908 quake. The building features stained glass windows that depict the patron of the mission and the city of San Francisco, Saint Francis of Assisi. A wood carving of Mater Dolorosa is set above the main alter and is laid out in a sun burst pattern.

Accolades are nothing new to the mission as it has been visited by the Pope twice in the last 50 years. Pope Pius XII first visited in 1952 and 30 years later Pope John Paul II paid a visit to the district.

Tombstones of Spanish, Mexican, American and other settlers decorate the colonial-era cemetery that can be found to the left of the mission. In addition to graves of settlers, the cemetery is the rest spot for more than 5,000 Native Americans that were kept as slaves in the area. The cemetery does have its own claim to fame as it was used as the setting for the graveyard scenes in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo.

No matter what your religious beliefs, Mission Delores and the Mission District provide a stirring reminder to what many consider to be a deeper meaning.

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