History

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Corpus Christi Parish has been a place to bring families together since 1913. It is a vibrant Catholic community where you can build relationships with others and strengthen your bond with your family and with God. We provide positive Christian values and education in conjunction with St. Clare Catholic School in O'Fallon, Illinois.

In 1912, Father Grootens became the assistant at St.Peter's Cathedral of which Shiloh was a parish territory. Fr.Grootens soon saw the need for a Catholic community in the Shiloh Village. The farmers of the area had means of transportation to attend the Cathedral but the large number of coal miners from the Shiloh mine did not. Bishop Janssen gave Fr. Grootens permission to build a church.

The Bishop then purchased two lots from Lizzie Rasp for $160 on which the church now stands. He also purchased 4 lots across the street from Josperh Rasp for $425 which is now used for the parish center and parking lot. The cost of the church was approxmately $7,000 and a $500 grant was received from the Extension Society with the provision that the church would be named "Corpus Christi" in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. A classroom was built onto the church to be used as a parochial school with a large sacristy that could serve as a temporary residence for the visiting priest. Due to the large debt, it was decided to build a large chicken barn and use the profits of raising chickens to reduce the parish debt.

The parish was organized in Janury 1913 and Mass was offered in the town hall until the new church could be built. The foundation was dug in March 1913 and on July 30, 1913 the church was formally dedicated. The church was complete in every detail at the time of the dedication. The pews that were restored after the Cathedral fire in 1912 were given to Corpus Christi. The parish consisted of 34 familes at its beginning.

The bell is the first bell that rang to call Catholics to prayer in the Belleville area. It was the bell of a small chapel on the Staduer farm several miles north of Belleville. Catholics in the area attended Mass in the chapel on the second and third Sundays of the month until it closed in 1844, about the time of the completion of the first phase of the Cathedral of St Peter in Belleville. The bell later hung in St Agnes Orphanage Asylum in Belleville until it closed in 1913 and the bell was brought to Corpus Christi.

According to records the first person baptized in Corpus Christi parish was Jospeh Ribitzki on January 18, 1913. Hilda W. Schubkegel was the first person baptized in the new church on March 18, 1914. Most Reverend Henry Althoff, Bishop of Belleville, officiated at the first Confirmation on May 2, 1915 for a class of twenty-six. The marriage of Walter Jorn and Annie Vernier was the first wedding on May 30, 1916.

The first school for the parish was started in the fall of 1913. There were forty-one students in eight grades and the teacher was Miss Hilkemeier of Westphalia, MO. The school operated for only one year because it was too great a financial burden on the young parish. Throughout the years a religion class was held on Saturday or Sunday. In the 1930's the children were permitted to attend St. John's Orphanage for religious instruction. In 1957 forty-five children from Corpus Christi were enrolled in the orphanage school. The following year there were seventy students enrolled. In 1960 a new school was built at St. John's and Corpus Christi parish agreed to financially contribute to its operation. In 1983 the Diocese closed the doors of St.John School much to the disappointment of the students and parents. Corpus Christi parish is now a full partner with St. Clare and St. Nicholas parishes in O'Fallon in operating St. Clare Catholic School and the children from Corpus Christi parish attend St.Clare School.

Over the years many improvements and changes have been made including construction of the parish rectory in 1974 and the parish center in 1992. The parish has grown from the original thirty-four families to 365 houesholds. In September 2011, the parish moved into the new church which sits caddy-corner from the old church and holds over 400 parishioners.

In 2012, the old church was striped of its pews, new carpet was laid, and a new classroom was constructed where the sanctuary was. The building was renamed Grootens Hall in honor of the Rev. John Grootens, our very first pastor. Grootens Hall contains three classrooms for our PSR program and is used as a meeting room for our Boy Scout troop and special events.

CORPUS CHRISTI PASTORS:

Rev. John Grootens 1913-1914
Rev.Joseph Reinhardt 1914-1915
Rev. Cyril Haffner 1915-1922
Rev. Emil Chuse 1922-1924
Rev. Anthony Kiefer 1924
Rev. John Wiemar 1924-1925
Rev. Louis Tuger 1925-1931
Rev. Albert Zuroweste 1931-1935 (Later became Bishop of Belleville 1948-1976)
Rev. Francis Beykirch 1935-1943
Rev. Robert Hutsch 1943-1946
Rev. James McCormick 1946-1956
Rev. Arthur Niemeyer 1956-1966
Rev. Albert Jerome 1966-1972
Rev. Ted Baumann 1972-1973
Rev. J. Ralph Arnold 1973-1984
Msgr. Charles Nebel 1984-1988
Rev. Gerald Miriani 1988-1998
Rev. Steve Witte 1998-1999
Msgr. Carl Scherrer 1999-2003
Msgr. Matthias Nyakatura 2003-2004
Msgr James Margason 2004-2022
Rev. Ken York (Temporary Administrator) January 2022-June 2022
Rev. Paul Wienhoff July 2022-

History behind some of the fixtures in the new church building:

Sanctuary Crucifix - Donated by Paul & Anne Waller (moved from old church)

Cross on the top of the new church - Moved from atop the old church

Etched Glass Panels in Sacristy & Reconciliation Doors - St Catherine Laboure Church, Cahokia

Pink Marble used for altar, altar of repose & ambo - St Catherine Laboure Church, Cahokia

Gray Marble - Repurposed from an old school in Missouri

Statues of Mary, Blessed Virgin & Sacred Heart plus Candle Stands - Meredith Memorial Home, Belleville

Tabernacle - Provenance is unknown but was rescued from the basement of the chancery at the time of construction of the new church

Stations of the Cross - Originally used in St Joseph Church, East St Louis - Gift from Sieron Family - Refinished by Eileen Albrecht

Picture of Mary with Child in hallway - Originally part of a side altar in the old church

Cherry Wood Furniture - Altar, altar of repose, ambo, priest & deacon chairs, credance table, Pascal candle holder, and more - Built by Joe Bonfiglio - Wood donated by parishioners

Pictures in Reconciliation room - Donated by Fr Jim Margason & Fr Jim Thomas

Dedication Crosses - Designed & Constructed by local artist

Altar clothes & Reconciliation room curtains - Sewn by Eileen Kern

Baptismal Pool & Font, Ambry and Sanctuary floor - Designed and constructed by parishioners though funds were later raised by the children of the parish to offset the cost of the font

Custom Cabinetry in sacristy - Constructed by Bob Hamlin

Pews - Obtained from 2 different churches & refinished before installation by the men of the parish

Gold metal crucifix displayed in hallway - Provenance is unknown but was part of Fr Jim Margason's estate

Original hand-carved baptistery - Constructed by Fr Leo Reinhardt's father (moved from old church)

Jesus Holding the World Sculpture - Designed & sculpted by Eileen Kern