About St. Stephen · Walnut Creek, California
St. Stephen Parish in Walnut Creek, California was founded on July 1, 1966 by Bishop Floyd L. Begin of the Diocese of Oakland and grew from portions of St. Mary, Christ the King, and St. Perpetua parishes on what had been Sousa-Silva ranch grazing land. Its striking church building, designed by Aaron Green (a former student and partner of Frank Lloyd Wright), was the first phase of a master plan and was dedicated in September 1971. After more than 56 years of independent parish life, on April 23, 2023 Bishop Michael Barber merged St. Stephen with neighboring Christ the King Parish in Pleasant Hill to form Christ the King – St. Stephen Parish, which now operates as one faith community across two worship campuses.
- Established
- 1966
- Patron
- St. Stephen (the first Christian martyr)
- Rector
- Fr. Paulson Mundanmani
- Diocese
- Diocese of Oakland (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Stephen offers a warm, medium-sized community rooted in more than half a century of Catholic life in Walnut Creek, with a beautiful Aaron Green–designed church, a Tongan Catholic community that regularly shapes its liturgies, and active ministries for every age and stage of life. As part of the merged Christ the King – St. Stephen Parish, parishioners benefit from a robust slate of programs — Faith Formation for children and adults, OCIA (formerly RCIA), youth ministry, Confirmation, Junior High ministry, a Healing Mass with Anointing of the Sick, Grief Ministry, Women's Retreats, Faith in Action social-justice work, a St. Vincent de Paul conference, Christmas and Holiday food-box outreach, Christ Light retreats, a Dance Ministry, and First Friday Exposition with Eucharistic Adoration — all supported by a friendly office staff and two worship campuses.
Mass times at St. Stephen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday before the 5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass at St. Stephen (private confessions)
Adoration times
- First Friday Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at St. Stephen Church beginning at 8:15 a.m., followed by Benediction at 8:45 a.m. and Mass at 9:00 a.m.
- Eucharistic Adoration every Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the chapel at the CTK Ministry Center
History of St. Stephen Parish
Founded on July 1, 1966 by Bishop Floyd L. Begin of the Diocese of Oakland, St. Stephen grew from segments of St. Mary, Christ the King, and St. Perpetua parishes on former Sousa-Silva ranch land. The first Mass was celebrated on the First Sunday of Advent 1966 in a temporary 'St. Thrifty's' chapel in the Palos Verdes Shopping Center; the first church building, designed by Aaron Green, opened in September 1971. Through parish-led capital campaigns the parish added the Harry B. Morrison Parish Center (2001–2002), new organ, tile, carpet and landscaping (2003–2006), a new roof (2008), a new Baptismal Font (2009), safety handrails (2011), and an AT&T cell tower providing additional income (2012). On April 23, 2023 Bishop Michael Barber merged St. Stephen with Christ the King Parish in Pleasant Hill to form Christ the King – St. Stephen Parish, operating today as one faith community across two campuses.
- Founded July 1, 1966
- First Mass: November 27, 1966 (First Sunday of Advent)
- First church Mass: September 11, 1971
- Founding pastor: Fr. Joseph F. Keaveny
- Merged with Christ the King: April 23, 2023
Architecture & Campus
St. Stephen Catholic Church is a 14,500-square-foot contemporary structure designed by Aaron G. Green Associates and built into the rolling knolls of a 10-acre sloping site. Aaron Green — a Taliesin-trained architect who became Frank Lloyd Wright's West Coast partner and ran Wright's office for eight years — also designed all liturgical furnishings and the landscape. The nave originally seats 500 and can expand to 800 when interim CCD classroom partitions are removed. The grounds include Dorothy's Garden (a memorial gift from Gil Lazzareschi) with a statue of Mary and a Peace Pole (2006), an Icon of St. Stephen (2007), and an Icon of St. Peter Chanel (2016).
- Architect: Aaron G. Green Associates (Aaron Green)
- Style: Contemporary organic / mid-century modern, in the Frank Lloyd Wright tradition
- Capacity: 500 (expandable to 800)
- Dorothy's Garden, Peace Pole, Icons of St. Stephen and St. Peter Chanel
Clergy & Staff
Christ the King – St. Stephen Parish is led by Pastor Fr. Paulson Mundanmani, with Fr. Lee Chompoochan serving as Associate Pastor. Retired priests Fr. Gerry Moran and Fr. Brian Timoney remain in residence. Two deacons — Deacon Wynn Norona (Baptism Preparation) and Deacon Nelson Gonzales (Youth Minister) — assist with parish life. Sr. Dominic Marie Bonnici, OP serves as Pastoral Associate, and Chris Lang serves as Pastoral Associate for the St. Stephen Campus. The parish office team includes Office Manager Helen Christian and Office Administrator Kathy Ridgway, with Marlen Benitez and Mark Hall handling facilities and grounds.
- Fr. Paulson Mundanmani, Pastor
- Fr. Lee Chompoochan, Associate Pastor
- Fr. Gerry Moran (Retired)
- Fr. Brian Timoney (Retired)
- Deacon Wynn Norona
- Deacon Nelson Gonzales
- Sr. Dominic Marie Bonnici, OP (Pastoral Associate)
- Chris Lang (Pastoral Associate, St. Stephen)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation is coordinated by Co-Director Teresa Gonzales and Religious Education Administrator Rosa Panelli. The program serves children from PreK through 8th grade with Religious Education classes, Junior High Ministry, and a two-year Confirmation program. Adult formation is provided through OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), coordinated by Tom Bobich, and through the parish's signature Christ Light retreat weekends, a Cursillo-based experience that has drawn more than 500 participants over 18 years.
- PreK–8 Religious Education
- Junior High Ministry
- Confirmation Program
- OCIA (adult initiation)
- Christ Light Retreat (Cursillo-based)
Music & Liturgy
Music Ministry at Christ the King – St. Stephen is coordinated by Jennifer Bennett. The team includes Choir Directors Angela Borba and Susan Comber (who also serves as pianist), pianist Lan Tran, and cantors Lynn Guidi and Monique Belusa. The parish's Tongan Catholic community regularly provides music for major liturgies, including the Feast of St. Stephen anniversary kick-off Mass on December 26. Healing Masses with Anointing of the Sick are offered periodically throughout the year.
- Music Ministry Coordinator: Jennifer Bennett
- Choir Directors: Angela Borba, Susan Comber
- Pianists: Susan Comber, Lan Tran
- Cantors: Lynn Guidi, Monique Belusa
- Tongan choir for major feasts
Outreach & Social Justice
Outreach flows through several active ministries. The St. Vincent de Paul Conference sponsors the annual Advent Giving Tree (benefiting Hillcrest Congregational Church's Layette Program) and organizes Holiday Food Boxes for families facing food insecurity. The Faith in Action Committee partners with Catholic Worker, Monument Crisis Center, Hillcrest Church, and other local organizations to serve the homeless, hungry, immigrants, refugees, and the disadvantaged, and to advocate for social-justice policy reform at the local and state level. The parish also runs a Grief Ministry that meets throughout the year, including an annual Friendsgiving potluck.
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference
- Advent Giving Tree
- Holiday Food Boxes
- Faith in Action Committee
- Grief Ministry
- Monument Crisis Center partnership
Community Life & Events
Parish community life is marked by a deep tradition of lay involvement, with more than 30 ministries spanning liturgical, spiritual, and social committees. Regular events include the annual Women's Retreat (held at the St. Stephen Parish Hall), a new Dance Ministry offering Friday Night Line Dancing for all ages, a Young Families Ministry, New Parishioner Welcome events, and seasonal celebrations. The parish celebrated its first CTK–SS Anniversary Year with a Feast of St. Stephen Mass on December 26 featuring the Tongan choir and a parish-hall potluck.
- Women's Retreat (annual)
- Friday Night Line Dancing
- Young Families Ministry
- New Parishioner Welcome
- Feast of St. Stephen celebration (Dec. 26)
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Baptism is prepared through Deacon Wynn Norona; First Eucharist and Confirmation are prepared through the Faith Formation programs; adult initiation is through OCIA; Marriage begins by contacting the parish office; Anointing of the Sick is offered at the parish Healing Masses; and Reconciliation is heard privately on Saturdays before the 5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass at St. Stephen and from 3:00–3:30 p.m. at the Christ the King campus.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- First Eucharist
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
- Reconciliation
- OCIA
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph F. Keaveny1966 (founding pastor)
First pastor of St. Stephen; the parish street Keaveny Court is named in his honor.