The History of Our Parish

On March 30, 1942, our first Mass was celebrated in the barracks of the Naval Weapons Ammunition Depot.

In 1943, Bishop Buddy, the first ordinary of the Diocese of San Diego, responded to a request of the Waller family to establish a parish, gave permission to celebrate mass in Fallbrook.

Regularly celebrated Mass in Fallbrook began in 1944, first in a housing project for Navy personnel and later at the local theater.

By July of 1945, Fr. Bertrand, a Franciscan, started a campaign to build a church. In the first month, the people had saved $6,147. Exactly one year later, his superior transferred Fr. Bertrand to Los Angeles and the church was still not built.

Bishop Buddy, writing on August 1, 1946 established the parish and assigned the first pastor, Msgr. Michael Cooney. The parish was named St. Peter’s because of a request from the Extension Society, significant contributors to the construction of the first church.

In 1949 the first church was completed. By 1960, Fallbrook had grown to such a degree that the small church on Fig Street was inadequate.

The new, bigger church on Stage Coach Lane, built for about $150,000 was built by Fr. Ullman. Msgr. Medaer, pastor from 1983 to 1992, founded the school and purchased the corner property next to the church.

The parish consistently experienced tremendous growth: in the late 1990s, its size was approximately 2,500 families. In the year 2000 we finished a 20,000 sq. foot education center. It houses our parochial school, and all religious education programs. In the year 2002 a building campaign was started for a new 1000 seat capacity church.

Following completion of the new Education Center (Parish School) in 2001, the focus of the Parish Master Plan shifted to the design and eventual construction of the new church building.