
Welcome
to the
Catholic Community of
St. Peter and St. Paul
9135 Banyan St | Alta Loma, Ca 91737
Phone: 909.987.9312 Fax: 909.980.9404
Missions of the Church
The mission of the Catholic Church is the Great Commission given by
Jesus, namely "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am
with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20). This
mission was given to her by Jesus Christ Himself before He ascended to
the Father in heaven. For this reason, the Catholic Church has sent
missionaries into the whole world to proclaim the Gospel.
Many popes have spoken about the missions. In particular, Pope Paul VI
reminds us "the responsibility for spreading the Gospel that saves
belongs to everyone -- to all those who have received it! The missionary
duty concerns the whole body of the Church; in different ways and to
different degrees, it is true, but we must all of us be united in
carrying out this duty. Now let the conscience of every believer ask
himself: Have I carried out my missionary duty? Prayer for the Missions
is the first way of fulfilling this duty" (Angelus Address, 23 October
1977).
St. Peter and St. Paul Parish has several ways for its regular
parishioners to assist in the missionary work of the Church. The first,
of course, is prayer, particularly in the weekly offertory prayers of
the Mass. Another is the regular, periodic preaching of visiting
missionaries from the world’s missions and their collections at Sunday
liturgies. A third is through the Los Angeles Mission trip, in which,
primarily, Confirmation candidates and their sponsors and parents
participate. This involves a trip to Los Angeles overnight and assisting
at the downtown missions who serve the poor and homeless there. Another
choice open to teens and adults in the parish is volunteer time spent at
"Mary’s Table" in San Bernardino, which feeds and serves the poor and
homeless in that city.
Beyond these local opportunities in this parish there are countless
other missions in the Catholic Church to which to contribute time,
talent and treasure.