About Christ the Redeemer · Grand Terrace, California
Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Grand Terrace, California, in the Diocese of San Bernardino. Founded in 1980, with its first Mass celebrated in July 1981, the parish serves a bilingual community, offering Masses in both English and Spanish, along with reconciliation, Eucharistic adoration, faith formation, youth ministry, and outreach programs. The church sits next door to the St. Junipero Serra House of Formation, the diocesan seminary of the Diocese of San Bernardino, and the parish's life is closely intertwined with that seminary. Current parish leadership includes Very Rev. Dr. Javier González Cabrera as Administrator and Rev. Michael Arinze Ezeoke as Parochial Vicar, supported by a team of lay staff and active ministry leaders.
- Established
- 1980
- Rector
- Very Rev. Dr. Javier González Cabrera (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Bernardino
Why belong here
Christ the Redeemer is a welcoming, bilingual parish where English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics worship side by side, with three Sunday Masses including a Spanish Mass at noon and live-streamed Sunday liturgies. It is a true community parish — more than 1,000 registered families are served by a robust set of ministries, including RCIA, youth ministry, faith formation, Helping Hands outreach, bible studies, the Knights of Columbus, and active liturgical support teams. The parish is also a unique place of discernment and formation, sitting next door to the diocesan St. Junipero Serra House of Formation, which gives the community a special connection to priestly vocations and the wider Diocese of San Bernardino.
Mass times at Christ the Redeemer
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
- Friday 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. (per the Diocese of San Bernardino parish page)
- First Friday of the month — confessions follow the 7:00 p.m. First Friday Mass
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month: 6:30 p.m. Rosary, 7:00 p.m. Mass followed by Confessions and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
- Holy Hour for Vocations: every Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
History of Christ the Redeemer Parish
Plans for Christ the Redeemer began before 1980, when Bishop Leo Thomas Maher purchased Grand Terrace property and Father Michael Keane started the community with an evening Saturday Mass at a Church of Christ building on Mount Vernon Avenue. After several relocations — to Guadalupe Church, then to Terrace Hills Junior High School for two years — a new multipurpose church building was approved in 1980 and the first Mass was celebrated there in July 1981. As the parish grew, a dedicated parish hall (with classrooms, fellowship hall, kitchen, conference room, and offices) was dedicated by Bishop Barnes and Monsignor Donald Webber in February 1997. The remodeled permanent church was inaugurated in October 2009 after years of fundraising led by Sister Deanna O'Neill, OSB.
- Property purchased by Bishop Leo Thomas Maher (Diocese of San Diego) before 1980
- First Mass in new building: July 1981
- Parish hall dedicated February 1997
- Remodeled church inaugurated October 2009
- Parish has been shaped by 12 successive pastors/pastoral coordinators
Leadership & Pastoral Succession
Christ the Redeemer has been served by a succession of pastors and pastoral coordinators, each of whom shaped the parish's ministries and growth. The first pastor was Father Anthony Di Leo (1981–1986), who helped establish many of the ministries still in place today. In 2000, Sister Deanna O'Neill, OSB, became the parish's first Pastoral Coordinator and led the campaign to build the permanent church. After her, Mr. Jose Luis M. Crespo served as Pastoral Coordinator until 2018, when Fr. Anthony C. Waturuocha became the parish's first full-time priest in 18 years. On July 1, 2024, Bishop Alberto Rojas appointed Fr. Javier González Cabrera as Administrator, simultaneously naming him Rector of the adjacent St. Junipero Serra House of Formation.
- 1981–1986: Father Anthony Di Leo
- 1986–1991: Father Raymond Rabatsky
- 1991–1997: Father Donald Webber (now Monsignor)
- 1997–1998: Father Robert Tompkins
- 1998–2000: Father John Hindman
- 2000–2010: Sister Deanna O'Neill, OSB (Pastoral Coordinator)
- 2010–2018: Mr. Jose Luis M. Crespo (Pastoral Coordinator)
- 2018–2024: Fr. Anthony C. Waturuocha (Administrator)
- 2024–present: Fr. Javier González Cabrera (Administrator)
Parish Life Ministries
Christ the Redeemer is served by a wide range of parish-life ministries that welcome new members and help build community across the parish. These include Hospitality (which provides snacks and beverages after Mass), Our Lady of Fatima (the Pilgrim Statue home devotion), the Pastoral and Finance Councils, the Knights of Columbus, and Helping Hands, which fulfills the Corporal Works of Mercy by assisting parishioners and local community members in need.
- Annulment Advocate — Juanita Bigelow, (909) 370-2758
- Catechetical Ministry — Mark Tumambing, 909-616-8454
- Finance Council — Darcy McNaboe, (909) 709-2612
- Hospitality — Jeff and Rebecca Moses, 951-756-4188
- Pastoral Council — Chris Orem, 909-783-2389
- Helping Hands — Mike & Bev Auld, 909-213-0622
- Audio/Visual — Gerald Barron (909-533-1804) & Chris D'Silva (909-586-4686)
- Facebook Page Ministry — Chris and Eva D'Silva, 909-783-3811
- Youth Ministry — Mark Tumambing, 909-616-8454
- Our Lady of Fatima — Juanita Bigelow, 909-783-3811
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation is central to parish life at Christ the Redeemer. The Catechetical Ministry provides faith formation and religious instruction for the parish's youth, using the parish hall classrooms dedicated in 1997. Adults seeking to become Catholic or to complete their initiation can take part in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults / Children (RCIA/RCIC), coordinated by Debbie Gamboa. The parish also hosts an English Bible Study that meets on Tuesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and a Spanish-language Pequeña Comunidad faith-sharing group that meets in members' homes to share faith in the context of daily life.
- Catechetical Ministry (Religious Education for youth)
- RCIA/RCIC — Debbie Gamboa, 951-212-7350
- English Bible Study — Tuesdays, 6:00–8:00 p.m. (contact Tom)
- Pequeña Comunidad (Spanish faith-sharing group) — Daniel and Carmen Sanchez, 909-800-3222
- Guadalupe Ministry
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for all the major sacraments of initiation and vocation. Parents and sponsors are helped to prepare their children for Baptism through a formal preparation process; children are prepared for First Reconciliation; and older youth and adults go through the RCIA/RCIC process. The parish also assists couples preparing for Holy Matrimony, families preparing for Quinceañera, and individuals working through the annulment process.
- Baptism preparation — contact Fernando Hernandez
- Reconciliation (First Confession) preparation for children
- First Holy Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Quinceañera preparation
- Holy Matrimony preparation
- Annulment advocacy
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Administrator Very Rev. Dr. Javier González Cabrera (who also serves as Rector of the adjacent St. Junipero Serra House of Formation) and Parochial Vicar Rev. Michael Arinze Ezeoke. Lay staff and coordinators support parish operations, faith formation, and outreach.
- Administrator: Very Rev. Dr. Javier González Cabrera
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Michael Arinze Ezeoke
- Administrative Assistant: Asteria S. Garcia — 909-783-3811 ext. 201
- RCIA Coordinator: Debbie Gamboa — 951-212-7350
St. Junipero Serra House of Formation (Next Door)
Christ the Redeemer's story is closely tied to the St. Junipero Serra House of Formation, the diocesan 'home base' where young men begin their journey toward the priesthood for the Diocese of San Bernardino. Serra House began in the 1980s in a converted convent in Riverside and, in 2005, Bishop Gerald Barnes' long-held dream was fulfilled with the opening of a 1.5-acre campus in Grand Terrace, built right beside Christ the Redeemer — a site local residents affectionately call 'holy hill.' Seminarians regularly serve and worship with the parish community at Christ the Redeemer, allowing their formation to be rooted in real parish life. Fr. Javier González Cabrera, the parish's current Administrator, is also the Rector of Serra House.
- Diocesan seminary of the Diocese of San Bernardino
- Opened in Grand Terrace in 2005 on a 1.5-acre campus next to the parish
- Seminarians study philosophy and complete initial college-level formation
- Seminarians serve and worship with Christ the Redeemer parishioners
Facilities & Parish Hall
The parish campus at 12745 Oriole Ave grew in phases. The original multipurpose church building, first used in July 1981, was remodeled and inaugurated as the permanent church in October 2009. A separate parish hall, dedicated in February 1997 by Bishop Barnes with Monsignor Donald Webber, provides classrooms for religious education, a fellowship hall, a kitchen, a conference room, and offices for parish administration. The campus is also home to the St. Junipero Serra House of Formation and a parish rectory that was acquired and paid off under Fr. Anthony Waturuocha's administration.
- Permanent church — remodeled and inaugurated October 2009
- Parish hall dedicated February 1997 (classrooms, fellowship hall, kitchen, conference room, offices)
- Rectory acquired under Fr. Anthony C. Waturuocha (2018–2024)
- Solar-panel agreement shared with adjacent Serra House
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael Keanepre-1980
Began developing the Catholic community with an evening Saturday Mass at the Church of Christ on Mount Vernon Avenue.
- Father Eugene Spenopre-1980
Pastored the new Grand Terrace congregation and the Highgrove church; tasked with bonding the two communities and building on the Grand Terrace property.
- Father Anthony Di Leo1981–1986
First pastor of the new parish; helped establish many parish ministries still active today and dedicated the new parish building in July 1981.
- Father Raymond Rabatsky1986–1991
Fostered the growth of the parish and enhanced community involvement.
- Father Donald Webber (now Monsignor)1991–1997
Continued to nurture the growth of the parish; the multi-purpose parish hall was dedicated in February 1997 with Monsignor Webber and Bishop Barnes.
- Father Robert Tompkins1997–1998
Provided renewed leadership for the newly created Knights of Columbus council.
- Father John Hindman1998–2000
Further united the parishioners of Christ the Redeemer.
- Sister Deanna O'Neill, OSB2000–2010
Pastoral Coordinator appointed by Bishop Gerald Barnes; guided fundraising for the permanent parish church; remodeled church inaugurated October 2009.
- Mr. Jose Luis M. Crespo2010–2018
Pastoral Coordinator; hosted many bible studies and grew parish membership; retired June 30, 2018.
- Fr. Anthony C. Waturuocha2018–2024
First full-time priest at the parish in 18 years; helped acquire and pay off a rectory and partnered with Serra House on solar panels.
- Fr. Javier González Cabrera2024–present
Appointed by Bishop Alberto Rojas on July 1, 2024; serves simultaneously as Administrator of Christ the Redeemer and Rector of the St. Junipero Serra House of Formation.