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Personal items belonging to the late San Francisco Archbishop John R. Quinn are displayed at St. Francis de Sales School in Riverside, his alma mater and later his first assignment as a priest after his ordination in 1953. (Courtesy photo)
Jan. 13, 2020
Christina Gray
St. Francis de Sales School in Riverside got an unexpected gift from its most famous alum just before Christmas.
The late San Francisco Archbishop John Rafael Quinn, who died in 2017 at age 88, was born in Riverside on March 28, 1929, and attended Catholic elementary school. He was an altar boy at St. Francis de Sales Parish, where he was assigned as a priest after seminary for the Diocese of San Diego, studies in Rome and ordination in 1953.
Archbishop Quinn served as the sixth Archbishop of San Francisco from 1977-1995.
His estate donated a collection of books – some authored by the archbishop and others from his personal library – photographs, vestments from his episcopal ministry and other commemorative items to the school. The items were hand-carried in December by Rachel Alvelais, priests care coordinator for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, whose daughter attends the University of California, Riverside.
“Some of these items are very personal,” said St. Francis de Sales principal Trenna Meins. “To have these blessed possessions is quite an honor.”
Alvelais said the items were donated from the archbishop’s estate to the Serra Clergy House in San Mateo, a residence for retired priests of the archdiocese.
Personal items in the collection include the archbishop’s biretta (bishop’s hat), fascia (sash), collar, pectoral cross, amice (cape) and gremiale, a square cloth placed on a bishop’s lap during anointing.
A commemorative medallion of St. John Paul II’s visit to San Francisco in 1987 is also among the memorabilia along with photographs of the archbishop, including one with the visiting pontiff. Archbishop Quinn’s funeral Mass program and prayer cards are also part of the collection.
Meins said the school plans to create a display case for the items and predicts they will be inspirational for students.
“It is very symbolic for us,” she said. “Archbishop Quinn was proud of being an alum of our school. Hopefully, this will help with vocations (to the priesthood).”
This story was adapted from an original story in the December 2019 issue of the Inland Catholic Byte, Diocese of San Bernardino.