Our Mission
As a growing community of disciples we are to bear witness to the love and compassion of Jesus Christ by our work, worship and hospitality. As a community of faith we are first and foremost nurtured by the Eucharist, so as to become the Body of Christ - Corpus Christi.
Our History
Welcome to Corpus Christi Catholic Community! In 1981, Archbishop Ignatius J. Strecker named a new parish in west Lawrence, as a daughter parish of St. John the Evangelist located downtown. 300-plus families living west of Iowa Street became the founding members of the church of Corpus Christi (The Body of Christ), with Fr. Frank Horvat assigned as founding pastor.
While the initial church building was being constructed at 11th & Kasold, parishioners attended Mass at West Junior High and the 1st Baptist Church (at 13th & Kasold). Within a few years, it became evident that the rapid growth of west Lawrence and our Catholic community meant that we needed a new building and space for a school, which had always been part of the master plan. With Fr. Jim Shaughnessy at the helm, fundraising began as plans were formulated that eventually became this beautiful site at 6001 Bob Billings Parkway. This new Corpus Christi Church and School opened in the fall of 2000, and once again this community moved home.
Fr. Jim, parishioners, artists, and business leaders went to great lengths to take sacred art and architecture into account when building this worship space and educational center. The attention to detail and symbolism is reminiscent of the great edifices built in the Early Church all throughout Europe. The sacred space in which we gather is indeed important, and the symbols and the art actually teach us as we pray and evangelize all those who walk through our doors.
Fr. Mick Mulvany was the third pastor of Corpus Christi, and did much to expand the campus, add on to the school, and grow our community to more than 1400 Catholic families. He always said he felt humbled to lead worship in this beautiful and sacred space.
In July 2020, Fr. Jerry Volz became pastor, faithfully leading the parish through a time of growth and renewal. His thoughtful homilies, deep spirituality, and devotion to the Eucharist inspired many to draw closer to Christ. Fr. Jerry’s commitment to stewardship, parish life, and Catholic education strengthened the spirit of community at Corpus Christi.
Taking over in November 2025, Corpus Christi welcomed Fr. Carter Zielinski as pastor. With gratitude for those who came before him, Fr. Carter looks forward to leading our parish in faith, service, and discipleship, guided by the Holy Spirit.
We welcome you to learn about and tour our spiritual home.
Our community gathering is the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. It is this gathering each week that makes sense of all that we do as a community, and all that we strive to do as individuals the rest of the week. Our parish also has an affiliated parish school that exists as a ministry of the parish — we are one of the few to still exist in the stewardship funding model for Catholic Schools. As a Stewardship Parish, stewardship is at the core of everything that we do; it's our way of responding to God's call for discipleship, in every aspect of our lives.
