About Corpus Christi · Bakerville, Wisconsin
Corpus Christi is a small Catholic parish serving the hamlet of Bakerville in Lincoln Township, Wood County, Wisconsin — roughly three miles east of Marshfield. It is twinned with neighboring Christ the King Parish in Spencer, sharing a pastor, staff, bulletin, and one website (ctkspencer.net), and belongs to the Diocese of La Crosse. The parish offers one weekend Mass (Saturday evening at 6:00 pm) at its country church on County Highway BB, weekly confession, monthly adoration, and a strong tradition of lay devotion including a Men's Prayer Group, Rosary Group, the women's faith-sharing community called Renewed, and a parish cemetery cared for by a dedicated volunteer.
- Established
- 1879
- Patron
- Corpus Christi (The Body of Christ)
- Rector
- Rev. Irudayanathan Thainase (Father Nathan)
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse (Deanery: Marshfield)
Why belong here
Corpus Christi is a warm, family-sized country parish where nearly every face — and certainly the pastor, Father Nathan, and senior deacon Jeff Austin — knows your name. It offers a Saturday Vigil Mass, weekly confession opportunities, First Friday adoration, a monthly 24-hour Eucharistic adoration, and a deep bench of lay-led small groups: the Holy Spirit Prayer Group, the Renewed women's faith community, a men's prayer group, the Rosary Group, and Our Lady Rosary Makers. If you are looking for a small, rooted Catholic community in the Marshfield area that takes the Eucharist, the saints, and neighborly care seriously, Corpus Christi at Bakerville is exactly that.
Mass times at Corpus Christi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 pm – 3:45 pm (at Christ the King, Spencer)
- First Friday 8:30 am – 9:15 am (at Christ the King, Spencer)
- Saturday 7:00 pm – 7:30 pm (at Corpus Christi, Bakerville, before/after the 6 pm Mass as listed)
- Other times by appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday Adoration (June 14 – Labor Day) at 6:30 pm
- Monthly 24-hour Adoration (begins June 5 at 8:30 am per parish calendar)
History & Heritage
Corpus Christi Parish in Bakerville traces its roots to 1879, when twenty founding families of the small Lincoln Township hamlet pooled their labor to raise a log church that served both as a place of worship and a school. Five years later, in 1885, the congregation built a frame church and the original log structure became a schoolhouse. According to the 1923 History of Wood County, before 1886 the community was part of St. John's Parish in Marshfield; it then became a mission of Hewitt, served successively by Rev. Constantine Nau, Father Birsner, Father Daniels, and Rev. Albert Dorrenbach. In 1906 the parish got its first resident pastor, Rev. J. Schumacher, when a rectory was built at Bakerville. Under Rev. Anthony Mueller (pastor from 1910) a new school and sisters' residence were erected in 1916 and staffed by the Sisters of St. Francis of La Crosse. In 2014 the parish dedicated a Prayer Garden of Memory and Healing on the site where the school once stood.
- 1879 — twenty families build the original log church (also used as a school)
- 1885 — frame church replaces log structure; log building repurposed as school
- 1906 — first resident pastor, Rev. J. Schumacher, arrives with completion of rectory
- 1916 — new school and sisters' residence under Rev. Anthony Mueller; Sisters of St. Francis of La Crosse teach
- 1923 — parish recorded with about 80 families
- 2014 — Prayer Garden of Memory and Healing dedicated on the old school site
Mass & Sacramental Schedule
Corpus Christi offers one weekend Mass — a Saturday Vigil at 6:00 pm — along with weekday Masses Tuesday through Friday at 8:00 am (celebrated at Christ the King in Spencer, where the shared parish office is). Weekly Confession is heard Saturday at Christ the King before the Vigil, on First Fridays after the 8:30 am Mass, and at Corpus Christi on Saturday evenings around 7:00 pm; additional times are added during Advent and Lent and confessions are available by appointment.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 6:00 pm at Corpus Christi (Bakerville)
- Weekday Masses — Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri at 8:00 am
- Confession — Sat 3:15–3:45 pm; First Fri 8:30–9:15 am; Sat evening at Corpus Christi; by appointment
- Extended Confession times during Advent and Lent
Prayer Groups & Small Communities
Lay-led small communities are central to life at Corpus Christi. The Holy Spirit Prayer Group gathers on the Second Monday of each month at 6:30 pm. Renewed, a women's faith-sharing group, meets on the Fourth Tuesday at 6:30 pm. The parish also supports a Men's Prayer Group (led by Troy Kroening) and Our Lady Rosary Makers, which gathers on May 8 at 8:30 am. A parish prayer chain connects homebound members with three coordinators: Marcia Draeger, Kay Derks, and Joan Meyer.
- Holy Spirit Prayer Group — Second Monday, 6:30 pm
- Renewed — Fourth Tuesday, 6:30 pm (women's)
- Men's Prayer Group — Troy Kroening
- Our Lady Rosary Makers — May 8, 8:30 am
- Prayer Chain — Marcia Draeger, Kay Derks, Joan Meyer
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education is coordinated through the Christ the King / Corpus Christi Catholic Education Committee, chaired by Dan McNeeley with support from Deacon Ray Draeger and DRE Deb Mlsna. The parish offers religious education for students in Grades 1–10, a Sunday School for PreK and K, Vacation Bible School, a Bible study series including Catechism in a Year, adult education classes, and Lay Formation. MERIT — Marshfield's Exceptional Religious Instruction Team — provides a Catholic catechetical program for intellectually challenged students.
- Religious Education (Grades 1–10)
- Sunday School (PreK and K)
- Vacation Bible School
- Bible Studies / Catechism in a Year
- Adult Education Classes
- Lay Formation
- MERIT — catechetical program for intellectually challenged students
- Confirmation prep — retreats and CCD Masses
Youth & Family
Stacy Wolf serves as Youth Minister for the linked parishes. Youth activities include the youth group, Shadow Stations, Confirmation retreats and brunches, a HS graduate brunch, a garage sale fundraiser, Operation Christmas Child, and the Rotary Christmas lights service project for 8th graders. The Family Life Committee also coordinates baptism and bereavement ministries, caregiver support, parish hospitality, and the parish picnic and pilgrimages.
- Youth Group / Youth Ministry — Stacy Wolf
- Confirmation retreats and brunches
- Shadow Stations
- Operation Christmas Child
- Garage Sale (youth fundraiser)
- Parish picnic and pilgrimages
Outreach & Social Justice
Outreach is run through the parish Social Justice Committee and Family Life Committee, supported by the parish's strong network of small groups. Highlights include King's Food Pantry (under Arlyn and Joyce Abegglen), Kitchen Angel meals, Mariann's Closet winter clothing drive, the Hannah House playpen drive, C.O.M.E. Meals, the Christmas Giving Tree, Operation Christmas Child, homebound ministry, and a caregivers ministry.
- King's Food Pantry — Arlyn and Joyce Abegglen
- Kitchen Angel
- Mariann's Closet — winter clothing drive
- Hannah House playpen drive
- C.O.M.E. Meals
- Christmas Giving Tree
- Operation Christmas Child
- Communion to the Homebound
- Caregivers Ministry
- Bereavement Ministry
Liturgical Ministries (Mass Ministry)
The Mass Ministry page coordinates the lay liturgical roles needed at every liturgy — altar servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC), lectors, ushers, sacristan, and liturgical decorators. Music Ministry is part of the same Sacred Worship Committee, alongside Eucharistic Adoration coordination and other devotional life work.
- Servers
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC)
- Lectors
- Ushers/Greeters
- Sacristan — Bonnie Jakel
- Liturgical Decorating
- Music Ministry
Parish Cemetery & Prayer Garden
The parish maintains its own Corpus Christi Catholic Cemetery, located on the north side of County Highway BB east of the junction with County Highway B in Lincoln Township. Cemetery inquiries are handled by Paul Binder. Adjacent to or near the cemetery grounds stands the parish's Prayer Garden of Memory and Healing, dedicated in 2014 on the site of the original 1879 log schoolhouse, linking the parish's educational past with its present-day mission of remembrance and consolation.
- Corpus Christi Catholic Cemetery — north side of County Highway BB
- Cemetery contact: Paul Binder
- Prayer Garden of Memory and Healing — dedicated 2014 on the old school site
Parish Staff & Contacts
Corpus Christi shares its pastoral staff with Christ the King Parish in Spencer; the priest resides at the Christ the King rectory but cares for both communities.
- Pastor — Rev. Irudayanathan Thainase (Father Nathan) · [email protected] · 715-659-4480 ext.2
- Senior Deacon — Deacon Jeff Austin
- Permanent Deacon — Deacon Ray Draeger · [email protected]
- Administrative Assistant & Finance / Youth Minister — Stacy Wolf · [email protected] · 715-659-4480 ext.1
- Director of Religious Education — Deb Mlsna · [email protected] · 715-659-4480 ext.3
- Sacristan — Bonnie Jakel
- Rectory / Seton Center Housekeeping — Emily Bissonette
- Maintenance — Lance Mews · [email protected]
- PCCW — Janet Bell (Corpus Christi)
- Cemetery — Paul Binder
- Men's Prayer Group — Troy Kroening · [email protected]
- Parish Office Phone: (715) 659-4480
Joining the Parish Community
The parish welcomes newcomers, visitors, and long-time members to "attend any of our Masses" and introduce themselves. Active parishioners serve on four standing committees (Sacred Worship, Family Life, Social Justice, Catholic Education) which together plan every aspect of parish life. The Parish Office is open Monday–Thursday, 7:30 am – 4:00 pm, and on Fridays remotely via email, phone, or text from 7:30 am – 12:30 pm.
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 7:30 am – 4:00 pm; Fri 7:30 am – 12:30 pm (remote)
- Bulletin, calendar, and event registration at ctkspencer.net
- Four pastoral committees: Sacred Worship, Family Life, Social Justice, Catholic Education
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Irudayanathan Thainase (Father Nathan)effective July 1, 2025 – present
Appointed pastor of Christ the King Parish in Spencer and Corpus Christi Parish in Bakerville; previously pastor of St. Anthony de Padua (Cazenovia), Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Keyesville), and Sacred Heart of Jesus (Lone Rock). Resides at the Christ the King rectory in Spencer.
- Rev. Barry P. Sayloruntil July 1, 2025
Pastor of Christ the King (Spencer) and Corpus Christi (Bakerville); reassigned to Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish in Wisconsin Rapids effective July 1, 2025.
- Rev. Anthony Mueller1910 – (post-1923)
Built the new school and sisters' residence in 1916; entrusted school to the Sisters of St. Francis of La Crosse.
- Rev. W. Hackner1908 – 1910
Immediate predecessor to Mueller.
- Rev. J. Schumacher1906 – 1908
First resident pastor of Corpus Christi after a parish rectory was erected in 1906; later transferred to Auburndale.
- Rev. Albert Dorrenbachc. 1904 – 1906
Served Corpus Christi as a mission of St. Michael's, Hewitt.
- Rev. Father Daniels1891 – 1904
Appointed pastor of St. Michael's, Hewitt, with Bakerville as mission; remained in charge of Bakerville until transferred to Marathon City.
- Rev. Father Birsner1889 – 1891
Assistant to Rev. P. Geyer, pastor at Marshfield, who attended Bakerville.
- Rev. Constantine Nau1888 – 1889
First priest specifically assigned to Hewitt with Bakerville as a mission; later transferred to Mosinee.