Holy Virgin Cathedral

The Holy Virgin Cathedral also known as Joy of all who Sorrow is a cathedral in San Francisco of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. It is the largest of the six cathedrals of that church[1] which has over 400 parishes worldwide.

Contents

History

Russian settlement in California began at Fort Ross in 1812. The original San Francisco parish of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia was founded in 1927. An earlier Holy Virgin Cathedral was located on Fulton Street in San Francisco.[2] The current cathedral at 6210 Geary Boulevard in the Richmond District was founded by Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco, born Mikhail Maximovitch. The neighborhood is known for its Russian restaurants and shops, and the "most visible Russian presence is the magnificent Holy Virgin Cathedral".[3]

Groundbreaking took place in June, 1961, construction was completed in 1965,[4] and the cathedral was consecrated in January, 1977. Saint John, who died in 1966, is buried within the cathedral.[5]

Architecture

The cathedral was designed by Oleg N. Ivanitsky, and features five onion domes covered in 24 carat gold leaf.[4] The "incredible beauty" of the interior, which is "lined by icons, religious paintings, and mosaics, and lit by a voluminous chandelier" can be seen only by those who attend religious services.[5] The cathedral is not otherwise open to the public, and interior photography is not permitted.

Clergy and programs

Rector of the cathedral is His Eminence, The Most Reverend Kyrill (Dmitrieff), Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America. The archbishop is a San Francisco native and a graduate of the University of San Francisco. The Cathedral operates a K-12 school, The Saint John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy, as well as a bookstore and senior citizen housing.

References

  1. ^ Steeves, Paul D. (1988). The Modern Encyclopedia of Religions in Russia and the Soviet Union. Volume 5. Academic International Press. pp. 58. ISBN 9780875691060. http://books.google.com/books?id=uGjXAAAAMAAJ&q=%22This+cathedral+is+the+largest+of+six+cathedrals+maintained+by%22&dq=%22This+cathedral+is+the+largest+of+six+cathedrals+maintained+by%22&hl=en&ei=KOTbToy8LeebiQLDvZi3CQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA. 
  2. ^ Zaverukha, Lydia B; Bogdan, Nina and Ershova, Ludmila (2009). Russian San Francisco. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738571676. http://books.google.com/books?id=QFAOzpYP574C&pg=PA58&dq=%22Holy+Virgin+Cathedral%22+San+Francisco&hl=en&ei=7NrbTsKcA6GTiALcvKQq&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CEQQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22Holy%20Virgin%20Cathedral%22%20San%20Francisco&f=false. 
  3. ^ Nolte, Carl (June 20, 2010). "Russian emigres find history, community in S.F.". San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco). http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/20/MN011E1BHH.DTL. Retrieved December 4, 2011. 
  4. ^ a b Craig, Christopher; Penn, Elan (2006). San Francisco: A Pictorial Celebration. Sterling Publishing Company. ISBN 9781402723889. http://books.google.com/books?id=-sFfmZeGwf4C&pg=PA69&dq=%22Holy+Virgin+Cathedral%22+San+Francisco&hl=en&ei=7NrbTsKcA6GTiALcvKQq&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22Holy%20Virgin%20Cathedral%22%20San%20Francisco&f=false. 
  5. ^ a b Sinclair, Mick (2004). San Francisco: A Cultural and Literary History. Interlink Books. pp. 173. ISBN 9781566564892. http://books.google.com/books?id=tG2DO87xRxAC&pg=PA173&dq=%22Holy+Virgin+Cathedral%22+San+Francisco&hl=en&ei=g-zbTuvcD4SQiALx3KSyCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CFUQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=%22Holy%20Virgin%20Cathedral%22%20San%20Francisco&f=false. 

External links