A Parish Born on Ten Acres in 1989
Corpus Christi Catholic Church sits on ten acres of land along Lies Road in Carol Stream, Illinois, in the western Chicago suburbs. The Diocese of Joliet purchased the property in 1989 and assigned Fr. Charles Gemskie as the founding pastor, giving the parish its name and its mission: to be a community of Christian believers who embrace the Word of God, proclaim its message to all, and gather as the Body of Christ to celebrate and become a source of hope and inspiration to all.
Those first years were makeshift ones. Parish offices operated out of the basement of Brust Funeral Home, and weekend liturgies were celebrated in the gymnasium of Benjamin Middle School and the auditorium of Glenbard North. In 1991 the parish house was built. Bishop Joseph Imesch dedicated the church building on November 22, 1994, and the community came together for the first time under a single roof. Religious education classes began, a preschool opened, and the annual parish picnic at Sonny Acres Farm became a tradition. The second pastor, Fr. Robert Hoffenkamp, added the Holy Family and Blessed Mother Mary statues outside and the icons of Mary and Jesus within the church. A renovation of the worship space in 2012 enlarged the sanctuary, built a new sacristy, and installed new pews, kneelers, and a tiled floor. The high altar came from Holy Family Church in Cudahy, Wisconsin, and the restored Stations of the Cross and stained glass windows were brought from Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Joliet.
Fr. Mark Jurzyk became the third pastor in November 2014. During his twelve years, a Marian Grotto was installed with rocks collected from holy sites around the world placed beneath the pavers, Mass was first livestreamed from the parish when COVID-19 forced churches to close in March 2020, and a regular Sunday Mass in Polish was added alongside the English schedule. The parish welcomed Ukrainian refugees, organized forest preserve cleanups, sponsored 40 Days for Life vigils, and gathered for candlelight rosary processions on the feasts of Our Lady of Fatima. Fr. Mark was succeeded in July 2025 by Fr. Sebastian Gargol, the fourth and current pastor, who presides at the weekday and weekend Masses and leads the parish forward on its spiritual journey.
Weekend Masses in English and Polish
Corpus Christi celebrates the Vigil Mass on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and three Sunday Masses at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. The 11:30 a.m. Mass is celebrated in Polish and serves the Polish-speaking faithful of the area, a tradition that has become a distinctive feature of the parish.
Weekday Masses follow a steady rhythm. Mass is offered on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9:00 a.m., and on Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. A Communion Service is held on Monday at 9:00 a.m. First Friday and First Saturday Masses are celebrated at 9:00 a.m. On Holy Days of Obligation, Masses are offered at 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., except on January 1st.
Mass is livestreamed on YouTube, and recordings of services and parish devotions are shared on the parish Facebook page, a habit the parish adopted during the pandemic so that those who could not be present in person could still worship with the community.
Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered on Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., on Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., and on the First Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Confessions can also be made by appointment with the Parish Office. An additional opportunity for Confession is offered after every First Saturday 9:00 a.m. Mass.
Eucharistic Adoration is held on the First Friday of each month from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., followed by Benediction, and on Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. before the evening Mass. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed at 3:00 p.m. on First Fridays, and the parish gathers each year on Divine Mercy Sunday for an afternoon of Adoration, Confession, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy sung, and Benediction.
The Seven Sacraments
All seven Catholic sacraments are celebrated at Corpus Christi. Infant Baptism is celebrated on Sundays outside the season of Lent, and parents are asked to be registered parishioners who practice their faith through regular attendance at weekend liturgies. Both parents attend a Welcome Your Child workshop during the second trimester as part of the preparation. Older children and adults seeking Baptism are directed to the Parish Office.
Children in the second grade Religious Education program prepare for and receive First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. The Confirmation program begins in seventh grade and runs for two years, using the Chosen curriculum from Ascension Press, with Confirmation conferred in the spring of the eighth-grade year.
Couples preparing for marriage are asked to contact the Parish Office at least six months before their anticipated wedding date. The parish offers its own PreCana program, and the Diocese of Joliet also offers Engaged Encounter weekends. Weddings are scheduled with the parish staff once all details are confirmed.
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is available to parishioners who are seriously ill, preparing for surgery, or in danger of death. In an emergency, families can contact the Parish Office to reach the pastor. Men exploring a vocation to the priesthood are invited to speak with the pastor, who will guide them through the discernment process, or to visit the Diocese of Joliet vocations page.
Religious Education for Children and Teens
The Religious Education program at Corpus Christi offers faith formation for students from age six through Confirmation, typically eighth grade. Classes run from September through April, with a strong emphasis on the family as the primary place where faith is shared at home. Grades one through six meet on weekday afternoons, with sessions offered Monday at 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., 5:15 to 6:15 p.m., and Wednesday at 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Confirmation I and II meet on Monday and Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:15 p.m.
The curriculum is grade-by-grade. Preschool and kindergarten focus on Bible stories and the basics of Catholic faith. First grade covers the prayers; second grade emphasizes the parts of the Mass and sacramental preparation for Reconciliation and Eucharist. Third grade centers on the saints and the rosary; fourth grade is lectionary-based with attention to morality. Fifth grade focuses on the Seven Sacraments, and sixth grade uses the Bible as a text, learning both the Old and New Testaments. Confirmation I uses the Chosen curriculum, with Confirmation II completing the journey in the spring of the second year.
A Family Faith Sharing program is offered for students in grades three through six, with materials picked up four times a year so that parents can work through the Sunday readings together at home. The Genesis program serves students older than first grade who have not previously received any faith formation. Bible Truth Seekers is a one-day summer event for students entering grades one through six, and Corpus Christian Camp, a half-day program for children ages three to ten, has been a summer highlight for many years.
New catechists are required to attend an Initial Catechist Certification Class and a Protecting God’s Children session and to submit to a background check, while returning catechists complete six hours of continuing formation each year. Volunteers serve as classroom aides, substitute catechists, and helpers for special events like Living Stations.
Corpus Christi Youth Ministry
The Corpus Christi Youth Ministry, known as CCYM, gathers eighth-grade through high-school students from four or more local schools every Sunday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The group’s purpose is to build community, create a safe place for teens, educate them in the faith, empower them through Scripture, and give them the tools to go forth and evangelize.
One Sunday each month is dedicated to Service Project Sundays, with activities that have included making blankets for St. Jude and volunteering at Feed My Starving Children. Lighthouse, the summer program, runs from June through August with on-campus evenings of bonfires, praise and worship, and water-sports outings, along with off-campus trips and the annual mission trip. Past mission trips have taken the youth beyond the parish to serve communities in need.
The youth ministry is led by Sofia Lech, Director of Youth Ministry and Confirmation Program Coordinator, and depends on a team of young adult and adult leaders, drivers, chaperones, retreat team members, and a youth ministry assistant. Volunteers of all ages are invited to share their faith with the teens.
Becoming Catholic: The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
Adults who wish to become Catholic, or Catholics who have never been confirmed, are welcomed into the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, OCIA. The process unfolds over time, rooted in four pillars: believing with the Church community in doctrinal formation, living with the Church community in practical formation, praying with the Church community in liturgical formation, and serving with the Church community in apostolic formation. The journey culminates in the celebration of the sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil. Inquirers are invited to contact the Parish Office or email seglas626@gmail.com to learn more.
Music and the Liturgical Arts
Music at Corpus Christi is led by Agata Olszakowska, Director of Liturgical Music. Cantors serve as psalmists and lead the congregation in hymns and acclamations, with strong vocal skills and an audition required. Pianists, organists, and guitarists accompany cantors and small vocal ensembles, and instrumentalists are invited to share their gifts for special liturgies, seasonal celebrations, and the annual Christmas Concert.
St. Cecilia’s Children’s Choir welcomes children in second grade and up to sing at Family Masses once or twice a month and at the Christmas Concert. The Rejoice Ensemble is a contemporary group that ministers at a weekend liturgy once a month and for special occasions. The Music Ministry is supported by families and by the parish’s passion for beautiful liturgy, with regular rehearsals and special preparations for Christmas and Easter.
Liturgical Ministries at the Altar
Parishioners serve at Mass in a wide range of roles. Lectors proclaim the Word of God. Host Greeters welcome parishioners as they arrive, guide them to their seats, distribute bulletins, assist with the offertory collections, and help guide Communion reception, a ministry that is well suited to families. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist the priest and deacon in distributing the Body and Blood of Christ. Sacristans arrange the liturgical books, vestments, and sacred vessels in preparation for Mass. Altar Servers, youth in third grade and up as well as adults who have received their First Holy Communion, assist the priest at Mass and at weddings and funerals.
Ministers of Care bring the Eucharist and the gift of companionship to parishioners who are homebound. The Art and Environment team prepares and beautifies the church for the liturgical seasons, and the Gardening Group tends the parish grounds. Eucharistic Adoration is offered monthly on First Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., followed by Benediction.
Outreach to the Neighborhood and the World
The St. Vincent de Paul Society assists the less fortunate in the community. Members conduct intake over the phone and visit clients in their homes to provide financial, emotional, and spiritual support, and the society coordinates food and clothing drives as well as the Adopt a Family program at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. A confidential hotline, 331.229.9069, is available for those in need of assistance.
The Prayer Network gathers a team of parishioners who lift up the intentions of the parish in private prayer. The Respect Life Committee works to build reverence for life from conception to natural death, engaging in education and advocacy. The Legion of Mary welcomes new families to the parish, visits the sick and homebound, and reaches out door-to-door, encouraging fallen-away Catholics to return to the practice of their faith.
Community Life and Parish Organizations
The Council of Catholic Women seeks to make connections between the women of the parish through social and service projects, and every woman of the parish is considered a member. The Knights of Columbus council centers its work on families, fraternity, and service to the community, veterans, and others in need, while upholding the ideals of the Catholic Church. Children of Mary is a social group for adults with special needs in the Diocese of Joliet.
Funeral Mass Planning and Grief Support
The Bereavement Ministry helps families plan the Mass of Christian Burial, offering assistance with the rituals of the Church, suggested scripture readings, and liturgical songs. The ministry also works with parishioners who wish to preplan their own Funeral Liturgy, a gift to family members that allows for the inclusion of favorite readings or hymns. Families can contact the Parish Office to make arrangements.
Growing in Faith as an Adult
The parish offers many ways for adults to deepen their faith. An ongoing Bible Study series meets during the year, and a Bible in a Year Study Group is offered monthly. Cursillo gives Catholic men and women an opportunity to grow in their relationship with the Lord through a structured weekend of prayer and formation, accompanied by others on the same path. The diocesan Be Formed discipleship experience, led by Fr. Burke Masters, is a 90-day program of weekly videos, small groups, prayer, fellowship, and nights of reflection.
Young adults ages 18 to 39 can connect through the Samuel Group, VENITE Catholic Network, and World Youth Day. The pastor’s Pastor’s Corner publishes weekly reflections drawing on the words of Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, Saint John Paul II, Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, and Pope Leo XIV, among others. The parish website also gathers links to a wide range of Catholic resources, including Formed, Ascension Press, Relevant Radio, Ave Maria Radio, EWTN, and the Vatican and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops websites.
Office and Pastoral Staff
The Parish Office is open Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and on Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The office is closed on Friday. The Religious Education Office can be reached at (630) 483-4222 and the Youth Ministry Office at (630) 483-4673. Pastoral counseling, requests for Mass intentions, prayer requests, and inquiries about Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, or Holy Orders are all handled through the Parish Office at (630) 483-4673 or jtalbot@corpuschristics.org.