History of
St. Stephen Deacon and Martyr Church

• The parish was established by Bishop Raymundo Peña on 9 July 1986.
• Before there was a permanent building the community held Sunday Masses at Desert View Middle School.  
• Construction of Phase I -- The Parish Hall and offices-- began on 1 July 1991.  The Hall was blessed for use for worship by Bishop Peña on 12 January 1992.
• Phase II soon followed, the construction of additional classrooms.
• Phase III of the project, the church, began 2 December 2007 with Mass and groundbreaking ceremony with Bishop Armando Ochoa presiding. 
• Construction of the new church began in January 2008. 
• The first celebration of Sunday Eucharist in the church was held on Saturday, 24 January 2009. 
• Bishop Ochoa celebrated the Rite of Dedication on Friday, 21 August 2009.