OUR ARCHBISHOP





Most Reverend Salvatore J. Cordileone

Archbishop of San Francisco

Salvatore Cordileone was appointed the Archbishop of San Francisco on July 27, 2012, and was installed on October 4, 2012, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption.

Since then, he has led the faithful of San Francisco with steadfast determination.

Latest from the Archbishop

Read Archbishop’s latest statements, homilies, op-eds, videos, memos, and more.

California Catholics Under Attack
History teaches that when we don’t treat religiously or racially motivated crime seriously, we will see more and worse aggression. Already we are witnessing what such laxity has wrought across… Read More
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone responds to Marin County District Attorney decision in Serra statue case
The following letter was sent by Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco, to the Marin County District Attorney’s office on May 24, 2023.
“Friend, Spouse and Lover: the Vocation of the Missionary of Charity”
My dear sisters, today you profess yourselves as spouses of Christ, his deepest, most intimate friends, in the community of the Missionaries of Charity. Your Mother has modeled so perfectly… Read More
“The Three-Step Process to Attaining the Life of Heaven Above”
Merciful love that is stronger than sin and death: no one is beyond hope, no one is beyond redemption, no one is beyond attaining true spiritual excellence and reaching the… Read More
“The Review of Life and the Covenant of Eternal Salvation”
The spiritual masters tell us that a periodic review of life is necessary for growth in the spiritual life.  Every so often we should look back over the significant moments… Read More
“The Two-Fold Meaning of Belief in the Real Presence”
The Church’s belief in the Holy Eucharist is at the heart of who we are as Catholics; without that, we essentially disappear.
“Embracing the Humiliation of the Cross as the Way to Glory”
This is what Holy Week is for: to be a reminder of this ultimate spiritual reality and a stimulus to move us to live ever more faithfully in this way,… Read More
Praying for the faithful in Hong Kong
Thank you for being here tonight as we come together to pray for the people of Hong Kong. It is important we not lose sight of the suffering of our… Read More

The coat of arms

The coat of arms of Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone celebrates the line of fishermen in his family. It presents a red crab against a silver background and a demi-lion with red claws holding a heart to honor the family name, Cordileone, which means “heart of a lion” from a literal translation of cor di leone.

The banner at the bottom includes his motto, “In Verbo Tuo,” translated, “At Your Word,” recalling the Gospel story of the apostles casting their nets at the Lord’s urging after fishing all night and catching nothing. Peter lets down the net on the strength of Christ’s command. “And Simon answered: ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5)

Archbishop’s Circle

The Archbishop’s Circle consists of over eighty households representing about 110 individuals. Circle members support special programs identified by Archbishop Cordileone. Without the support of the Circle members, these initiatives would not be funded.

Support Archbishop Cordileone and his vision by funding special programs and initiatives

The Archbishop’s First Pastoral Letter

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you” (Jer 1:5). A young Jeremiah heard the Lord speak these words to him over 2500 years ago. In these times in which we are living, the scourge of abortion ignores the reality that humans are made in the image of God, known and beloved by God. This pastoral letter addresses all Catholics, but especially Catholics in public life, calling for deep reflection on the evil of abortion and on the meaning of receiving Holy Communion, the Bread of Life.