The Very Reverend Peter Anthony Crivello was born on July 1, 1960 in Monterey. He is the son of Frank and Mary Crivello and brother of Joseph and Providence Crivello. His Father Frank, a native of Trapani, Sicily, came to Monterey in 1951 and his mother Mary is a native of Monterey. His maternal grandparents with his great grandparents came to Monterey in 1917. They originated from small towns east of Palermo, Trabia and San Nicola d' Arena in Sicily.
Father Peter attended Monterey public schools and completed his studies at Monterey Peninsula College in 1981. He was then employed by the Federal Government with the Social Security Administration. In January 1985 he was accepted by the Diocese of Monterey for priestly formation. He attended Saint Joseph's College Seminary, graduating in 1988 as the class valedictorian. In September of 1987 he served as an acolyte for the Papal Mass held at Laguna Seca during the Second Pastoral Visit to the United States of his Holiness John Paul II. He attended Saint Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park for his graduate theological studies and was ordained to the priesthood for Jesus Christ on June 12, 1993. His ordination was celebrated at his home parish, the San Carlos Cathedral of Monterey.
Father Peter has served in four parishes, two as associate pastor, St. Patrick's in Watsonville and Holy Cross Parish in Santa Cruz. After only four years of priestly ministry he was appointed pastor of Resurrection Parish in Aptos, where he led the building of a new church which was completed in 2002. Bishop Sylvester Ryan appointed him Vicar General of the Diocese of Monterey in 2003. He still serves in that capacity and remains a part of Bishop Garcia's Administration Team.
Father Peter came to San Carlos Cathedral in 2004 as pastor where he continues to serve today. He led the Conservation Project to preserve the historic Royal Presidio Chapel / San Carlos Cathedral which was on the endangered list of United States historical sites. Developing both local enthusiasm and working with consultants from different parts of the United States, the Cathedral was retrofitted and restored in 2009 after years of preparation and almost two years of monumental work to preserve its cultural and religious legacy.
First and foremost, Father Peter is a pastor and his heart lies in the building up of the spiritual and communal life of the parish and has facilitated the growth of ministries and programs. In addition, he has served on a variety of committees in the Monterey Diocese. He continues to encourage members of the parish to use their gifts, talents and resources, creating a dynamic parish community where all are welcome to celebrate, learn and reach out to others in the name of Jesus Christ. He is especially grateful for collaboration of the different organizations that support the mission of the parish and is inspired by the generosity of those who have helped the parish to reach out to the hungry and homeless, and all those who come to the parish in need.
Father Peter has a deep passion for his cultural roots stemming from Sicily. He continues to keep in contact with his relatives there, whom he has visited on a number of occasions. While very grateful for the sacrifices of his family to settle in the United States, he possesses a love for his Italian Heritage.
While dedicated to serving all people, he has taken special pride in celebrating mass in Italian for the local faithful for the Solemnity of Saint Joseph and the Feast of the Madonna di Trapani. As pastor he is grateful for the efforts of Festa Italia Santa Rosalia for their continued dedication to continue this local tradition of over eighty years, as well as the ongoing support of the Italian Catholic Federation.
The Very Reverend Peter Crivello is honored to be recognized by the Italian American Cultural Center Foundation.