About St. Peter the Apostle · White Settlement, Texas
St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in White Settlement, Texas, a suburb just west of Fort Worth. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Fort Worth and serves the historic west-side community of White Settlement from its campus on South Cherry Lane. The parish is paired with St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Classical School, a Pre-K through 8th-grade academy that shares the parish campus, and is well known for its St. Teresa of Calcutta Perpetual Adoration Oratory and daily Eucharistic adoration.
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- St. Peter the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Alexander Ambrose, HGN
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Worth
Why belong here
St. Peter the Apostle offers a welcoming, bilingual Catholic community on Fort Worth's west side with a strong devotional life centered on the Eucharist — daily Mass four days a week and continuous weekday adoration (9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) in the St. Teresa of Calcutta Perpetual Adoration Oratory. Families benefit from an on-site Pre-K through 8th-grade Catholic classical school, an active youth ministry for grades 6–8, sacramental preparation programs (including OCIA adapted for children), and outreach through the parish's St. Vincent de Paul conference. With regular confessions on Saturdays, Spanish and English Masses every weekend, and ministries spanning marriage formation, religious education, and Knights of Columbus fellowship, the parish combines small-parish warmth with the resources of a larger Catholic campus.
Mass times at St. Peter the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 4:45 PM (in the church, before Saturday Vigil Masses)
Adoration times
- Monday: 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM (in the church)
- Thursday: 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM (in the church)
- Monday–Friday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM (St. Teresa of Calcutta Perpetual Adoration Oratory)
Parish Identity and Diocese
St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, serving the city of White Settlement and the western edge of Fort Worth, Texas. It is officially recognized by the diocese and listed in the diocesan parish finder. The parish is bilingual (English and Spanish) and operates alongside its parish school under one pastoral team.
- Diocese of Fort Worth parish
- Address: 1201 S. Cherry Lane, White Settlement, TX 76108
- Phone: 817-246-3622
- Website: stpeterfw.com
- Bilingual ministry (English and Spanish)
History of St. Peter the Apostle (1949–Present)
The parish began in 1949 as the White Settlement Catholic Mission, serving Catholic families drawn to the area by the wartime bomber plant at Liberator Village. Over more than seven decades it has grown from a borrowed recreation-hall Mass to a campus with a dedicated church (1996), parish hall (1988), St. Teresa of Calcutta Perpetual Adoration Oratory (2017), and a new narthex blessed in 2023.
- Oct. 23, 1949 – First Mass in Liberator Village recreation hall, by Rev. Joseph M. Thomas (Assoc. Pastor, St. Alice).
- 1950–1951 – 8½ acres purchased for $12,000.
- Sept. 1952 – Barracks building from St. Alice moved onto property; opens as mission school (K–1).
- June 1953 – School building converted into a chapel.
- Jan. 30, 1953 – Mission becomes SS. Peter and Paul Parish; Rev. Joseph Erbrick named first pastor.
- Jan. 8, 1954 – SS. Peter and Paul divided into St. Peter the Apostle and St. Paul the Apostle.
- Aug. 12, 1961 – Bishop Gorman transfers 136 families from St. Alice into St. Peter.
- 1988 – Groundbreaking for new Parish Hall.
- May 14, 1995 – Groundbreaking for new church.
- Oct. 27, 1996 – Dedication of new church.
- June 2017 – Youth Center remodeled; Saint Teresa of Calcutta Perpetual Adoration Chapel created.
- Jan. 21, 2023 – Groundbreaking for new narthex.
- Nov. 20, 2023 – Blessing of completed narthex by Bishop Edward J. Burns.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by a priest-pastor supported by four deacons and parish staff who oversee faith formation, marriage preparation, religious education, business operations, and outreach.
- Pastor: Rev. Alexander Ambrose, HGN
- Deacon: Dcn. Rigoberto Leyva
- Deacon: Dcn. Wendell Geiger
- Deacon: Dcn. Steve Holton
- Deacon: Dcn. Alan Franklin
- Bookkeeper: Angelica Delgado
- Director of Religious Education: Yasmin Cuevas (ext. 304)
- Marriage / Funeral / Tribunal Coordinator: Elvia Acevedo (ext. 303)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Peter the Apostle spans cradle-to-adult, with sacramental preparation for children and youth through the Order of Christian Initiation adapted for children (OCIA Children & Youth), weekly Religious Education classes, and a middle-school youth ministry.
- Director of Religious Education: Yasmin Cuevas
- OCIA adapted for Children & Youth (ages 7–16), Sundays 11:00 AM–12:30 PM
- Religious Education for parish children
- Youth Ministry for Grades 6–8 (Ministerio Juvenil) — bilingual
Youth Ministry (Grades 6–8)
The Saint Peter the Apostle Youth Ministry works to form genuine relationships among teens and to motivate them toward a life shaped by the Holy Spirit and the teaching of the Church. Programming is offered in both English and Spanish.
- Mission: form genuine, transparent relationships guided by the Holy Spirit
- Engages teens in current issues through the lens of Catholic teaching
- Bilingual: English and Spanish offerings
Marriage Preparation
Couples preparing for marriage at St. Peter the Apostle are asked to begin 9–12 months in advance. The parish offers sponsor couples (volunteer married mentor couples), a required marriage formation class, and assistance with convalidation for those previously civilly married.
- 9–12 month preparation timeline recommended
- Coordinator: Elvia Acevedo (ext. 303)
- Sponsor Couples ministry for engaged couples
- Do not set a wedding date before meeting with the coordinator
- Must be registered parishioners
Parish School: St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Classical School
Sharing the Cherry Lane campus with the parish is the parish school, St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Classical School, a Pre-K through 8th-grade academy in the Diocese of Fort Worth. The school is led by a Head of School with a classical curriculum that includes religion, art, music, and PE.
- Pre-K through 8th grade
- Pastor's involvement: Rev. Alexander Ambrose (HGN)
- Head of School listed on faculty roster
- Classical curriculum (religion, art, music, PE)
- Accredited by state-recognized body
Outreach and Charity
The parish's principal outreach arm is its St. Vincent de Paul Society conference, which serves neighbors in need across White Settlement and surrounding west Fort Worth communities. Vincentian meetings are held on the parish campus.
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference at St. Peter the Apostle (svdpwstx.com)
- Hotline: 1-817-595-6909
- [email protected]
- Meetings 1st and 3rd Mondays in the Knights of Columbus building on campus
- Part of the Diocese of Fort Worth District Council of SVDP
Sacraments
St. Peter the Apostle celebrates all the usual Catholic sacraments: Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation (often through OCIA adapted), Matrimony, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, and Funeral arrangements.
- Baptism: through parish preparation; older children via OCIA adapted
- Eucharist / Confirmation: through Religious Education and OCIA adapted
- Marriage: 9–12 month preparation with Elvia Acevedo
- Confession: Saturday 3:00–4:45 PM
- Anointing of the Sick: by request
- Funeral arrangements: coordinated through parish office (Elvia Acevedo)
Devotions and Special Spaces
In addition to weekday Mass and Eucharistic adoration, the parish maintains two devotional spaces on its campus that are open to parishioners and visitors.
- Chapel of Saint Pio (Capilla de San Pio)
- St. Teresa of Calcutta Perpetual Adoration Oratory (weekdays 9 AM–8 PM)
- Doorway to the Sacred — adult formation resource
- Parish Eucharistic Revival Year programming
Recent Milestones and Photo Archives
The parish website maintains photo galleries documenting recent events and milestones, including the blessing of the new narthex.
- Narthex Completion and Blessing (Nov. 20, 2023) — 66 photos
- 2023 Narthex Addition Ground Breaking Ceremony — 27 photos
- 2022 Advent Mission with Friar Mario Serrano — 5 photos
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph M. Thomas1949
Associate Pastor of St. Alice; celebrated the very first Mass for the White Settlement Catholic Mission on October 23, 1949 in Liberator Village.
- Rev. Joseph Erbrick1953
First Pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Parish upon its formal establishment on January 30, 1953.
- Fr. Cruz Manuel Holguin Ogaz2016–2020
Pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish; previously a parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception (Denton), St. Matthew (Arlington), and St. John the Apostle (North Richland Hills); appointed Pastor of All Saints Parish in Fort Worth after his time at St. Peter's. Died Sept. 20, 2025.
- Rev. Alexander Ambrose, HGN2020–present
Current pastor; member of the HGN religious congregation.