Grace Cathedral
Article | March 24, 2020
From the Archives: Beyoncé Mass
Blog|Brendan Byrne
Even during this time of great challenge, love, peace, hope and the arts live on at Grace. We’re sharing beautiful moments from our archives to remind us of the strength and joy in our community.
On April 25, 2018, almost a thousand people from the Grace and San Francisco communities came together at the first ever Beyoncé Mass – a worship service that uses the music of Beyoncé to foster an empowering conversation about the struggles of Black women and other marginalized groups.
We sang, we danced, we celebrated each other, our differences, our struggles and our community. We heard a message of resistance, empowerment and hope from Rev. Yolanda Norton and learned what it means to be a survivor of injustice.
Two years later, Beyoncé Mass is still going strong. The service has spread its message of hope across the country and around the world, traveling to New York City and even Lisbon, Portugal. Earlier this year, The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. hosted a service and Spelman College in Georgia kicked off its celebration of Women’s Herstory Month with a Beyoncé Mass.
Right here at Grace, the legacy of Beyoncé Mass lives on. We’ve continued to reimagine church with courage joy and wonder – innovating and creating uplifting services at The Vine, including our beloved Sister Act Sing-along Pride Masses held these past two Junes. These days, you can join us online for live streamed Thursday Evensongs and Sunday morning services.
You can watch videos and see pictures from the 2018 Beyoncé Mass below.
With the cathedral closed and San Francisco focused on community health, we have a unique opportunity to experience community, faith and one another in new ways. We invite you to stay connected with Grace through our online events, blog and social media.
Listen to a portion of Rev. Norton’s sermon
See photos from Beyoncé Mass