Peter Yorke

Who was Peter Yorke?

Father Peter Christopher Yorke was an Irish-American Catholic priest and a noted Irish Republican and Labor activist in San Francisco. He wa the youngest child of Gregory Yorke, a sea-captain, and his wife Brigid, née Kelly. He was pastor of St. Peter's in 1914.

The Yorke family were originally from Holland, where the name was spelled Jorke. Peter Yorke's grandfather, Christopher Yorke, came to Galway in the early 19th century, building lighthouses and breakwaters in Galway, Aran and Westport. Gregory Yorke died six months before Peter was born. In 1882, Yorke graduated from St. Jarlath's College in Tuam. He then went to St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he studied for 4 years before being adopted by the Diocese of San Francisco. He was ordained in 1887.

In San Francisco, he became the editor of The Monitor, an Irish Newspaper. In 1901, he supported the workers in a Teamsters strike. In 1902, he founded and edited a local newspaper called The Leader.

A short street called Peter Yorke Way in San Francisco, which runs from the junction of Geary Boulevard and Gough Street to Post Street, is named after him. The headquarters of the Archdiocese of San Francisco is located at 1 Peter Yorke Way.