Our History

Traditionally called “The French Church”, Notre Dame des Victoires was founded in 1856 to serve the needs of the French Immigrants.  From the time of the Gold Rush, they had gone to St. Francis Church, but very soon they preferred to have their own church on “Frenchmen’s Hill”, as the pioneers called it. This part of the city was where the French had pitched their tents in 1850.

In 1885, Archbishop Patrick Riordan entrusted the pastoral care of Notre Dame des Victoires to the Marist Fathers. The church was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. The existing Church was built in 1913. Today it remains essentially unaltered. The church’s façade is modeled after the basilica of Notre Dame des Fourvière, in Lyon, France, with its remarkable glazed apse that is turned around and used as an entrance porch. The façade is handsomely clad in brick and terra cotta. The church’s interior, in Roman style, is modeled after Saint Ambrose church in Paris near the Bastille Plaza.

In 1996, the Church, Parish Hall and Rectory were retrofitted at the cost of 3 million dollars to conform to the laws of the State of California and the San Francisco Building Code. In 1984, the church was designated a historic landmark.

Ecole Notre Dame des Victoires was founded in 1924 by the Marist Fathers and is located near the financial district of San Francisco. We embrace the values of the Marists and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange and continue our tradition of teaching the French language and culture. As a faith-filled community, the faculty and staff of NDV are committed to nurturing our students spiritually, academically, socially, and physically. We support a diverse group of Learners to develop an inclusive and compassionate world vision.