How Our Parish Began

St. Vincent Ferrer Parish History

Before Father Sean Murray became pastor, Father Munnelly of the St. James Parish in Perris, Ca. Offered one Mass a week in the Sun City Town Hall. Later,  Mr. Vincent Carbo offered a donation of $35,000 to Bishop Furey to build a church, stipulating that the parish be named after Mr. Carbo's patron saint of his home parish in Palermo, Sicily: St. Vincent Ferrer.

Yet even after this generous donation, an additional $100,000 was needed for construction. The response from the parishioners was fantastic! Savings, stocks and securities were cashed to fulfill the requested amount and beyond. In January 1966 the parishioners of St. Vincent Ferrer broke ground for a new church. At that time, parish membership was 512 families. The first Liturgy was celebrated six months later on June 5, 1966. A rectory was completed in the fall of the same year, eventually to be followed in 1981 by the construction of a Church Hall.

Since those early days of a seniors - only community, St. Vincent Ferrer has opened its doors to an increasingly diverse population that reflects the blending of cultures. With an upsurge in home building and new families moving into the area, the once unknown Faith Formation program is thriving with children from K - 12. Today parish membership has grown to 3800+ families with over 40 different ministries to serve the needs of the parish.

Father Sean Murray