Christ the King Parish sits on a rise overlooking South Main Street in Lombard, Illinois, the kind of place longtime parishioners describe as the Church on a Hill, in a Park, where Christ is King. The parish grounds stretch across ten acres of landscaping shaped by pastor and parishioner hands over more than six decades, and the parish complex - a church dedicated in 1981, a rectory, and a Parish Life Center added in 2007 - forms the heart of a Roman Catholic community of more than 1,400 families at the time of its 2010 census. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Joliet and to the Eastern DuPage Deanery, and its mission is summed up in two phrases: Loving Christ, Loving Others, and Growing in Faith, and Building for the Future, through Christ our King.
Mass Times, Reconciliation, and Adoration
The weekend Mass schedule is Saturday Vigil at 4:00 p.m. and Sunday at 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Weekday Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered Saturday afternoons from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m., or by appointment. Eucharistic Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament follows the 8:30 a.m. Mass each Wednesday and continues until noon.
Parish office hours run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to noon, with the office closed on Friday. Mass intentions, anointing requests, and funeral arrangements are coordinated through the rectory at 630-629-1717, extension 1. Services are livestreamed on YouTube so that parishioners who are homebound or traveling can keep up with the Sunday liturgy.
The Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, and frames its sacramental life around the Eucharist as the source and summit of Christian life. Baptism is ordinarily celebrated for infants shortly after birth, with parents asked to attend a preparation meeting; adult baptisms take place at the Easter Vigil through the restored Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. To schedule baptism preparation, families call 630-629-1717, extension 2.
First Holy Communion preparation is a two-year process undertaken in the lower elementary grades, with the parish noting that a child ought to be attending Mass with the family and have already received the Sacrament of Penance. Confirmation is celebrated by the bishop and perfects baptismal grace; an adult, sixteen years of age or older, who wishes to be confirmed may contact the parish office. The Sacrament of Penance follows the four steps of contrition, confession, absolution, and commitment. Reconciliation is heard Saturday afternoons or by appointment with Fr. Jeff at 630-396-6079.
The Anointing of the Sick is offered to anyone struggling with illness, not only those near death, and may be received more than once. A communal St. Peregrine Service for those seeking healing is celebrated the second Saturday of each month at 11:00 a.m. in the church. Marriage preparation asks couples to allow eight months before the wedding date, which is reserved after an initial meeting with the pastor. Holy Orders, conferred through the laying on of hands by a bishop, continues the mission entrusted by Christ to the apostles in the ordained ministries of bishop, priest, and deacon.
A Parish Born in 1960
Christ the King Parish was founded on August 31, 1960, when Bishop Martin McNamara established the new community with 300 families. Father James Gilbride was appointed founding pastor and set up a rectory at 1540 South Highland Avenue on the corner at 16th Street. Father Gilbride organized a Holy Name Society and a Council of Catholic Women, who threw a shower to furnish the new rectory kitchen. He served only 72 days before dying suddenly of a strep infection the morning after a CCW meeting.
Father John Mayer arrived just before the old Feast of Christ the King, celebrated on the last Sunday in October, and presided at the parish's first dance held at a nearby firehouse. Sunday Mass was first celebrated at Glenbard East High School, and weekday Mass at the rectory. During Father Mayer's pastorate, the people of Christ the King raised $350,000 and built the first church and school. Christ the King School opened in 1963 with third through sixth grades, adding a grade each year until all eight grades were in place, staffed from the start by the Order of Felician Sisters, whose convent stood at 1520 South Highland Avenue.
One of the early parishioners was Mike Ditka, then a new Chicago Bears player, who built a home in the subdivision just south of Glenbard East High School. He and his wife were active in fundraising, and Ditka and teammate Johnny Morris served as announcers at a parish fashion show and luncheon at the Elmhurst Country Club, with several Bears wives modeling and Ditka's three-year-old son Michael parading down the runway.
Father Frederick Golden took over in 1967 after Father Mayer's death and guided the parish through the early 1970s, paying off the original mortgage. Father John Ryan was named the parish's fourth pastor in 1976 and teamed with parishioner Al Pospischil to develop the park-like landscaping that gives the grounds their character; Pospischil built the grotto near the school, dedicated with an outdoor Mass. A new rectory on Main Street replaced the cramped quarters on Highland Avenue, and a pledge drive raised $850,000 to build the present church, designed by Arthur Kefer and Associates and dedicated by Bishop Joseph Imesch on December 19, 1981.
Father Michael Valente served from 1988 to 1994 and oversaw a kindergarten addition to the school and a new main altar dedicated by Bishop Roger Kaffer for the parish's 35th anniversary. Father James Dvorscak took over in 1994 and during his pastorate the parish debt was paid off, the church was renovated with new pews and carpeting and a more prominent tabernacle, and the parish began its partnership with Congregation Etz Chaim through the overnight PADS shelter program. He also moved the celebration of Midnight Mass to 10:30 p.m. with carols beginning at 10:00 p.m., and in 2009 it seemed Pope Benedict XVI had caught on to the Christ the King tradition.
Father Peter Jarosz was appointed pastor in June 2002 and served for twelve years. He shepherded the long-planned Parish Life Center project, breaking ground on Palm Sunday in 2006 and dedicating the new building in May 2007. In June 2014 Bishop Daniel James Conlon determined an exchange of pastors would be beneficial and appointed Father Jeff Stoneberg, who was formally installed by Bishop Conlon at a Mass on August 31, 2014.
The Building and Grounds
The Parish Life Center is a $3.1 million project designed by Plunkett Raysich Architects LLP of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The two-story addition on the east side of the church added 7,000 square feet of new space and renovated another 11,000 square feet, with an elevator, two-level entrances, new restrooms, and a large kitchen. The following year the parking lot was regraded and the traffic pattern revised, with a storm water storage area and wetland added to address the long-standing drainage problems that once produced the legendary Lake Louise in the playground after a heavy rain.
The result is a campus where worship, formation, fellowship, and service share a single connected complex. Worship aides, religious education classes, RCIA meetings, Coffee with Christ, Knights of Columbus gatherings, and parish festivals all flow through the same halls, with the elevator making the lower-level entrances accessible to those who find the older approach to the church a steep climb.
Music that Lifts the Assembly
Music has been part of the parish from its earliest years. Ernie Burmeister started the choir and Margaret Rehmer played the church organ; in 1985 Sharon Roberts directed the adult choir for the 25th anniversary Mass. Bill Runge began as organist for the 7:30 a.m. Mass in 1988 and became music director in 1997, leading the adult choir, teen ensemble, adult ensemble, women's schola, and a children's choir until 2014. Father Jeff named Vince Zaprzal as the parish's part-time music director in August 2014, and Vince added the duties of Coordinator of Liturgy a year later. Chris Gualberto now serves as Music Director and Coordinator of Liturgy.
The Music Ministry offers several ways for parishioners to take part. The King's Choir sings at the 10 a.m. Mass on the first and third Sunday of each month from September through June, with rehearsals on the Wednesday evening before singing, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. There is no audition to join. The Resurrection Choir leads song at funeral Masses, with no commitment to sing at every funeral - members come when they can. The Youth Choir rehearses an hour before Mass on the second Sunday of the month, from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., and leads music at the 10:00 Mass; it is open to all youth second grade and older. Cantors lead music when the choirs are not scheduled, with a monthly rehearsal required and an audition scheduled in advance.
The parish also invites parishioners to volunteer for the Ensemble and the Cantor Program as part of the broader Music Ministry.
Religious Education for Children
Children's Faith Formation at Christ the King is built on the conviction that parents are the primary educators of their children, and that faith is caught more than it is taught. The parish provides age-appropriate retreats for everyone, intergenerational learning, monthly prayer services that include parents, and family service opportunities. Religious Education classes meet for grades 1 through 8 on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. or on Sundays from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Tuition runs from $325 for one child to $375 for three or more, with an additional $50 charge per child for families not registered at Christ the King or Ascension of Our Lord Parish, and late fees of $50 after August 1 and $100 after September 1. Michelle Dal Pino serves as Director of Faith Formation and can be reached at 630-396-6090.
Sacramental preparation is woven through the program. Second graders preparing for First Communion tour the church and attend a special retreat. Fifth- and sixth-graders present the Passion Play on the last Sunday of class before Easter. Eighth-graders take part in a Living Stations of the Cross at 3:00 p.m. on Good Friday and, since 2008, attend a series of retreats rather than weekly classroom sessions in their Confirmation preparation. A Living Nativity program helps younger children experience the Christmas story more fully. The parish has offered the Generations of Faith program since 2007 so that older and younger members can share their faith together several times a year.
Adult Faith Formation
Adults have their own opportunities to study the Sunday readings and grow in prayer. Coffee with Christ is a weekly gathering with Michelle Dal Pino on Thursday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Adult Faith Formation Center, located in the old school building, looking at the upcoming Sunday readings together. Break Open the Word is a Thursday group studying the readings for the coming Sunday. A Bible study meets on Wednesday evenings. Live Your Faith, a Saturday morning reading and reflection group, gathers from 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall. Kids Club, a playgroup for parents and their younger children, meets the first Saturday of each month from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the library of the Faith Formation Center. Adult faith formation is part of the broader commission structure that includes Generations of Faith, Marriage Preparation, RCIA, and Youth Ministry.
Becoming Catholic and Returning Catholics
For adults who want to become Catholic, the parish offers the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, the communal process for formal initiation of new members into the Church that returns to the formation of the earliest members in the first and second centuries. Inquirers are invited to learn more through the parish's Newcomers area. Adults and children who have been baptized in a valid Christian church are not baptized again in the Catholic Church; the Nicene Creed professes one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
For Catholics who have drifted away from regular practice and want to come home, the parish encourages them to return, noting that the Church misses them and hopes they will choose to come home as active members. The parish highlights the Catholics Come Home initiative as a resource for inactive Catholics and others searching for a faith home. The parish's beliefs section summarizes core Catholic teaching in plain language: belief in the Holy Trinity, in the communion of saints, in the Incarnation, in Jesus' crucifixion, death, and resurrection, and in stewardship of time, talent, and treasure.
Worship Ministries
The parish's liturgical life is supported by a wide range of lay ministries coordinated through the Worship Commission. Altar Servers, drawn from fourth graders through high schoolers, assist the priest at the altar and may serve individually or as a family. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist with the distribution of the Body and Blood of Christ at every Mass; they must be practicing Catholics who have received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Readers proclaim the readings from Scripture (except the Gospel) and announce the General Intercessions in the absence of a deacon. Ushers and Greeters form the welcoming face of the parish, meeting and greeting all who enter, assisting with the weekly collection, and reaching out especially to newcomers. Art and Environment maintains the atmosphere of natural beauty and prayer in the worship space. Sacristans set up the vessels and other needs in preparation for weekday and weekend liturgies.
Council of Catholic Women
Christ the King's Council of Catholic Women traces back to the early years of the parish, founded about four years after the parish began. The CCW is part of the National Council of Catholic Women, established at the request of the U.S. Bishops in 1921, and is affiliated with the Joliet Diocesan Council. Meetings are usually held on the third Monday of the month, September through May.
The CCW is known for several long-running projects. Martha's Circle provides a luncheon after funerals, with women of the parish donating salads, desserts, and side dishes and serving the meal. The White Elephant Sale, a cookie walk, and a Christmas craft sale began in 1970. The first Italianfest in the mid-1970s, with fried bread and Italian beef sandwiches with peppers, helped finish the kitchen of the new rectory on Main Street, and in its strongest years raised up to $35,000 for parish expenses. The CCW also plants the rose garden in honor of the pro-life movement, leads the Living Rosary in October, and organizes the St. Joseph's Table meal each March to raise money for the poor. Officers for 2026-2027 include President Michele Pitello, Vice President Mary Maderak, Treasurer Mary Ellen Clish, Recording Secretary Maria Flores, and Corresponding Secretary Sue Narozny; Maria Flores was named 2026 Woman of the Year.
Knights of Columbus Council 11027
Christ the King Council 11027 of the Knights of Columbus was founded in 1993 and is part of the worldwide fraternal organization whose principles center on Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. Council activities support the parish through local charitable projects as well as national initiatives such as Special Olympics, the Global Wheelchair Mission, Habitat for Humanity, Food for Families, and Coats for Kids. The council hosts business meetings, officer meetings, social events, and an annual Oktoberfest, and partners with the parish in the Tootsie Roll campaign. Officers for 2025-2026 include Grand Knight Dick Clish, Deputy Grand Knight Ray Wojkovich, Recorder Mike DePhillips, Financial Secretary Frank Frydrych, and Treasurer Jim Krupka. Catholic men interested in joining may contact Rick Cosenza or visit the Knights of Columbus website, entering Council 11027 as the preferred local council.
St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry
The parish operates a Saint Vincent de Paul Society Food Pantry that serves neighbors within the deanery. The pantry is open on Mondays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and items are pre-bagged and delivered to the recipient's vehicle. The pantry collects produce, meat, and bakery items from local store pickups, but relies on donations of shelf-stable commodities. Current needs include canned or packaged chicken, unsweetened cereals, spaghetti, pasta, beans, salsa, barbecue and pasta sauce, applesauce, canned fruit, canned single meals such as chili or SpaghettiOs, Hamburger Helper, egg noodles, body wipes, shampoo, deodorant, plastic bags, and laundry and dish detergent; cans with pop-top lids are especially welcome.
The pantry is one expression of the parish's broader service outreach. Other service ministries coordinated through the Service Commission include PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) at Congregation Etz Chaim, Ministers of Care, Ministers of Consolation, Ministers of Praise, Newcomers, Martha's Circle, Prayer Shawl Ministry, and St. Joseph's Table.
Pastoral and Finance Councils
Pastoral activity is guided by the Christ the King Parish Pastoral Council, established under Canon Law 536, with the pastor presiding and council members offering consultative help in fostering pastoral activity. The Council consists of the pastor, two representatives from each of the parish's three commissions (Worship, Faith Formation, and Service), one representative from each core team, and up to two at-large members. The Parish Vision Statement is Growing in Faith, and Building for the Future, through Christ our King, and the Parish Mission Statement calls the parish to enlighten and share faith in God by welcoming and reaching out to all persons so that together the community can grow closer to God in the sacramental life of the Church, respond with compassion to spiritual and corporal needs, share the gifts entrusted to it, and meet the challenges of today's world with wisdom.
The Christ the King Parish Finance Council works on the current budgeting for the parish and its programs and provides ongoing financial monitoring of parish income and expenses in preparation for approval by the Diocese of Joliet.
Filipino Traditions and the Holy Trinity Prayer Community
Two prayer traditions give Christ the King a particular flavor. The Our Lady of Fatima Holy Trinity Prayer Group was established about a generation ago and meets on Fridays at 2:00 p.m. Its vision is to bring people to a personal relationship with Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with the Fire of the Holy Spirit. The Filipino community at the parish gathers for Simbang Gabi, the Filipino tradition and novena of nine Masses before Christmas, with Bishop Joseph Imesch having approved the novena to be celebrated in the evening rather than at dawn as in the Philippines. The DuPage Simbang Gabi Cluster was formed to involve the Filipino communities from different area churches, with Rory Villamin and the late Deacon Rudy Molano helping to organize the celebration. Today the Filipino community of Christ the King keeps this yearly tradition as part of the Advent season and the preparation for the birth of the Prince of Peace.
Funerals and the St. Peregrine Healing Service
When a loved one dies, the family first calls the funeral director and then contacts the parish at 630-629-1717 extension 2 to plan the funeral liturgy. Local funeral directors have the parish readings on hand, and the parish also provides them online along with a music selection handout. The parish partners with Catholic Cemeteries of Joliet for guidance and direction. The Mercy of God prayer used at the Mass of Christian Burial is offered as a reminder of God's promise to gather all the faithful in Christ.
For those seeking the special grace of healing, the St. Peregrine Service is celebrated the second Saturday of each month at 11:00 a.m. in the church. Those who wish to be anointed in a case of emergency illness or death are encouraged to contact the rectory at extension 1.
Getting Involved and Staying Connected
The parish depends on a wide circle of volunteers. The volunteer form lists areas of service grouped by commission: Christian Service, Faith Formation, Administration, and Worship. From Bible Study and Baptismal Preparation to Building and Grounds, Stewardship Analysis, Eucharistic Adoration, the Prayer Shawl Ministry, and the Holy Trinity Lady of Fatima Prayer Community, there are dozens of ways to share time and talent. Adult faith formation also extends to a Deaf Ministry and an Early Learning Academy. The parish publishes a weekly bulletin with the most recent news and event information, and the pastor's letter, From the Pastor's Desk, goes out most weeks. Christ the King Parish can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/ctklombard, with the bishop's monthly column and diocesan news linked from the parish site as well. New parishioners, returning Catholics, those inquiring about becoming Catholic, and visitors are all warmly welcomed to register, attend, and take part.