About Corpus Christi · New Orleans, Louisiana
Corpus Christi is a historic Catholic parish in the 7th Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana, located at 2022 St. Bernard Avenue. Founded in 1916 by Father Samuel Kelly and now led by Fr. Kingsley Ogbuji, the parish is part of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and traces its roots to the community of artisans, merchants, musicians, and Creole Catholic families that has defined the neighborhood for over a century. After Hurricane Katrina the parish merged with neighboring Epiphany to form Corpus Christi-Epiphany, and today the church campus includes the revitalized Corpus Christi-Epiphany Community Resource Center serving the surrounding 7th Ward.
- Established
- 1916
- Patron
- Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ)
- Rector
- Fr. Kingsley Ogbuji
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of New Orleans
Why belong here
Corpus Christi is the historic heart of the 7th Ward and welcomes everyone who wants to worship at its century-old church on St. Bernard Avenue. Daily and weekend Masses are offered in an intimate setting, with Saturday morning Eucharistic Adoration and a monthly Healing Service on the last Sunday of the month. The parish's outreach arm, the Corpus Christi-Epiphany Community Resource Center, turns the old school buildings into a hub for health, wellness, youth development and economic opportunity, and the parish Heart of the 7th Ward Gala brings the whole community together to support those programs.
Mass times at Corpus Christi
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Saturdays 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Welcome to Corpus Christi Catholic Parish
Corpus Christi is a parish in the 7th Ward of New Orleans committed to 'instilling faith into all congregants.' The official website (ccecno.org) opens with daily Mass times, a Weekend Mass schedule, and a note on Saturday Eucharistic Adoration. Visitors are greeted with the headline 'WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU' and invited to fill out a short registration form (a downloadable PDF) and drop it off at the parish office. The site also publishes a weekly bulletin for the current week and lists upcoming Archdiocesan and parish events.
Mass and Worship Schedule
The parish offers a simple, traditional weekday and weekend Mass schedule. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 7:00 a.m. The Saturday Vigil Mass is at 4:00 p.m., and Sunday Masses are at 7:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Eucharistic Adoration is held Saturday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and a Healing Service is offered on the last Sunday of the month at 3:00 p.m.
- Daily Mass: Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 p.m.
- Sunday Masses: 7:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
- Eucharistic Adoration: Saturdays 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
- Healing Service: Last Sunday of the month, 3:00 p.m.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Kingsley Ogbuji as Pastor, supported by Deacon Larry Calvin and Rev. John Odeyemi (Priest in Residence), with Linda Lagarde serving as Administrative Assistant. A welcome message from the clergy is published on the home page of the parish website.
- Fr. Kingsley Ogbuji – Pastor
- Deacon Larry Calvin – Deacon
- Rev. John Odeyemi – Priest in Residence
- Linda Lagarde – Administrative Assistant
History of Corpus Christi Parish
Corpus Christi Parish was founded in 1916 by Father Samuel Kelly with foundational financial support from Mother Katharine Drexel. Originally established as a Josephite mission for Black Catholics in the 7th Ward, it grew rapidly: a temporary chapel on Onzaga Street was replaced in 1919 by a combination church and school, and the parish community reached nearly 8,000 members by 1926. By the mid-twentieth century the school enrolled over a thousand students in kindergarten through first-year high school, and a 1956 baptismal register recorded nearly 10,000 names. The parish was long considered one of the largest African American Catholic parishes in the United States.
- 1916: Parish founded by Father Samuel Kelly on St. Bernard Avenue
- 1917: Parish school opens
- 1919: Combination church-school building erected with donated labor and materials
- 1926: Congregation ~8,000; school enrollment ~1,100
- 1956: Nearly 10,000 names in baptismal register
- Hurricane Katrina devastates the parish and school (2005)
- 2016: Centennial celebrated; parish merges with Epiphany to form Corpus Christi-Epiphany
Hurricane Katrina and the Merger with Epiphany
Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent federal flooding in 2005 devastated the parish plant and the 7th Ward neighborhood. The resulting population loss led both Corpus Christi and its daughter parish, Epiphany, to reunite as a single parish now known as Corpus Christi-Epiphany. The parish and the Archdiocese of New Orleans, with FEMA support, renovated two existing school buildings into the Corpus Christi-Epiphany Community Resource Center, which won a Louisiana Landmarks Society award.
- 2005: Church and school heavily damaged
- Corpus Christi and Epiphany merge into Corpus Christi-Epiphany
- Community Resource Center rises from former school buildings
- Louisiana Landmarks Society award for the renovation
Parish Sacraments
The parish website lists all seven sacraments of the Church under its 'Sacraments' page. Anyone interested in receiving a sacrament — Baptism, Reconciliation, Communion, Confirmation-equivalent (Holy Communion), Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, or Funeral rites — is invited to call the parish office at (504) 945-8931 for information and scheduling.
- Baptisms
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- First Communion
- Anointing of the Sick
- Weddings / Marriage preparation
- Funerals
Becoming a Member
Prospective parishioners are warmly invited to register with the parish. A short registration form is available as a downloadable PDF directly from the 'Become a Member' page of the website; the completed form can be dropped off at the parish office at 2022 St. Bernard Avenue.
- Downloadable PDF registration form
- Drop-off at the parish office
Corpus Christi-Epiphany Community Resource Center
The Community Resource Center is the outreach arm of the parish, housed in two renovated former school buildings. It hosts a 4,000-square-foot cafeteria, a 6,900-square-foot auditorium and gymnasium on the second floor, a library on the third floor, a boardroom, exhibit spaces, a computer lab, and roughly 10,000 square feet of meeting and gathering space. Programs focus on health, wellness, youth development, civic engagement, and economic opportunity for the 7th Ward and surrounding neighborhoods.
- 4,000 sq ft cafeteria
- 6,900 sq ft auditorium/gymnasium
- Library, boardroom, computer lab
- ~10,000 sq ft of meeting and gathering space
- Programs in health, wellness, youth development, economic opportunity
Heart of the 7th Ward Gala
The parish hosts an annual 'Heart of the 7th Ward Gala' — an evening of dining, live entertainment, and a silent auction whose proceeds benefit the Corpus Christi-Epiphany Community Resource Center and its outreach programs. The gala is announced on the parish homepage and is one of the parish's signature community fundraisers.
- Dinner, live entertainment, silent auction
- Benefits Community Resource Center outreach programs
Affiliated Organizations
The website highlights a list of 'Meet Our Affiliates' and links to partner organizations, including the Archdiocese's Office of Child and Youth Protection. Historically, the parish has been served by the Josephite Fathers and Brothers and the Sisters of the Holy Family.
- Office of Child and Youth Protection (Archdiocese of New Orleans)
- Historically: Josephite Fathers and Brothers
- Historically: Sisters of the Holy Family
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach Corpus Christi by phone at (504) 945-8931, mail or visit at 2022 St. Bernard Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70116. The 'Contact' page of the website offers a simple name/email/message form and posts the office phone number and street address above the fold.
- Phone: (504) 945-8931
- Address: 2022 St. Bernard Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70116
- Website contact form
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Samuel Kelly1916
Founded the parish in 1916; purchased the property on D'Abadie, St. Bernard, Onzaga, and Johnson streets.
- Father (unknown)1919
Erected the original combination church and school building.
- Father (unknown)1926 onward
Newly appointed pastor who laid plans to rebuild for the ~8,000-member congregation.
- Father Henry Davis
Pastor at the time of the 2016 centennial; quoted on the parish's theme of '100 years of the coming together as the body of Christ.'