HOLY CROSS CEMETERY
1500 Mission Road
Colma, CA 94014
(650) 756-2060
Established: 1887
Acres: 300
Official Website
Bella Morte Rating: 3 Tombstones
Holy Cross possesses the distinction of being the oldest…and largest…cemetery in Colma, San Francisco’s “City of the Dead.” Unlike many cemeteries of its size which were founded with a few dozen acres and expanded over the years, from its founding in 1887, Holy Cross had 300 acres into which to grow. This was due to the foresight of Archbishop Patrick Riordan who purchased the land when Mount Calvary Cemetery in San Francisco was reaching capacity. Later, when development of the city forced the relocation of bodies from San Francisco’s “Big Four” cemeteries (among which Mount Calvary was numbered) 40,000 of Mount Calvary’s bodies were transferred to Holy Cross.
This rare historical photograph shows the creation of gravesites in the cemetery’s early days.
The cemetery contains two mausoleums: Holy Cross, built in 1921, and the newer All Saints Mausoleum. The older building features a golden image of the risen Christ over the doors and the inscription:
Looking for the blessed hope and
the coming of the glory of the great
God and our Savior Jesus Christ
Titus II. XIII.
Inside, the sprawling complex contains seemingly endless hallways, thousands of marble crypts, and an assortment of religious statuary. One could easily pass a considerable length of time exploring this massive building.
At the centre of the mausoleum is the chapel in whose wall crypts are interred the remains of San Francisco Archbishops. These include the aforementioned Patrick Riordan who purchased the 300 acres of former potato field which became Holy Cross Cemetery. The chapel features a large marble altar and the intricately-carved Archbishop’s Chair.
The cemetery grounds are lovely and, given their size, thorough exploration of the headstones, monuments and memorials demands at least one day. A walking tour brochure, obtainable at the office, will lead you to the graves of baseball legend Joe DiMaggio (located near the “Priests’ Circle), assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, Manson murder victim and coffee heiress Abigail Folger, San Francisco Chronicle Founder M.H. de Young and many others.
While traversing the grounds, make certain to locate the memorial of modernist sculptor Beniamino Benevento Bufano. The figure of Saint Francis of Assisi, which the artist sculpted for his own grave, stands like a totem over the gravesite, the lower half of his robe covered with a colourful mosaic of birds nesting in the branches of a tree. A plaque beneath contains the Prayer of Saint Francis and the inscription:
Saint Francis – Prince of Peace
To The Human Congregation Of The United Nations
- A Message To Live By -
Another point of interest is the ornate bronze statue of the Virgin of Antipolo, also known as Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.
Holy Cross, as with the other cemeteries of Colma, is not to be missed.
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1500 Mission Road
Colma, CA 94014
(650) 756-2060
Established: 1887
Acres: 300
Official Website
Bella Morte Rating: 3 Tombstones
Holy Cross possesses the distinction of being the oldest…and largest…cemetery in Colma, San Francisco’s “City of the Dead.” Unlike many cemeteries of its size which were founded with a few dozen acres and expanded over the years, from its founding in 1887, Holy Cross had 300 acres into which to grow. This was due to the foresight of Archbishop Patrick Riordan who purchased the land when Mount Calvary Cemetery in San Francisco was reaching capacity. Later, when development of the city forced the relocation of bodies from San Francisco’s “Big Four” cemeteries (among which Mount Calvary was numbered) 40,000 of Mount Calvary’s bodies were transferred to Holy Cross.
This rare historical photograph shows the creation of gravesites in the cemetery’s early days.
The cemetery contains two mausoleums: Holy Cross, built in 1921, and the newer All Saints Mausoleum. The older building features a golden image of the risen Christ over the doors and the inscription:
Looking for the blessed hope and
the coming of the glory of the great
God and our Savior Jesus Christ
Titus II. XIII.
Inside, the sprawling complex contains seemingly endless hallways, thousands of marble crypts, and an assortment of religious statuary. One could easily pass a considerable length of time exploring this massive building.
At the centre of the mausoleum is the chapel in whose wall crypts are interred the remains of San Francisco Archbishops. These include the aforementioned Patrick Riordan who purchased the 300 acres of former potato field which became Holy Cross Cemetery. The chapel features a large marble altar and the intricately-carved Archbishop’s Chair.
The cemetery grounds are lovely and, given their size, thorough exploration of the headstones, monuments and memorials demands at least one day. A walking tour brochure, obtainable at the office, will lead you to the graves of baseball legend Joe DiMaggio (located near the “Priests’ Circle), assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, Manson murder victim and coffee heiress Abigail Folger, San Francisco Chronicle Founder M.H. de Young and many others.
While traversing the grounds, make certain to locate the memorial of modernist sculptor Beniamino Benevento Bufano. The figure of Saint Francis of Assisi, which the artist sculpted for his own grave, stands like a totem over the gravesite, the lower half of his robe covered with a colourful mosaic of birds nesting in the branches of a tree. A plaque beneath contains the Prayer of Saint Francis and the inscription:
Saint Francis – Prince of Peace
To The Human Congregation Of The United Nations
- A Message To Live By -
Another point of interest is the ornate bronze statue of the Virgin of Antipolo, also known as Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.
Holy Cross, as with the other cemeteries of Colma, is not to be missed.
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