Vatican Grants Holy Door and Plenary Indulgence at San Francisco’s Sts. Peter and Paul Church

By Catholic San Francisco

A Holy Door has been opened at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in San Francisco as part of the centennial celebrations. The Vatican has designated the site as a place where the faithful have the opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence in honor of the church’s 100-year anniversary. 

The Apostolic Penitentiary in Rome, the office charged with granting indulgences, has designated Sts. Peter and Paul as a site where the faithful may obtain a Vatican-recognized plenary indulgence from November 9, 2024, through November 9, 2025. This special spiritual grace is offered to those who, moved by charity and true repentance, fulfill the necessary conditions established by the Church.

An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment for sin, the guilt of which is already forgiven, which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful obtains under certain conditions with the help of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies authoritatively the treasure of the satisfaction of Christ and the saints.[1] A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day. In order to obtain it, the faithful must, in addition to being in a state of grace, have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin.

This indulgence may also be applied to the souls in Purgatory through the sufferings and prayers of the faithful.

The recognition by the Vatican comes as Sts. Peter and Paul Church marks 100 years of service to generations of Catholics in San Francisco. The parish celebrated its centennial in November 2024 with a weekend of liturgies, cultural events, and blessings, honoring its deep roots in the Italian-American community and its ongoing mission of evangelization in the heart of the city.

Pilgrims are invited to pass through the Holy Door and receive this special grace during the designated year.

[1] Code of Canon Law (can. 992).