Most Holy Redeemer Church, San Francisco

Most Holy Redeemer Church in San Francisco, California, is a Roman Catholic parish situated in the Castro district, located at 100 Diamond Street (at 18th Street). The parish was established by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1900 and describes itself as "an inclusive Catholic community -- embracing all people of good faith -- Catholics as well as those people interested in learning about the Catholic experience -- regardless of their background, gender, race, social status or sexual orientation."^[1]

Archbishop John R. Quinn (1977-1995) regularly visited this parish, especially during the annual 40 Hours Vigil held throughout the 1980s in support of those who were HIV-positive and their caregivers. When William Joseph Levada, now the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was Archbishop of San Francisco (1995-2005), he allowed this parish to continue operation although the congregation is mostly gay and lesbian.

In The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk, Randy Shilts mentions the church several times. One of Harvey Milk's first and most active campaign workers was 11-year-old Medora Payne, who appeared in his camera store in her MHR schoolgirl uniform, signed up, and was soon supervising others: "More than one Teamster volunteer shook his head with amazement as he walked in the headquarters to find an eleven-year-old bossing around a new campaign worker three times her age and clad in full leathers." She worked on Milk's campaigns for several years, from 1971 to 1978. After Milk's death, Payne left Lowell High School and finished high school in England.

MHR Parish has been involved in controversy. Most recently, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence hosted a Bingo Night.^[2]

The church was later vandalized by anti-Proposition 8 protestors, although many churchgoers were opposed to the ballot initiative. ^[3]

References

Specific references

1. ^ http://www.mhr.org/intro.html
2. ^ http://americansfortruth.com/homosexual-hate/catholic-drag-nun-bingo-parish-most-holy-redeemer-participates-in-san-francisco-pride-parade-2007.html
3. ^ ABClocal

Other sources

• Most Holy Redeemer Church, San Francisco

Further reading

• Donal Godfrey, Gays and Grays. The Story of the Inclusion of the Gay Community at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Parish in San Francisco. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2007.