The mosaics by John Henry Rosen in the Church of the Epiphany in San Francisco (California) are located on the façade, above the entrance to the church. They were made in 1966 and depict: 'Annunciation', 'Resurrection' (signed at lower left: john de rosen) and 'Entombment'. Each composition measures 9 feet 7 ½ inches by 6 feet 3 ½ inches (approximately 293.37 by 191.77 cm). The artist also prepared a design for a mosaic intended for the church's rainbow wall: "Three Kings and Shepherds Paying Homage to the Holy Family" (1964), which, however, was not realised (sketches surviving).

John Henry Rosen's work for the Church of the Epiphany in San Francisco was carried out in collaboration with Richard W. Jung's company, operating in California, which was involved in the comprehensive furnishing and decoration of church interiors. Rosen's mosaic designs were to be executed by the Saint Louis firm of Paul and Arn Heuduck (The Ravenna Mosaic), also collaborating with Jung.

As for the mosaic compositions on the church façade, it is known from surviving correspondence that Rosen's sketches were ready in June 1964, when The Ravenna Mosaic prepared a quotation for their mosaic implementation on the basis of these sketches (Arno Heuduck to Richard W. Jung, 12 June 1964). As usual, there were two cost estimates: a more expensive one, assuming that the mosaics would be made by an American company ($6166.25), and a cheaper one if the commission were to be carried out by a European label ($5067.75). Negotiations apparently dragged on, since it was still a year later that quotes were collected from various potential contractors, such as the Venetian Art Mosaic company from the Bronx, which offered a very low price of $2,800. - overseas (28 May 1965). In the end, however, in June 1966, a Saint Louis firm (US$3500) accepted the commission. The client expected the mosaics to be ready for 1 November, but they were made as early as August and installed on the church façade at that time.

The November deadline was dictated by the fact that, according to a plaque above the central portal, the mosaics were donated by parishioners to commemorate the 80th birthday of the parish priest, Monsignor Maurice J. O'Keefe, which was in November (the date on the plaque is 14 November 1966).

Rosen's involvement with the church, however, began somewhat earlier: in February 1964 there was a commission for the decoration (in mosaic) of the church's rainbow wall. A comparison of the (very modest) composition finally executed and still in existence with Rosen's preliminary sketch prepared at the time (preserved, together with the artist's handwritten description, in an archive photograph) and the information provided by Richard W. Jung's correspondence with The Ravenna Mosaic leads us to assume that Rosen's designs were abandoned because they were rather complicated to execute (figures and landscape elements tightly filling the entire surface, with almost no smooth background) and therefore expensive. Meanwhile, the amount for the decoration of this part of the church was predetermined - as part of a commission that also included work in marble and bronze, carried out in collaboration with another firm (Richard W. Jung to Aarna Heuduck, 2 April 1964). However, it is difficult to say why Rosen was not asked to modify the design, but another designer was chosen. Perhaps, apart from the financial constraints mentioned above, there were other circumstances that caused this change.