St. Rose of Lima Church, Sacramento, CA

Address: 5961 Franklin Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95824

Website: https://stroseinsacramento.com/

Overview
The serene compound of open lawns and old-growth trees that houses Saint Rose Church is a world away from the busy Franklin Boulevard commercial corridor passing by the grounds. The mixed architectural style of the church building with Venetian Gothic and Romanesque features is adjoined to a school with hints of California Mission architecture in the open outdoor corridors surrounding the thick-walled buildings. The beautiful stained-glass windows of blues and reds provide much material for sacred contemplation inside the cool interior of the 80-year-old church. The diverse parish hosts four weekend Masses in addition to daily Masses each day except Wednesday.

Special things to see in the Church
> A magnificent tympanum over the entrance marked by gargoyles, symbolic imaginary animal figures and a Celtic-style cross
> Stunning stained glass windows designed by renowned Boston glass-maker and donated by members of the McClatchy family
> The small chapel to the left of the sanctuary with statues of the Blessed Mother
> A lovely traditional shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe sits outside the front entrance
> The church, the rectory, a school and a parish center occupy the spacious grounds

Interesting Fact(s) About the Church
The story of Saint Rose Church began even before the building of Saint Rose Church on Franklin Boulevard in South Sacramento, in that the first church in Sacramento was also called Saint Rose of Lima Church. In fact, there were three Saint Rose of Lima Churches located in downtown Sacramento, two of which were destroyed by fire in the 1850’s. The third was eventually replaced with the building of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
> The Saint Rose Church on Franklin Boulevard was dedicated in 1932 as the chapel for the Saint Patrick’s Home (orphanage) which was relocated from Grass Valley and designated as a parish church in 1940.