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A New York Times article raved about a nearly century-old Christian cathedral that’s used as a venue for large-scale yoga classes, drag shows and other New Age events, and called it a “must-see” in San Francisco.
Heather Knight, San Francisco bureau chief of The New York Times Published an article Grace Cathedral is a Gothic-style Episcopal church built in 1927 that has become popular in recent years for its quirky community events and has attracted a less-than-devout following.
“But in the past few years, it has flourished in a way that has nothing to do with the Bible,” Knight wrote, explaining that it has attracted a non-churchgoer crowd that recently numbered nearly double its usual size.
The interior of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. (San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images/Contributor)
According to the recent U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey Since March, San Francisco has been the second-least religious metropolitan area in the U.S., behind only Seattle, with 63% of adults in the city not attending church or religious services, or less than once a year.
Knight wrote that the cathedral created a program in 2022 called Grace Arts, which she described as “a program designed like a museum membership, charging an annual fee in exchange for benefits including discounts on classes and events.”
These Grace Arts events include twice-weekly yoga classes, concerts, and even drag shows and aerial performances.
The journalist described one of the more eccentric events held by Grace Arts: “Others are finding community and joy in the cathedral through monthly sound baths, where they snuggle in sleeping bags and listen to musicians by candlelight.”
Knight wrote that since the cathedral began offering the program, “membership in the Grace Arts Club now exceeds the general church membership.”
“About 820 families subscribe to Grace Arts, compared with 550 who attend the church. Annual surveys show the average age of Grace participants has dropped from 63 to 40 in just two years, suggesting the new program is attracting a younger crowd.”
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In recent years, the church has attracted more and more new believers who are keen to participate in the church’s newly opened yoga classes, drag performances and other social activities. (Mark Bost/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
For example, in describing the appeal of yoga classes, Knight writes: “Kimberly Porter-Leite is a volunteer at the cathedral’s twice-weekly yoga classes, which are so popular that she has to perform what’s called a game of ‘Tetris on the mat’ to make sure everyone can squeeze in between the columns and benches.
The reporter noted how many of these new members were Traditional religion But they are seeking community.
She spoke to yoga instructor Darren Maine, a gay man who “felt ashamed of being in Catholicism,” and Maine told her: “A lot of people here have left the church and don’t feel welcome or safe. But we still need a space where we can come together and not argue about politics.”
Knight also mentions a lesbian volunteer named Kimberly Porter-Wright. “She was not religious, married to a woman she described as a ‘recovering Catholic,’ and felt she was being mistreated by the church because she was a lesbian,” the author wrote.
“The cathedral was an unlikely place for her to spend time, but she lived nearby and knew Grace was known for her freedom and enthusiasm. In 2021, she tried a yoga class and has been hooked,” Knight added.
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The Rev. Malcolm Clemens Young, president of Grace Cathedral, told The New York Times that he was “encouraged” by the diverse crowd that attended the event, including agnostics and atheists.
“We always say you can belong first and believe later, or you can belong but never believe. It’s a spiritual hunger. We always look up at the stars in wonder. We always ask ourselves why we are here,” he said.
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