Grace Cathedral

It was a surprise and joy to hear the Very Reverend Alan Jones, erstwhile Dean of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, preach in Winchester Cathedral on Sunday. When I lived in San Francisco, 10 years ago, I used to walk down Russian Hill and up Nob Hill to attend the services at Grace Cathedral. The 11am service was always absolutely packed with a congregation of around 1000 people, so I preferred to go to the more intimate 8am service in one of the side chapels. I loved that walk in the early morning sunshine, particularly when the acacia trees were in blossom, looking down the precipitous steets to the shimmering blue water of the Bay beyond.

In earlier days, 1849 to be precise, Grace was a humble church, founded during the Gold Rush. Rebuilt a couple of times, it was destroyed by fire after the 1906 earthquake and then the building today was begun with funds from the Crocker family, of railroad and banking fame. I did a double-take when I first saw the Cathedral's doors: they are copies of the Ghiberti doors on the Baptistry in Florence. So beautiful!