About Us

The Latin Mass community in the Diocese of Sacramento has been served by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) since 1997. 

In 2002, we moved to our current location in south Sacramento, a few blocks east of US-99 (5461 44th Street, Sacramento, California 95820). The Bishop of Sacramento placed us under the patronage of St. Stephen the First Martyr, the holy deacon martyr whose story is told in the Acts of the Apostles and whose martyrdom prompted the conversion of St. Paul. The discovery of the relics of St. Stephen was a historic moment in the life of the early Church; we celebrate our parish festival every year on the anniversary of this event.

Our parish makes use of the traditional rites of the Catholic Church for Holy Mass, the Sacraments, other rituals, and the prayers of the Divine Office, as encouraged by Pope St. John Paul II in his Ecclesia Dei Adflicta and Pope Benedict XVI in his Summorum Pontificum. In the latter’s explanatory letter accompanying his decree, Pope Benedict affirmed that, “What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too.”

We enjoy a full parochial life, with events, groups, and activities aimed at promoting the spiritual lives and community of all our parishioners.

Bishop Emeritus William Weigand stated: “The traditional Latin Mass community of St. Stephen the First Martyr is a blessing for the Diocese of Sacramento.” We are very grateful for the constant support of the Diocese as we remain faithful to the charism granted to us by Holy Mother Church.