Having a great Friday so far? Enjoying this amazing weather? Maybe the World Cup, Bi-Rite, or the rescue of that 16-year-old sailor have you feeling optimistic about life in general?
Yeah... then maybe you shouldn't read this.
The SF Examiner reports today that the contents of the beautiful, historic Sacred Heart Church on Fillmore and Fell have been removed, crated up, and sold, possibly in violation of City rules. Here's the backstory. It seems the Archdiocese shuttered the Church in 2004 and sold it to a local Catholic school, the Megan Furth Catholic Academy. The Furth Academy effectively left the Church empty and dormant until this weekend, when the alleged "ransacking" occurred. A board member acknowledges the Academy's plans to sell the Church's contents to raise money for the school, but insists that the items -- "altar, statues, pews, the organ, two windows," and more -- will only be sold to other Catholic institutions, and only for religious purposes. So what's the problem? Aside from the fact that the City apparently requires a permit to remove fixed objects from a structure, the Church has protected landmark status -- which makes removing things like the windows from the facade a particular no-no. The Examiner reports that Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi is particularly troubled by these developments, so rest assured that we haven't heard the last of this story. In the meantime, check out these photos from inside the Church to understand just what kind of opulence we're talking about here.
The SF Examiner reports today that the contents of the beautiful, historic Sacred Heart Church on Fillmore and Fell have been removed, crated up, and sold, possibly in violation of City rules. Here's the backstory. It seems the Archdiocese shuttered the Church in 2004 and sold it to a local Catholic school, the Megan Furth Catholic Academy. The Furth Academy effectively left the Church empty and dormant until this weekend, when the alleged "ransacking" occurred. A board member acknowledges the Academy's plans to sell the Church's contents to raise money for the school, but insists that the items -- "altar, statues, pews, the organ, two windows," and more -- will only be sold to other Catholic institutions, and only for religious purposes. So what's the problem? Aside from the fact that the City apparently requires a permit to remove fixed objects from a structure, the Church has protected landmark status -- which makes removing things like the windows from the facade a particular no-no. The Examiner reports that Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi is particularly troubled by these developments, so rest assured that we haven't heard the last of this story. In the meantime, check out these photos from inside the Church to understand just what kind of opulence we're talking about here.
