Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, San Francisco

The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, also known locally as Saint Mary's Cathedral, stands as the principal church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco. Serving as the mother church for the Catholic faithful in Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties, it holds the esteemed position of the metropolitan cathedral for the Ecclesiastical province of San Francisco.

Located in San Francisco's Cathedral Hill neighborhood, this magnificent cathedral replaced its predecessor (1891–1962) of the same name. The original Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception, built in 1853–1854, remains standing today and is now recognized as Old Saint Mary's Cathedral.

The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, built in 1971, was a collaborative effort between local architects John Michael Lee, Paul A. Ryan, and Angus McSweeney, along with renowned architects Pier Luigi Nervi and Pietro Belluschi. It is an ultra-modern Catholic church, a 20th century spiritual, artistic and architectural masterpiece. The church combines the rich traditions of the Catholic faith with modern technology.

Rising to an impressive 190 feet (58 meters) high, with a base measuring 255 feet (78 meters) square, the cathedral is capped by a striking 55 feet (17 meters) golden cross. Its distinctive saddle roof is an intriguing composition of eight segments of hyperbolic paraboloids, creating a square at the bottom horizontal cross-section and a cross at the top.

The cathedral received recognition and acclaim over the years. In 2007, the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects listed it among San Francisco's top 25 buildings. Then, in 2017, Architecture Digest honored it as one of the ten most beautiful churches in the United States.