Located on the corner of Colombus and Vallejo in San Francisco, the Shrine of St. Francis is one of this city's must see sites. Jan Brögger (center), a talented organist and singer, stayed with the friars while he visited the numerous organs throughout the city's churches. The organ, small a capella choir, and liturgies at the Shrine are without a doubt among the finest San Francisco has to offer. Their choir director previously worked at St. Dominic's. Furthest to the left, Fr. Emmerich, preached the homily on the feast day of St. Francis. It is customary for a Dominican to preach on Francis's feast day and for a Franciscan to preach on Dominic's feast day.

Here's Br. Gabriel, in full Dominican attire, with Our Lady - and again "with" St. Francis! The archdiocese has given the shrine to the OFM Conventuals and charged them with maintaining her. The Conventual Franciscans do a wonderful job. Inside can be found numerous lifesize statues of the saints as well as first class relics.

	Br. Mark Francis, Fr. Tony, and Br. Juan Diego are pictured here. Fr. Tony is the current provincial of the OFM Capuchins in the United States and prior to that position was his province's vocation director. Br. Mark had contemplated entering the Capuchin Franciscan Order, but found himself mixed up with the Dominicans. Don't worry, there aren't any hard feelings between the two.
	Br. Matthew poses with a Franciscan after the Transitus liturgy where Francis's transition from death into eternal life is remembered.
	Afterwards we greeted one another, those who came for the Transitus, and random passersby who happened to be out. We were a sea of browns, blacks, and whites.