Although San Pedro officially did not become a parish until 1959, it was the first Catholic community in the Upper Keys since early Spanish missionaries preached to the Callous Indians here in the eighteenth century. The first Mass here was celebrated on Christmas Day, 1952, and was held in an old school house which is now the old wing of the Islamorada Public Library.
The Spanish-style church itself was dedicated in 1955, and it contains art and artifacts from Spain and Italy. The life-size statue of St. Peter which graces the driveway was carved in Italy from Carrera marble. The bin surrounding the statue was made from ballast from the San Pedro, a Spanish vessel which sank in a hurricane in 1733. It is presumed that Archbishop Hurley, the sixth bishop of St. Augustine, selected St. Peter as the patron of the parish because the search for the wreckage of the San Pedro had already begun.
Fr. John D. McGrath, who retired in July of 2002 after nearly 20 years at San Pedro, was only our fourth pastor. It was under his Supervision that our church was expanded and the parish hall and conference center were added. Due to the large number of seasonal parishioners and visitors to the Keys, another wing was constructed in the year 1999.
Fr. John Peloso came to our parish upon Fr.McGrath's retirement in July 2002. His previous two parishs were among the largest in the state of Florida so coming to the Keys was truly an adjustment.
