A Parish on Aliso Viejo Parkway
Corpus Christi Catholic Church sits along Aliso Viejo Parkway in the heart of Aliso Viejo, a city in south Orange County. The parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange and has grown from its early years into a busy community known within the diocese for its fellowship and its unusually wide range of ministries. Longtime members often describe the parish as having a small-town feel, and visitors quickly sense it: the building is set back from the road, the gathering space is easy to navigate, and the same faces return week after week.
The parish's mission is short and direct: Love God. Love Others. Grow. Serve. Proclaim. Everything at Corpus Christi, from the daily Mass schedule to the Wednesday Adoration hours to the many small-group ministries, is built around those five words.
Mass, Confession, and Eucharistic Adoration
Weekend Mass is offered Saturday at 5:00 PM and Sunday at 8:00, 10:00, and 12:00 noon. The 10:00 AM Sunday Mass is also livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel, which makes it possible for homebound parishioners, those who travel, and anyone who cannot be in the Grand Hall on Sunday to participate. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM. On Holy Days, there is a 6:30 PM vigil Mass the evening before and 8:00 AM and 6:30 PM Masses on the day itself.
Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons from 3:30 to 4:30 PM in the church. Outside of that window, appointments can be made by calling the parish office and speaking with Fr. Brandon directly.
Eucharistic Adoration is held every Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the church for twelve continuous hours. The parish strongly encourages Adorers to sign up for a committed hour so the Lord is never left alone in the tabernacle, but all are welcome to come and pray for any length of time. The parish's own teaching on Adoration draws on the Catholic belief that the bread and wine consecrated at Mass become truly the Body and Blood of Christ, and that time spent in the presence of the exposed Blessed Sacrament is an opportunity for spiritual intimacy with the Lord.
The Seven Sacraments
Corpus Christi prepares parishioners for each of the seven Catholic sacraments. Infant baptism is generally celebrated within the first year of a child's life, with a private formation session for parents and individual family baptisms rather than group rites. Older children preparing for baptism follow the RCIA adapted for children, while unbaptized adults enter the Church through OCIA. First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are prepared over a two-year journey that includes the FISH program, a Word of Life workbook, Faith Family Fellowship Sundays, and a Sacramental Preparation Retreat. Confirmation is offered to teens through the C1 and C2 program, and to adults through a four-week adult confirmation preparation.
Couples preparing for marriage are asked to contact the parish office at least six months in advance. Anointing of the Sick is arranged through the parish office for those who are ill, hospitalized, or preparing for surgery, and an emergency line is available when a priest is needed immediately at a hospital. Bereavement and funeral arrangements are coordinated through the parish office. Men exploring a call to the priesthood are invited to contact Fr. Brandon directly.
Faith Formation from Kindergarten Through High School
Brianna Solorio directs Children's Faith Formation, a kindergarten through fifth-grade program that meets Wednesday evenings during the school year. Children who are not yet in kindergarten are welcomed into AngelFish, a gentle introduction to the Catholic faith built around simple lessons, joyful activities, and the loving example of older students. The two-year FISH curriculum, which builds on the Word of Life workbook, prepares children for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation. Teachers and aides are needed each year, and the parish welcomes youth aides as well.
During Sunday Mass, children in transitional kindergarten through fifth grade may leave after the opening prayer for the Children's Liturgy of the Word, or CLOW. Lay presiders lead them through the readings in age-appropriate language, with music, prayer, and reflection, before the children return to their families before Communion. CLOW is free, and no advance registration is required.
Youth Ministry, led by Director Abraham Gonzalez, gathers middle and high school students in three distinct groups. EDGE, the middle school ministry, meets Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. High school youth nights meet Tuesdays from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Confirmation preparation is a two-year journey called C1 and C2, with sessions on Sundays from 11:15 AM to 1:00 PM, following the 10:00 AM Mass. All three programs blend catechesis, prayer, small-group discussion, and service, and each runs on its own annual calendar.
SKIPS: Faith Formation for Students with Disabilities
One of the parish's most distinctive ministries is Special Kids in Prayer and Sacraments, or SKIPS. SKIPS serves students with special needs in two age groups, 6 to 13 and 14 to 22, and exists to make the sacraments and faith formation accessible to every child. Classes are intentionally small, with a capacity of five students per catechist, and each student must be accompanied by a safe-environment adult aide, ideally a parent or sibling. A home study option is available for students who cannot attend in person. Families re-register each year, and an interest list is forming for the coming year.
LIFT: Ladies in Faith Together
LIFT is the parish's multi-generational women's Bible study, open to all women eighteen and older. The program is coordinated by Catherine "Cate" Emley and follows a 24-week study of the Gospel of Matthew using Ascension Press materials and video lessons by Jeff Cavins and Sarah Christmyer. Small groups meet weekly in four different time slots across the week: Tuesday mornings from 9:00 to 11:30 AM, Wednesday evenings over Zoom from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, all in classrooms on the south side of the parish campus near the parking lot.
The annual LIFT membership fee is $40, and the year runs from early September through the week after Easter, with a one-week break between the fall and spring halves. The spring retreat is held at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, the seat of the Diocese of Orange. In addition to weekly study, LIFT members gather monthly for a First Friday Devotional after the 8:00 AM Mass, and throughout the year for socials, retreats, and service opportunities. The program is designed to be flexible and welcoming to women of all ages, from those new to Scripture to those who have studied it for years.
Becoming Catholic, Adult Confirmation, and Welcome Home
For adults who have never been baptized, or who were baptized in another Christian tradition, the parish offers the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, or OCIA. OCIA is the formal process through which adults enter the Catholic Church, and participants are received into the Church at the Easter Vigil Mass. Yani Tanorie serves as the OCIA Volunteer Registrar and walks inquirers through the first steps.
For baptized Catholics eighteen and older who have not yet been confirmed, the parish offers a four-week Adult Confirmation preparation each year, coordinated by John Misuraca.
For Catholics who have been away from the practice of their faith, Corpus Christi runs a separate Welcome Home ministry, a one-on-one effort to listen, to answer questions, and to walk returning Catholics back into the life of the parish. Alyssa Eugenio, the Parish Life Director, leads this work and personally invites anyone who feels distant from the Church to consider returning.
Caring for One Another: Stephen Ministry, the Sick, and the Online Prayer Team
Stephen Ministry at Corpus Christi is a confidential, one-to-one caregiving ministry in which trained volunteers walk alongside people going through grief, illness, relationship struggles, and other difficult seasons. Stephen Ministers complete fifty hours of training and are then supported by a team of Stephen Leaders. The parish emphasizes that Stephen Ministers are not counselors and do not try to fix anyone's troubles; they simply provide love, care, and support when it is most needed. One care receiver described being matched with a Stephen Minister at a parish ministry fair: "I looked forward to our weekly meetings and felt comfortable talking about a difficult time I was going through. I knew I could count on her and the whole Stephen ministry team for their support and prayers. I'm so thankful for the help I received. I am healed."
The parish also sends out Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to parishioners who cannot attend Mass because of hospitalization, serious illness, pregnancy, or injury. Ministers are trained and then paired with an experienced partner on their first home visit before receiving their own assignments. Anointing of the Sick is arranged through the parish office; if an individual's passing appears to be imminent, an emergency line is available for immediate priestly assistance.
For ongoing prayer needs, the Online Prayer Ministry accepts prayer requests. Submitted intentions are gathered and lifted up regularly by the parish's prayer team.
Outreach: Loaves & Fishes, Hands Across the County, and Heart of Josephine
Outreach at Corpus Christi is organized in three main efforts. Hands Across the County coordinates parish-wide collections of food, clothing, and other items to support Orange County programs, including a monthly donation drive for South County Outreach's food pantry in Irvine. The parish does not operate its own food pantry but supports this neighboring ministry through regular giving drives.
Loaves & Fishes prepares and delivers a hot meal once a week to people experiencing homelessness in the surrounding area. Volunteers can help by bringing part of the weekly meal, such as bottled water or fresh fruit, preparing food at home, preparing food in the parish kitchen, assembling the meals, or delivering them to the distribution location. The ministry strives to treat every person with the dignity of being created and loved by God.
Heart of Josephine is the parish's human trafficking awareness ministry, named in part for the patroness of the Americas. Volunteers work to raise awareness within the parish and the wider community and to provide resources to those affected. The ministry uses the short film "Chosen," the true story of two young girls trafficked from within their own communities, as a way to open conversations on the issue. California and Orange County rank among the highest in the country for sex and labor trafficking, and Heart of Josephine is one of the parish's responses to that reality.
Employment, Life Justice, and Mental Health
NETS, the Networking and Employment Transition Support ministry, helps parishioners navigate the employment market with resume reviews, job board coaching, interview practice, and one-on-one mentoring for those in career transition.
The Life, Justice, & Peace Ministry promotes Catholic Social Teaching within the parish and considers initiatives across a wide range of issues, from human trafficking and hunger to immigration, racial reconciliation, and care for creation. It coordinates the parish's Mental Health & Wellness Ministry and works alongside Right to Life efforts that are shared with neighboring parishes in the Diocese of Orange. Under the Life, Justice, & Peace umbrella, the parish also points parishioners to a curated set of need-help resources, from housing and food to mental health and family support.
Men's Fellowship, Holy Donuts, and the Wider Parish Life
The First Saturday Men's Fellowship gathers men of the parish on the first Saturday of each month for a 7:00 AM Mass, a hearty breakfast cooked by the men themselves, and a discussion around a central topic, often featuring a guest speaker. The men arrive between 6:00 and 7:00 AM in the parish kitchen to help prepare the meal. On other Saturdays of the month, a smaller group hikes a 4.7-mile trail in the Laguna Beach hills, an 800-foot climb that ends back at the trailhead by mid-morning. A planning meeting on the second Wednesday of each month is open to anyone with ideas to share.
After Sunday Mass, Holy Donuts sets out beverages and donuts in the gathering space, with the 8:00 AM team handling setup and pickup and the 10:00 AM team responsible for cleanup. It is the parish's low-key social hub, and volunteers typically serve once a month in teams of two or as a family.
Other parish life groups include the Corpus Christi Book Club, Diner's Nights at local restaurants that benefit the parish, the Maintenance Ministry of volunteers who help with repairs and upkeep, the Technology Team that produces the livestream and on-screen presentations, and Our Lady's Flowers, which places fresh flowers twice a week near the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Diocese of Orange and of North America. The parish also sponsors Scout Troop 700 and Cub Scout Pack 700.
Music, Liturgical Roles, and the Building
The Music Ministry, led by Music Coordinator Paul Nguyen, supports and enhances the song of the whole assembly with a contemporary Catholic sound. Volunteer vocalists and musicians audition and typically take the summer off.
Lay liturgical roles at Corpus Christi include altar servers, open to students in grades 6 through 12 with training provided; lectors who proclaim the readings and lead the Prayers of the Faithful at Mass; Mass Hospitality Greeters who welcome parishioners and assist with seating and the collection; Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who distribute the Body and Blood of Christ; the Altar Care team that prepares sacred vessels and linens; and the Liturgical Environment Committee that transforms the worship space through the liturgical seasons. The parish notes that lectors, hospitality ministers, and musicians are not involved in more than one of these roles during the same Mass, so that each liturgical ministry remains its own form of service.
The parish's main worship space is referred to as the Grand Hall. The campus also includes four first-floor meeting rooms, a full kitchen, a lower hall, a storage room, and a lawn area that can be reserved for ministry events. Room reservations for ministry use run on an annual cycle from July to June.
Vacation Bible School, the Hallow App, and Stories of Faith
Vacation Bible School is held each summer. Children entering transitional kindergarten through fifth grade gather for a week of faith, games, music, crafts, and friendship. Both student and volunteer sign-ups open in advance, and middle- and high-school-age youth are welcome to help as aides.
The parish has a multi-year partnership with Hallow, the Catholic prayer and meditation app, and offers a 50% discount on premium subscriptions for parishioners who join the parish's Church page in the app. The parish's Hallow community hosts prayer challenges, parish communication, and a place for parishioners to share prayer requests. Hallow's content, which includes guided prayer, meditation, audiobooks, and sacred music, draws on Catholic tradition and is used by families, young adults, and seniors across the parish.
The parish also runs a Stories of Faith ministry, in which volunteer writers and editors interview parishioners about how God has worked in their lives and share those testimonies through parish communications. Recent stories have included a mother who survived acute leukemia, a man who walked through a brain condition that left him with a changed gait and an unshakeable gratitude, a couple whose autistic son became their greatest teacher, and a woman whose battle with cancer became a ministry of presence. The parish also hosts Diner's Nights at local restaurants, with proceeds benefiting parish programs, and a small Book Club that meets regularly.
Getting to Corpus Christi
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. From Interstate 5, take the Alicia Parkway exit, turn onto Pacific Park Drive, and then turn onto Aliso Viejo Parkway. From the 73 Toll Road, take Aliso Creek Road to Pacific Park Drive and then Aliso Viejo Parkway. The parish is the first three driveways on the right, at 27231 Aliso Viejo Parkway.
Online giving, parish registration, the Sunday 10:00 AM livestream, the parish calendar, and the digital bulletin are all available online. Visitors are welcomed at the Saturday vigil Mass at 5:00 PM or at any of the three Sunday Masses at 8:00, 10:00, and 12:00 noon, with the 10:00 AM Mass also livestreamed for those who cannot be in the Grand Hall. The digital bulletin, the parish's Facebook and Instagram pages, and the Hallow app Church page keep parishioners connected throughout the week.