History of St. Ignatius

St. Ignatius Parish is named after St. Ignatius of Loyola, a Spanish theologian and mystic, one of the most influential figures in the Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation of the 16th century, and founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Paris in 1534. 

Our magnificent St. Ignatius Church is the legacy of a dynamic and continuous Jesuit presence in San Francisco from the City’s earliest days. The first St. Ignatius Church was a simple, wooden structure on Market Street between 4th and 5th Streets. It was dedicated in July 1855, only six years after the first Jesuit Fathers arrived in San Francisco from Italy.

Since arising from the ashes of the San Francisco earthquake and fire amidst the outbreak of the First World War, St. Ignatius Church has stood majestically as a civic landmark and a key anchor to the mission of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in San Francisco.

The church’s iconic dome and soaring towers draw gazes from nearly every quarter of our city, speaking to our hearts and lifting our eyes. The towers of St. Ignatius also serve as in invitation to participation in worship, education, and social justice ministry at one of San Francisco’s most active and engaging Catholic parishes.