About St. Peter · Greenville, North Carolina
St. Peter Catholic Church, located at 2700 East 4th Street in Greenville, NC, is a vibrant parish of the Diocese of Raleigh that traces its roots back to 1884, when Servant of God Father Thomas Price, the 'Tar Heel Apostle,' established the parish by purchasing a small frame building for $50. Today the parish serves about 4,594 registered parishioners across 1,600+ families, offering weekend and weekday Masses in English, a Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel housed in its Spiritual Life Center, a K-8 parish school, and more than 30 ministries and groups dedicated to prayer, formation, and service.
- Established
- 1884
- Patron
- St. Peter (Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. James J. (Jim) Magee, III
- Diocese
- Diocese of Raleigh
Why belong here
St. Peter's combines a centuries-old Catholic heritage with the energy of a growing parish, anchored by a Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel open 24/7 inside the Spiritual Life Center. With more than 30 ministries and groups across formation, prayer, and service, plus the award-winning St. Peter Catholic School (K-8, oldest private school in Greenville), families, ECU students, and medical-district professionals find a 'big parish with a small community feel' that walks with you wherever you are on your faith journey. Add daily and weekend Masses, a strong youth and young-adult ministry (Blessed Chiara Bedano Young Adult Ministry for ages 20–28), and outreach to the Greenville community, and you have a parish built on the simple rhythm of pray, form, and serve.
Mass times at St. Peter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 11:00 AM–11:45 AM
- Saturday: 3:30 PM–4:30 PM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration — open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in the Adoration Chapel within the Spiritual Life Center
Parish History
St. Peter Catholic Church has served Greenville since 1884. One of the earliest records of Catholic faith in the area is the U.S. Catholic Miscellany's note that Catholics were living in Greenville in March 1828, and the baptismal records in Washington, NC, record Fr. Patrick Coffey's visit in January 1845. Mission priests continued visiting until Servant of God Fr. Thomas Price began regular visits in the 1880s. In 1884 Fr. Price purchased a frame building from the Episcopalians for $50, moved it two blocks to 2nd Street onto a lot given by Colonel Harry Skinner, and founded the parish. In 1926 Fr. Charles Gable, the first resident pastor, built a combined rectory and church with help from the Church Extension Society. The parish grew from 36 parishioners in 1922 to 450 in 1981, 1,160 in 1987, and over 4,594 registered parishioners across 1,600+ families today.
- 1828 — First recorded Catholics in Greenville
- 1845 — Fr. Patrick Coffey visits from Washington, NC
- 1884 — Parish established by Servant of God Fr. Thomas Price, OSFS
- 1926 — First resident pastor, Fr. Charles Gable, builds rectory/church
- 1946 — School opens as St. Raphael's
- 1976 — School renamed St. Peter Catholic School
- 1985 — Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn assume school leadership
- 1987 — Five Passionist priests arrive under Bishop Joseph Gossman
- 1994 — School first in Diocese of Raleigh accredited by SACS/Cognia
- 2010 — Spiritual Life Center completed under Fr. Justin Kerber, C.P.
Clergy and Staff
The parish team includes pastor Fr. Jim Magee, Deacon Art Schneider, and a broad lay staff supporting liturgy, formation, and operations.
- Rev. James J. (Jim) Magee, III — Pastor
- Deacon Arthur (Art) Schneider
- Mrs. Trish Blanchard — Business Operations Manager
- Mrs. Allison McMinn — Business Manager
- Ms. Theresa Marquez — Director of Religious Education
- Mr. Alejandro Oliveros — Director of Music
- Ms. Jennifer Loesner — Director of Stewardship
- Mr. Phillip Walter — High School Youth Ministry
- Mr. Sebastian Perez-Hernandez — Middle School Youth Director
- Mrs. Mary Walter — (parish staff)
- Mrs. Ginny Valentino — (parish staff)
- Mrs. Laurie Stallings — (parish staff)
- Mrs. Joanne Dunn — OCIA Director
- Mrs. Renee Parker — Sacramental Records
- Ms. Holly Henson — Parish Office Extraordinaire
- Mrs. Anai Olivares — Sacramental Coordinator
St. Peter Catholic School
St. Peter Catholic School is the oldest private school in Greenville, founded in 1946 as St. Raphael's (renamed St. Peter in 1976). Originally opened by the Sister Adorers of the Blood of Christ from Pennsylvania, classes were held in a house on West Fifth Street; after a December 1952 fire, the parish rebuilt on East Fifth Street. Today the school serves PK3 through 8th grade with more than 450 students and was the first in the Diocese of Raleigh to earn SACS/Cognia accreditation (1994), with accreditation current through 2027. Graduates have been named Morehead Scholars, Park Scholars, and Fulbright Scholars, and have received appointments to the U.S. Naval and Air Force Academies.
- Founded 1946 as St. Raphael's; renamed St. Peter in 1976
- Staffed by Sister Adorers of the Blood of Christ (1946–1985) then Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn (1985–1999)
- PK3–8, ~450+ students
- Cognia (SACS) accredited through 2027
- Oldest private school in Greenville
Faith Formation, OCIA & Youth Ministry
Religious Education under Director Ms. Theresa Marquez walks children and families through catechesis and sacramental preparation. OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), directed by Mrs. Joanne Dunn, accompanies adults and families seeking Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation. Two youth ministries — High School under Phillip Walter and Middle School under Sebastian Perez-Hernandez — anchor teens in faith and service.
- Religious Education (Director: Theresa Marquez)
- OCIA (Director: Joanne Dunn)
- Middle School Youth Ministry
- High School Youth Ministry
Blessed Chiara Bedano Young Adult Ministry
For young adults aged 20–28, this ministry creates space for fellowship and faith growth — particularly welcome to ECU students and medical-district professionals, and fitting a parish that emphasizes a 'small community feel' within a bigger parish.
- Ages 20–28
- Community, formation, and prayer for young adults
Liturgy & Music
Liturgical life is supported by Mr. Alejandro Oliveros, Director of Music, and the Adult Choir, which welcomes cantors and instrumentalists who rehearse weekly. The parish also has an active Altar Server ministry, supporting the priest at Mass.
- Director of Music: Alejandro Oliveros
- Adult Choir (instrumentalists, cantors)
- Altar Servers
Other Ministries and Groups
Beyond liturgy and formation, St. Peter's lists 30+ ministries and groups. The Creative Fellowship Craft Ministry ('Craft Group') brings together parishioners to share skills and faith. Stewardship under Jennifer Loesner coordinates the parish-wide rhythm of pray-form-serve and service outreach.
- Creative Fellowship Craft Ministry (Craft Group)
- Stewardship Council
- Pastoral Council
- Finance Council
- 30+ ministries and groups
Sacraments
Parish sacramental preparation includes Baptism, First Reconciliation / First Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage preparation, and the Anointing of the Sick. Sacramental Coordinator Mrs. Anai Olivares and Sacramental Records (Mrs. Renee Parker) help families through the process. Sacramental emergencies after hours are handled via the Parish Office messaging system at 252-757-3259.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist
- Confirmation
- Marriage preparation
- OCIA for adults
- Anointing of the Sick
Parish Office, Location & Contact
St. Peter Catholic Church is located at 2700 East Fourth Street, Greenville, NC 27858-1712. The parish office is open Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM–3:00 PM and Friday 9:00 AM–1:00 PM. Phone (252) 757-3259. Email [email protected]. Weekend Masses at 5:00 PM Saturday and 11:15 AM Sunday are livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel.
- Address: 2700 East 4th Street, Greenville, NC 27858-1712
- Phone: (252) 757-3259
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9–3, Fri 9–1
- YouTube livestream for Sat 5 PM and Sun 11:15 AM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Thomas Price, OSFS1884 onward (regular visitations from 1880s)
Founding missionary; Servant of God, known as the 'Tar Heel Apostle'; purchased original frame church for $50.
- Fr. Charles Gablefrom 1926 (36 years)
First resident pastor; built a combined rectory and church with help from the Church Extension Society.
- Fr. Michael Clay
Obtained the services of the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, NY, who administered the school until 1999.
- Fr. Joseph Jones, C.P.1990s
Pastored during explosive growth; launched a multimillion-dollar building program adding a new church, parish hall, parking, gym, and school extensions.
- Fr. Justin Kerber, C.P.1998–2013
Passionist pastor who oversaw construction and completion of the two-story Spiritual Life Center in 2010.
- Rev. James J. (Jim) Magee, III
Current pastor; leads ministries, the Perpetual Adoration Chapel, and ongoing evangelization.