Grace Cathedral

Carnivale is just days away! As you get ready to join us for an evening of fun with our global community, walk the red carpet with us and tag #GraceCarnivale to be featured in the livestream (sweatpants and black-tie – all are welcome!). In the meantime, make sure to check out and bid now on items in our Online Auction, now open through Wednesday, February 17 at noon. 

Check out a few highlights from the auction below (plus many more items here), browse, bid and win! The bidding action doesn’t stop there though – join us for the live auction during the gala on Tuesday, February 16! 

P.S. Every Carnivale participant has been automatically entered into the Wine Wall raffle. You can purchase more tickets to increase your chance of winning this delectable assortment by The Duckhorn Portfolio.

Premium Digital Access to the SF Ballet 2021 Season

Enjoy unlimited viewing during run time to truly relish the beauty and the magic of six to seven performances during the 2021 season, including three world premieres, three stunning story ballets and four mixed repertory programs. With SF Ballet’s new and easy-to-use digital platform, experience these films on your smart TV or mobile device. Watch the season trailer here. See more details.

Maui Getaway in Lahaina

Say Aloha to relaxation as you unwind for 7 days and 6 nights at the Seashell Cabana at Puamana, a private gated community conveniently located at the beginning of Lahaina. Puamana offers easy access to the entire island by bike, foot or car. A short stroll to the beach, you’ll enjoy island style living at the Seashell Cabana for a complete and exceptional vacation. See more details.

Includes $1,000 toward airfare, available on mutually agreeable dates, extended expiration date pending state and local health guidelines.

¡Salud! To A Spanish Wine Tour

A taste of Spain awaits you. Canela‘s wine expert Paul Iglesias guides your party of 4 on a wine tasting journey through 5 distinct regions of Spain including Rioja, Priorat, Serranía de Ronda, Bierzo and Catalunya (3 reds, 2 whites). Sip, swirl and savor these unique varietals with a special emphasis on limited-run producers practicing organic and biodynamic farming. See more details.

Mutually agreed upon dates between winner and Paul Iglesias, must be 21+ years to bid on this item.

Lift with Love! Lisa Congdon Care Package

Give an uplifting care package for you or a really good friend! This colorful gift includes: Lisa’s book, We Are the Change: Words of Inspiration from Civil Rights Leaders, a puzzle, a journal, a Love Wins pin and chocolate! Items are lovingly arranged in a shipping-friendly belly basket with a greeting card that tells someone special that they are not alone. See more details.

Portland-based, Grace Cathedral friend Lisa Congdon is known for her colorful, graphic drawings and her fierce optimism.

Every year, we host Carnivale, an annual gala, to raise funds that help us reimagine church with courage, joy and wonder. This year, we’re celebrating Mardi Gras a little differently!

You’ve heard about the unveiling of our art installation with Root Division, inspirational speakers and lively auctions. Have you also heard about an incredible afterparty brought to you by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence? This nonprofit is a leading-edge order of queer and trans nuns based in San Francisco. The Guardian writes “… their ministry is anything but a performance. The Sisters fundraise hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for underserved grassroots organizations; in 2020 they made grants to legal aid clinics serving LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, an alliance empowering deaf queer people, and a community safe house for Black and indigenous trans people, just to name a few.”

A Devotion to Service, Ministry and Outreach (and joy)

Since Easter Sunday, 1979, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have brought on all of the fun, while devoting themselves to community service, ministry and outreach. In alignment with this year’s theme, Grace for All, we are honored to partner with The Sisters and amplify our shared values of diversity, human rights and tolerance of all people. We celebrate the unique beauty inside each of us. The Sisters have long been a part of the culture at Grace Cathedral, bringing their talents to one of our most popular events, Sister Act Sing-along Pride Mass.

Sister Dana Van Iquity – a member of the Order of SPI for 35 years – has been privileged to participate in the annual Sister Act Mass for four consecutive years as a proud member of The Vine church at Grace Cathedral.

What are you waiting for? Invite your friends, wear your fanciest (or most comfortable) outfit and be whisked away into a time of sheer fun and self-expression.

The Sisters bring dance, imagination and movement into new dimensions so don’t miss your chance to join us for some late night revelry! All Carnivale guests have access to the late night afterparty. Tickets start at $25.

Tune into this year’s virtual gala from your home on Tuesday, February 16 and enjoy Carnivale in a Box, brought to you by McCalls, San Francisco’s preeminent caterer!

For guests who select the Enthusiast ticket package and up, McCalls will deliver a three-course dinner and cocktail kit made with love. We know how magical the experience of dining inside the cathedral is, so we made sure your at-home dining experience will be just as special. We’ve included a thoughtfully paired premium bottle of wine from Lynmar Estate Winery, a blooming floral bouquet from Charlotte & Daughters and fun design surprises to ensure an enchanting tablescape.

Imbibe on a Bourbon smash, and nibble on an elegant selection of cheese and charcuterie as you get settled into the gala livestream. Say hi to friends who are also attending! Then, work your way into an heirloom apple and chèvre salad, leading you to the entrée, a tender filet mignon. Comforting sides are included, of course!

A delicious dessert duo of deconstructed cheesecake and chocolate trifle with Italian meringue offers the perfect indulgence to end the evening. We’ll close the night bidding on coveted auction items and let The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence lead us into the Late Night Revelry after-party. 

Instructions on how to heat, serve and enjoy Carnivale in a Box will be included. We hope you’ll join us!

* If you are interested in Carnivale in a Box but live outside the Bay Area, please let us know by Tuesday, February 2 so we can arrange for a comparable meal shipped directly to you! 

Carnivale is just around the corner! Our annual gala happens on Tuesday, February 16 at 6:30 p.m. PST, and *all* are invited. We’ve transformed a spectacular in-person experience into a virtual celebration, and we are thrilled to bring Mardi Gras into the homes of everyone around the world.

Art for All with Root Division

This year’s theme, Grace for All, reflects the cathedral’s leadership in inclusivity and social justice. Our goal is always to be a space that uplifts and amplifies the talents of artists of color. We are proud to announce our collaboration with San Francisco’s Root Division to create the Grace for All art installation. Root Division is a socially-active arts organization based in San Francisco, and a collective of their artists will help us express meaningful connection and community through their inspired art. De’Ana Brownfield and Megan Leppla are the lead artists on this project.

Be a Part of the Experience

Inspired by our 2013 Artist in Residence Anne Patterson’s work Graced with Light, allCarnivale guests are invited to contribute prayers and intentions that will be printed on colorful ribbons, and strung along on the banisters leading to the Ghiberti doors.

As we gather virtually for Carnivale, the tethering of strings along the cathedral’s Great Stairs is our way of connecting the global community we’ve created together. Want to be part of this incredible installation? Let us know what’s inspiring you today. Send us a six-word phrase by Friday, February 5 to take part!

With tickets starting at $25, Carnivale is more accessible (and fun!) for all. We hope you’ll  join the party!

2020 has been a transformative year, and we’re all searching for online experiences to stimulate our minds, and lift our hearts. 

Welcome to the Fall 2020 edition of Grace Notes, our seasonal calendar of events. 

This edition of Grace Notes includes new ways to connect online. From The Forum on Zoom with Mayor London Breed, to the latest news from Projecting Grace – our outdoor art series supporting social justice – we’re building bridges at gracecathedral.org. 

Click, share, and join us >> 

Are you receiving our email newsletters? If not scroll down to Connect with Us at the bottom of the page. There are many ways to stay connected with Grace on email. 

Suffering. Resilience. Hope. Renewal.

Watch video stories of hope and resilience from U.S. Representative Barbara Lee, The Rev. Canon Gideon Byamugisha, Dean Emeritus Alan Jones, U.S. Representative John Lewis and trans educator Arianna Lint below. You can also view them on YouTube.

We thank our event partners, speakers, organizers and the production teams that have made this virtual conference a reality.

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.

As part of the Festival of Grace, Bishop James Pike invited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to visit and preach at Grace Cathedral in 1965 to mark the completion and consecration of the cathedral. On March 28, 1965, the fourth Sunday of Lent, Dr. King spoke to a crowd of 5,000, most of them African American.  

“We’re challenged to work with renewed vigor, with passionate determination, to make brotherhood a reality.” – Dr. King 

We at Grace acknowledge that this time is a time for love to abound, to be grounded in our faith and be present for ourselves and those around us. As we move through uncertainties together, please join the Grace community online. Watch Dr. King’s sermon via these links or below. Part 1 and Part 2. 

Happy New Year! In the “Year of the Body” at Grace Cathedral, you danced with us as we explored what it means to have a body, move through the world and ensure that everybody counts.

Check out this short video of how our community embodied courage, joy and wonder in 2019, and connect with us in 2020, when our theme is the “Year of Bridges.”

There are many year round and also holiday volunteer opportunities at Grace Cathedral. The cathedral connects all parts of our community to do good work throughout the city. We serve people in need regardless of their creed, nationality or sexual orientation, and we welcome volunteers on the same basis. Find the ones that speak to you, and let’s help make the holidays brighter.

The Rev. Canon Dr. Ellen Clark-King, our Executive Pastor and Canon for Social Justice, wrote an article for the San Francisco Examiner on how continued injustice at the border demands action now.

Over 2,000 Episcopal clergy and other mandated reporters across the country signed this letter. It has been sent to President Donald Trump, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Representative Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez, California District Attorney Xavier Becerra and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón.

Join us by signing if you’re a mandated reporter and share with your network. You can view and sign the letter here.

Calling all children and teens to a special Christmas chorus that will perform at Sing You a Merry Christmas, the wildly popular Christmas production at Grace Cathedral!

Open to children from age 5 to 16, the chorus will take the stage with the cast of Presto! Interactive Opera at the December performances of Sing You a Merry Christmas.

Rehearsals begin in October and take place on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 7 p.m. in The Commons (lower level of the cathedral).

Rehearsal dates are:

• October 8, 15, 22, 29
• November 5, 12, 19
• December 3
• Mandatory Dress Rehearsal: Monday, December 9 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Chorus members must commit to at least five of these rehearsals plus the dress rehearsal to be eligible to perform. They can choose to perform in some, or all of the performances, which take place:

• Saturday December 14 at 11 a.m.
• Friday, December 20 at 3 p.m.
• Saturday, December 21 at 11 a.m.
• Monday, December 23 at 3 p.m.

No audition or prior experience necessary, and there is no cost to participate (participants will need to purchase a costume for around $30 that they can keep). 

Registration for Sing You a Merry Christmas is now closed.