St. Peter's is an Episcopal parish in the Diocese of Los Angeles. Our Bishop is J. Jon Bruno and our two suffragan bishops are Diane Jardine Bruce and Mary Glasspool.
St. Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, is our patron Saint and one of his symbols, the key, has been adopted by our parish for use in liturgical worship and in our newsletter. St. Peter's was founded in April of 1956 in the city of Rialto, California. The Rev. Addis Drake, the Dean of the San Bernardino Convocation at that time, started the Mission with the help of several lay people. The first service was held in June on the patio of the Winston Nelson home on Victoria Street. While the church was growing, it used the old Masonic Hall and the Chamber of Commerce building to hold Sunday services. Captain Raymond W. Lewis of the Church Army served as interim pastor until the Reverend J. Earl Cavanaugh became its first vicar in January of 1957.
In 1960, 3.2 acres of land were purchased, the site of our current sanctuary. A multi-purpose building was built and later that same year, a barracks building from March Air Force Base was moved to provide a space for Christian Education. These two buildings are still in use today. In the late 1970's, an outdoor altar and garden were added which created a beautiful space for Easter sunrise Eucharist as well as special occasion services.
St. Peter's achieved Parish status in 1985. Below is a list of the Vicars/Rectors of St. Peter's.
The Reverend J Earl Cavanaugh 1957-1962
The Reverend Edward B. Olander 1962-1967
The Reverend Robert C. Woodfield 1967-1975
The Reverend Gary Dean Hand 1976-1988
The Reverend Luis V. Sharples 1990-1997
The Reverend David B. Rude 1997-1998
The Reverend Patrick M. Barker 1998-2004
The Reverend Marilyn Mason 2005-2007
The Reverend Karen Maurer 2007-
