The St Peter church which is located in Jaffa, was founded by the Franciscan order between the years 1888-1894. During the 17th century Franciscan monks began to arrive to Jaffa (which in those days was desolate) who built a hotel for the Jerusalem pilgrims, called the casa nova.
During the Jaffa occupation in 1799 the Franciscan hotel was used by napoleon and his army. The church of St peter was the main church for the Catholics in Jaffa prior to the St Antonius church which was built in 1932.