Listen closely. Saint Peter and Saint Paul Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles has quite the tale to tell. I’m about to share its history with you. This church stands as a testament to faith in Wilmington.
Our journey begins in 1865. Bishop Thaddeus Amat founded Saint Peter’s Catholic Church. He oversaw the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles. It was a significant year. The Civil War ended and President Lincoln was assassinated. The first mass took place on November 29 2015.
The original church was simple. Soldiers from the 1st California Infantry Regiment built it. They were stationed at Drum Barracks. The church stood at G Street and Neptune Avenue. The parish was huge then. It stretched from Compton to the ocean. It also went from Redondo Beach to Orange County. Father Antonio Ubach became the first pastor. He was the last Franciscan Padre in the line of Junipero Serra. Near the end of the 19th century the parish became Saints Peter and Paul.
The congregation grew quickly. In less than 60 years a new church was needed. Father Bernardino J. Schiaparelli became pastor in 1922. He oversaw the new church’s design and construction. It was built at Opp Street and Lagoon Avenue. The Depression caused delays. Some interior plans were postponed. The first mass in the new church was on Christmas Eve in 1930. Father Schiaparelli celebrated it. The church was formally dedicated on March 15 1931. Bishop John J. Cantwell officiated.
In 1943 Father John V. Hegarty became pastor. He started a school on the parish grounds. Sisters from the Congregation of St. Francis taught there. Father John Dunne became pastor in 1945. He built a new parish school on Bay View Avenue. He invited the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny to staff the school. A convent was built for them across from the church.
Monsignor John Brennan became pastor in 1960. The parish celebrated its centenary during his time. There was a Solemn High Mass of Thanksgiving on April 24 1966. Cardinal James Francis McIntyre presided. Monsignor Clement Morian became pastor after Msgr. Brennan’s death in 1983.
Father G. Peter Irving III became pastor in 1993 after Monsignor Morian’s death. Father Roberto L. Pirrone became associate pastor in 1999. They restored the church. It was brought back to Msgr. Schiaparelli’s original design. Their service strengthened the parish’s spiritual life.
Cardinal Roger Mahony designated Saints Peter and Paul Church as a pilgrimage church. It was one of only 20 in the Archdiocese. This happened during the Great Jubilee Year 2000. Father Irving started the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel in 2004. Parishioners supported it. The Eugene Sullivan Parish Hall was built. The Pope John Paul II Memorial Garden was also constructed. It includes a statue of the late Pope.
In 2006 Cardinal Mahony placed the parish under the care of the Norbertine Fathers. This was upon Fr. Irving’s term expiration as pastor. Father Raymond Perez became the first Norbertine pastor.
Father Hildebrand Garceau became the new church pastor in 2015. Father Charbel Grbavac became the first school rector.
Three Norbertine Sisters arrived in 2011. They came from Slovakia. Sister Adriana Gacikova was the superior. The others were Sister Benedikta Hornikova and Sister Roberta Spriakova. They started a convent at the parish. They teach at the school and CCD program. They also manage the bookstore. The Sisters run the Poverty Program too.
Under Father Raymond’s leadership many improvements happened. A new church roof was installed. All debt for the parish hall was paid off. A new sound system was added. The original church bell was restored. It rings on the hour each day.
Saints Peter and Paul Church celebrated its Sesquicentennial Anniversary in 2015. The celebration began in 2014. Abbot Eugene Hayes celebrated a solemn Mass. Archbishop Jose Gomez celebrated a Mass at the school property in 2015.
Saints Peter and Paul Parish continues to thrive. Dedicated priests, sisters, and lay staff build on the foundation of those who came before. The church stands as a beacon of faith in Wilmington. It is a place of history and community.