traveldk.com

San Francisco’s own Notre Dame combines Italian Renaissance with a lot of American originality.

Photos and a diorama offer a stirring impression of what life was like for the Native Americans who built this Spanish mission in the 18th century.

The exterior of this 1971 building has been compared to a giant washing machine; inside is equally odd, with stained-glass strips, evoking the four elements, and a sculpture of aluminum rods (see St. Mary’s Cathedral).

This church has a credo of “the human condition first, not the Bible.” Services can draw up to 1,500 celebrants, with a gospel choir and jazz band. This is also one of the religious institutions where same-sex couples can exchange vows of matrimony.

“My music is the spiritual expression of what I am – my faith, my knowledge, my being.” So said famous jazz musician, St. John Coltrane. Services consist of a performance of Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme,” by the band Ohnedaruth and the Sisters of Compassion choir.

Since 1850, this church has been a progressive voice in the city. Welcoming all faiths and creeds, this congregation is not bound by dogma, but by shared values. Coffee and conversation follow services.

This 1894 pink-brick church is a mix of Gothic and Romanesque styles. After the 1906 earthquake, it served as a first-aid station and a place where people came to look for relatives.

Constructed in 1872, this Gothic Revival cathedral stands as one of South of Market’s landmarks. The marble and stained-glass interior is impressive.

Declared a State Historic Landmark, the Gothic Revival St. Francis of Assisi Church was established on June 17, 1849, as the first parish church in California. The interior is adorned with 11 larger-than-life murals, depicting the works of San Francisco’s patron saint.

North Beach’s landmark “Italian Church” was once dubbed the “Marzipan Church” for the frothy stucco decoration on its soaring pinnacles. Inside, there is a sculpted reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper (see Saints Peter & Paul Church).