St. Peter's Church

Unfinished History

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St. Peter's Rectory, home to one of San Francisco's most active Catholic parishes. At the turn of the 20th century, the parish priest was Father Peter Yorke, an Irish nationalist and strong supporter of the labor movement, who gained fame during the 1901 waterfront strike. During the Reagan Administration local parishes, including St. Peter's, became sanctuaries for refugees from the wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador, and St. Peter's had this mural painted during that time.

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Photos: Chris Carlsson

In the last decades of the 20th century, the St. Peter's Housing Committee played an important role in local housing fights, helping local latinos, seniors, and others to hold on to their housing, supporting rent control, and more.