 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
History of the Parish Parish Clergy Parish Staff Photo Tour Saint Gregory |
History of the Parish The parish of St. Gregory the Great was founded in August of 1985 with Fr. Jim Poulsen as our founding pastor. The parish's first liturgy took place on the evening of September 3, 1985, the feast of St. Gregory the Great in the Miramar Ranch School Auditorium. For the first two years of the parish's existence, Sunday liturgies were held in a variety of places. The parish was without a location to call home, and therefore, met wherever space was available. masses were celebrated in the Jerabek School Auditorium, the Miramar Ranch School Auditorium, and the Courseware building in the Business Park. Meetings and special liturgies were held in the Parish House or the homes of parishioners. In December of 1987, the office suite on Treena Street was leased. This became our Parish Center and our home for the next twelve years. In this space our parish family celebrated many joyous occasions, as well as moments of great sadness when we laid our beloved friends and family members to rest. Over the course of these twelve years, our parish grew from 200 families to over 1300. As the parish family continued to thrive and grow, we longed for a permanent home. Finally, after three fundraising campaigns, years of meetings and a multitude of prayers, the parish of St. Gregory the Great broke ground for our permanent church home on October 12, 1997. On February 7, 1999 our beautiful cross was raised and placed on top of the church's dome. Over 1,000 parishioners gathered at the construction site and watched Fr. Jim guide the cross into its permanent location. This was a historic moment, not only for the parish but also for the entire Scripps Ranch community, as it was the first permanent cross raised and places on the first permanent church in Scripps Ranch. Although the new church was not ready for us to move in, we celebrated our first liturgy, Evening Prayer, on the Feast of St. Gregory the Great, Friday, September 3, 1999. Before our actual move to the new church was the celebration of the wedding of Stacie Smith and Robert Moreno on September 25, 1999. As October crept closer, the parish celebrated its final liturgies at the Treena Street Parish Center on September 25-26, 1999. This final weekend was bittersweet with so many unforgettable memories. The Parish Center had served us well. On Saturday, October 2, 1999, Fr. Jim was at the new church preparing for our long awaited day. Our first weekend in our new church home had finally arrived. At 5:00 p.m., Fr. Jim and Deacons Ferris Bell and Ron Diem met the parishioners in the Gathering Plaza. Fr. Jim welcomed the 1,100 parishioners who had come to this first Mass and the front doors to our new home were opened and the congregation was invited in. Our parish family was finally in our permanent home. [ back to top ] |
   |
|
Who We Are | Sacraments | Groups & Ministries | Feed Your Soul | News & Events |