An anchor of the Lemon Grove community, St. John of the Cross beautifies the city with its impressive church on the east side of town.
The parish was originally founded in the 1860s as Lemon Grove was being settled, long before it was a city. Hispanic residents were primarily the first parishioners, then later other races joined the church, including Anglos, Filipinos, Chaldeans and African-Americans, reflecting the growing diversity of the region.
The church, on its 4,283-acre campus, has been growing ever since its inception, offering a variety of community activities, from annual barbecues to a wide-ranging musical performance program which is open to the public.
The existing church was dedicated in 1952. Mass is held Mon.-Fri. at 6:30 and 8 a.m.; Saturdays at 8 a.m.; Sundays at 7, 8:30 and 10 a.m., and at 5:30 p.m. Spanish-language mass is held Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Child care is available for children from infants up to five years old during the Sunday 8:30 and 10 a.m. masses.