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• Prince of Peace Catholic Church began as a mission from St. Dominic’s Catholic Church under the leadership and guidance of Father Terry Nolan, Pastor. It started in January of 1979 with 22 families and one Mass at Carlos Coon Elementary School. With a strong feeling of togetherness and spirit of faith, the mission community was born. 

  In January of 1980, the archdiocese assigned Father Maurice Dillane to be the priest of this “mission” of 100 families. An open steering committee was formed by the lay people using consensus as the form for decision making. The name “Prince of Peace” was chosen, reflecting the mission’s desire to keep our focus on Jesus as the center of our Christian faith. 

  On Easter Sunday, April 6, 1980, the “mission” was officially recognized as the “parish” of Prince of Peace. The archdiocese designated 8.9 acres on FM 471(now Grissom Rd) as the building site. During the first year the parish grew to almost 500 families. Parishioners responded to the needs and desires of the people by forming many committees and organizations. Together they organized an Oktoberfest and a garage sale, and set up an in-house Religious Education program, day care center, CYO, and an adult sports program. 

  In September of 1981 the parish enthusiastically initiated a Stewardship program. This program, with its emphasis on the Christian spirit of giving~ again demonstrated the unity, fellowship, generosity, and faith that abounds within the parish. 

  Taking direction from the parishioners through surveys and votes, the dream of a church began to take form. The building committee completed a Master Plan for development of the parish grounds and blueprints for the church building. In June of 1982, this committee secured approval from the Archdiocesan Finance Committee to begin construction. A jubilant ground breaking ceremony was held on October 24, 1982.

• December 4, 1983 marked the dedication of Prince of Peace Catholic Church, highlighting an important role in God’s service in northwest San Antonio for years to come. Once the church was built, the parish family grew at an amazing rate. By March of 1984, there were over 1,200 registered families. More full time staff was hired to take care of the needs of our flourishing community. The steering committee helped the parish establish a Parish Council, which has since evolved into a Pastoral Council. 

  In the spring of 1988 a new addition to the church was opened. Its classrooms were filled by RE students and teachers who vacated the trailers where classes had been held. Meeting rooms were now available to all, and the Religious Education program finally acquired offices. An Assembly Hall provided space for social gatherings and for the education program and parish organizations to hold meetings. 

  Today Prince of Peace has approximately 4,200 registered families. Parishioners continue to be actively involved as is reflected in the fact that over 1000 people volunteer to work in our diverse ministries each year. Over 1,600 children and youth are registered in the Religious Education program and many adults participate in small Faith sharing groups. 

  Prince of Peace has blossomed into a vibrant community as a result of God’s grace and the leadership of the people and parish staff The Parish Mission Statement says that we try to foster Christian love and continuous spiritual growth common to Jesus Christ’s people and that we try to bond people as valued members into a unified community. 

  A unified community of faith does not necessarily mean that we agree on everything. Differences arise in families, in communities, and in nations, but there is still a bond that ties together the overall direction of these bodies.

• Prayer, Bible Study, Religious Education, and all that this implies, - the Mass, the Sacraments, Retreats, Small Faith Sharing Groups, Youth Programs, Outreach and Support Programs - all these foster spiritual growth and unite us as a~ faith sharing people. 

• Prince of Peace cares about the needs of those who are not blessed with an abundance of life’s earthly goods. Our St. Vincent de Paul Society takes care of many needs and is supported by our parish community. 

• One has only to look at the many outreach programs in our community to realize how much caring and sharing are evidenced in our parish. Many generous Christian people -- young and old --have answered the call by simply saying, “Here I am Lord!”.