History - Looking Back at a Rich History

The Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, Netherlands, adjudicated the ‘Pious Fund of the Californias’ litigation issue involving US and Mexico. In a binding resolution, the international court ordered Mexico to pay a lump sum amount to the United States to finally settle the matter. Bishop Thomas James Conaty, the then Bishop of the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles (now the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Diocese of Monterey), used some of the first lump sum money received for the building of a church mission, which would be named St. Thomas the Apostle, for the students at Sherman Institute. Fr. John O’Brien was appointed the first pastor. 

When the church was completed, all there was a bare building. There were pews and walls but no altar, no stained-glass windows, and no organ. Over the years, through hard work and generous donations, all of these were added. In 1914 when Fr. Junek was pastor, the chapel of St. Thomas the Apostle was raised to the status of a parish.

In the fall of 1918...

On Dec. 24, 1940, Fr. Edmund Krolicki, OFM Conventua, arrived to assume the duty as pastor. This began the 60-year relationship of the Franciscans and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish. In 1942, Fr. Edmund sent a letter to the parishioners outlining his vision for the parish that included erecting a hall, parochial school, Sister’s convent, remodeling of the church, and rectory.

Also, he recommended to Bishop Charles Francis Buddy, the then Bishop of San Diego from 1936 until his death in 1966, that a chapel be built nearby to serve the needs of the Hispanic families. Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission chapel was completed in 1949 and, at the same time, the first four rooms of the school were built. The Sisters of the Institute of the Third Order of St. Francis staffed the school.

It was during the pastorship of Fr. Cajeton when plans were formulated to build a new church and hall. Land was already purchased when tragedy hit St. Thomas the Apostle Church. On April 1, 1957 flames broke out in the church and caused major damage to the building. Proposal went ahead to build the hall to be used as a temporary church. This was blessed for church use on March 9, 1958.

Under the direction of...

Fr. Peter Parchem, the groundbreaking for the new church occurred on Thanksgiving Day of 1967. The first mass was celebrated on Christmas Eve of 1968. For the next 35 years Franciscan Conventuals priests such as Fr. Maurice, Fr. Tom, Fr. Edwin, Fr. Max, Fr. Norbert, Fr. John, Fr. Robert, Fr. Bob, Fr. Charles, Fr. Fabian, Fr. Bernie and others ministered to the people of St. Thomas the Apostle. We remember them with grateful hearts.

On July 1, 2002, the pastoral care of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish was returned to the clergy of the Diocese of San Bernardino with Fr. Joseph Felker as the pastor. Thus, from its inception, its pastoral administration has moved through the years from diocesan priests, to the Jesuits, and the Franciscans and transferred back to the Diocese of San Bernardino in 2000. After Fr. Felker, St. Thomas the Apostle Parish was administered by another diocesan clergy by the name of Fr. Frank Dicristina for 7 years until his retirement in June 2020.

In July 2020, Bishop Gerald Barnes appointed Fr. Restituto ‘Resti’ Galang, a priest ordained in 1991, as the new Parochial Administrator of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish. Fr. Galang is a member of the Mission Society of the Philippines, a Pontifical Society of Apostolic Life founded by the Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines. Together with Fr. Theodore ‘Ted’ Drennan, the Parochial Vicar who is a diocesan clergy, they ministered to the parishioners during the height of pre-vaccine Covid- 19 pandemic time.

In June 2021, when Bishop Alberto Rojas reassigned Fr. Galang to St. Margarete Mary as Pastor,  Fr. Drennan became the Parochial Administrator and Fr. Celestine Afugwobi was assigned as his Parochial Vicar.

As of July 1st, 2024,  Bishop Alberto Rojas has appointed Very Reverend Fr. Theodore "Ted" Drennan V.F. as Pastor for 6 years and Fr.Celestine Afugwobi will continue as Parochial Vicar for an additional two years as of 2024.

Our St. Thomas the Apostle Parish family continues to celebrate a rich diverse tradition, a collaborative spirit, and vibrant enthusiasm while looking with great anticipation and profound hope towards a beautiful future that God has stored for us. Looking back at a colorful long history and confident in God’s eternal goodness, each parishioner can only say- “for all that has been, thank you, Lord. For all that will be, YES!” It is only with a heart filled with gratitude and faith that we, together with our patron St. Thomas the Apostle, can truly make that great Christological profession: “My Lord and my God”! Amen.