As you approach St. Paul’s–San Pablo, glance up at the 13-foot banners installed around the building. Faces from our diverse community, some smiling and some serious, gaze down. They provide black-and-white responses to the prompt, “When have you felt a sense of belonging?” We want you to feel that here. If you’re driving down 28th Street, we want you to notice the colorful and crisp public signage promoting our presence and partners. If you’re standing on the street corner, we want you to see yourself in murals painted on our sturdy doors. Come inside for a concert or, workshop or community celebration. You can open those doors wide to students and seniors, to artists and activists, to recent immigrants and neighbors with deep roots.
St. Paul’s-San Pablo proudly celebrates its 137th year in the Midtown Phillips Neighborhood. This long-standing history is a testament to the resilience and dedication of our community. We honor past generations, welcoming the gifts and challenges of worshiping together as first-generation immigrants and naturalized citizens. Where once the sanctuary resounded with Swedish and English, now we sing in English and Spanish. We also continue to lean into what it means to be a community that explicitly celebrates and affirms our LGBTQIA+ community.
To the 400+ people who walk through our doors each week, we say: ¡Bienvenidos! Welcome! Välkommen! We are deeply grateful for your presence and partnership, which make St. Paul’s–San Pablo an exciting place. From volunteers with the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic and members of Vida y Esperanza, a Spanish-speaking AA group, to people praising God on Sunday mornings to neighbors making art at the Semilla Center for Healing and the Arts, your contributions are invaluable.
Our roots sink deep into the waters of life, and our branches spread wide to embrace the Phillips neighborhood. Together, we are bearing fruit: cultivating community well-being, developing Latine neighbors, and opening our doors to all who hunger for a sense of belonging. Will you join us? We invite you to prayerfully make a one-time or recurring gift to St. Paul’s–San Pablo.
Check out this video that goes with the AP article. San Pablo is featured at the 1:26 mark: