About Corpus Christi - Our Lady of Carter Lake Church · Carter Lake, Iowa
Corpus Christi – Our Lady of Carter Lake Church is the Carter Lake mission site of Corpus Christi Catholic Parish in Council Bluffs, Iowa, within the Diocese of Des Moines. The parish itself was formed on July 1, 2011, by Bishop Richard Pates through the merger of three historic southwest Iowa parishes: Queen of Apostles, Holy Family, and Our Lady of Carter Lake. The three faith communities had been collaborating since 2002, and Fr. Dan Kirby was installed as the first pastor of the merged Corpus Christi Parish. Today the pastor is Fr. Luis Mejia, with Fr. Luisito Cabrera serving as associate pastor, and the Carter Lake church (3501 N 9th Street) hosts a Sunday 9:30 AM English Mass as part of the parish's three-site weekend schedule.
- Established
- 1968 (organized as a faith community); September 6, 1970 (first Mass as mission of Queen of Apostles)
- Patron
- Our Lady of Carter Lake (parishioner-chosen Marian title)
- Rector
- Rev. Luis (Luisito) Mejia
- Diocese
- Diocese of Des Moines
Why belong here
Our Lady of Carter Lake offers a small, family-oriented Catholic community where the entire congregation knows each other by name. The parish provides weekly English Sunday Mass, sacramental preparation (Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Communion, RCIA), a parish Health Care Ministry (Tai Chi, blood pressure monitoring, medical loan closet), and active lay groups such as the Women's Guild and Knights of Columbus. As one of three worship sites of Corpus Christi Parish, it also gives parishioners access to Spanish Masses, daily Mass at Queen of Apostles, parish festivals, and ecumenical cooperation with other Carter Lake churches — a tradition of 'all the churches sharing to help one another' going back decades.
Mass times at Corpus Christi - Our Lady of Carter Lake Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (Queen of Apostles site)
- Sunday: 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM (Queen of Apostles site, before Spanish Mass)
- Monday: 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM (Queen of Apostles site, before Spanish Mass)
Adoration times
- Per the parish website, adoration is offered; specific days/times published on the Adoration page (corpuschristiparishiowa.org)
Parish History — From 1968 Dream to 2011 Merger
Our Lady of Carter Lake began as a grassroots effort in 1968 when 145 Catholic families in Carter Lake, Iowa, were attending eight different surrounding parishes. A committee led by Joe Huegerich organized religious-education classes in 1968, met with Bishop Maurice Dingman in 1969, and on September 6, 1970 celebrated their first Mass as a mission of Queen of Apostles parish. The community purchased the former Lutheran church building in 1980 — the same structure still used today — and on July 1, 2011 was merged with Queen of Apostles and Holy Family to form Corpus Christi Catholic Parish under Bishop Richard Pates. Fr. Dan Kirby, who had pastored the Carter Lake mission since 2002, was installed as Corpus Christi's first pastor.
- 1968: Catholic census finds 145 families in Carter Lake attending 8 different parishes
- August 28, 1968: First public meeting of the organizing committee
- September 6, 1970: First Mass at 8:00 AM, presided by Bishop Maurice Dingman — over 200 attended
- Parishioners chose the name 'Our Lady of Carter Lake'
- 1973: Two acres purchased adjacent to the Lutheran Church as future site
- September 6, 1980: Bishop Dingman dedicates the current (former Lutheran) church building
- July 1, 2011: Corpus Christi Parish formed by merger of Queen of Apostles, Holy Family, and Our Lady of Carter Lake
- 2020: Bishop William Joensen presides over Golden Jubilee Mass
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Corpus Christi Parish coordinates faith formation for children and adults across all three worship sites. Children typically receive First Reconciliation in 2nd grade, followed by a year of First Communion preparation that includes a spring retreat and a special First Communion Mass with family and friends. The parish also adapts sacramental preparation for students with special needs in partnership with the Diocese of Des Moines.
- Faith Formation Coordinator: Kendall McGrath — faithformationcorpuschristiia.com
- First Reconciliation (2nd grade)
- First Communion (after Reconciliation, with spring retreat)
- Adaptive/special-needs sacramental preparation (Diocesan partnership)
- RCIA for adults
Health Care Ministry
Rooted in the tradition of Christ the healer, Corpus Christi Parish's Health Care Ministry offers programs focused on health maintenance and prevention, all run by parish volunteers and local health-care professionals. All are welcome.
- Exercise class with balance and fall prevention
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Medical loan closet
- Periodic health education classes
- Tai Chi: 1:30 PM Wednesdays and Fridays (when active)
Parish Life & Community Groups
Lay leadership and community groups have shaped the parish since its founding. The Women's Guild was founded in October 1976 with Toni Annin as its first president; the Knights of Columbus partner on the annual Corpus Christi Procession in Carter Lake; and the Hispanic Ministry is staffed through Annette Torres in her role as parish Administrative Assistant and Hispanic Liaison.
- Women's Guild (founded October 1976)
- Knights of Columbus — Corpus Christi Procession partners (since 2004)
- Hispanic Ministry / Hispanic Liaison — Annette Torres
- Social Sunday — fellowship with rolls and coffee after every Mass
- Parish Fest — annual celebration & fundraiser (begun 1986)
- Ecumenical 'Prayer, Pancakes in the Park' with other Carter Lake pastors (since July 2005)
Sacraments
Baptisms, weddings, First Communion, Confirmation preparation, Anointing of the Sick, and RCIA are coordinated through the parish office. Parents can request a specific priest or deacon for their child's Baptism from the parish's published list.
- Baptism (online request form; presiders include Fr. Luis Mejia, Fr. Luisito Cabrera, and four deacons)
- First Reconciliation & First Communion
- Matrimony (call parish office)
- Anointing of the Sick / Communion to the homebound
- RCIA for adult initiation
Clergy & Staff
Corpus Christi Parish is led by Fr. Luis (Luisito) Mejia as pastor, with Fr. Luisito Cabrera as associate pastor. Four deacons — Deacon Bob McClellan, Deacon Monty Montagne, Deacon Darwin Kruse, and Deacon Jean Plourde — assist with liturgies and Baptisms across the three worship sites.
- Pastor: Rev. Luis (Luisito) Mejia — [email protected]
- Associate Pastor: Rev. Luisito Cabrera
- Deacons: Bob McClellan, Monty Montagne, Darwin Kruse, Jean Plourde
- Administrative Assistant & Hispanic Liaison: Annette Torres
- Faith Formation Coordinator: Kendall McGrath
Outreach & Facilities
The parish operates Food Pantries as part of its outreach, and the Carter Lake church hosts the 'Our Lady' Courtyard Project — a fundraiser that lets supporters order an engraved brick to be placed in the church courtyard. The Carter Lake building itself has been in continuous use as a Catholic church since 1980, and the parish hall continues to host parish gatherings and ecumenical events with other Carter Lake congregations.
- Food Pantries (parish-wide)
- 'Our Lady' Courtyard Project — engraved bricks
- Carter Lake parish hall (hosts ecumenical events)
- Stations of the Cross and crucifix donated 1989
- Statue of Mary in the church since 1976
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Richard Gubbels1970–c.1978
First pastor of Our Lady of Carter Lake mission; helped establish religious education and Sunday Mass at the Presbyterian then Lutheran facilities.
- Fr. Ed Hurley1970–c.1978
Assistant priest to Fr. Gubbels at the new mission.
- Fr. Bob SchoemannJuly 1978–c.1985
Guided the parish's purchase of the current church building from the Lutherans (closed summer 1980).
- Fr. Larry HoffmannJuly 1985–c.1992
Began the annual Parish Fest as celebration/fundraiser; oversaw girls being allowed to serve Mass (1988).
- Fr. Phillip KruseJuly 1992–July 1993
Brief tenure as pastor.
- Fr. Fred ReischlJuly 1993–c.1994
Succeeded Fr. Kruse.
- Fr. Dennis Trauschc.1994–August 2002
Residential priest appointed by Bishop Bullock; died suddenly in a tragic car accident in August 2002.
- Fr. Dan Kirby2002–July 2012
Became pastor after Fr. Trausch's death; later first pastor of the merged Corpus Christi Parish (formed July 1, 2011); began the Novena of the Queenship of Mary on Aug. 22.
- Fr. Joel McNeilJuly 2012–July 2015
Served as pastor of merged Corpus Christi Parish for three years; a Spanish Mass was added during his tenure.
- Fr. Mike BernerJuly 2015–January 2016
Brief tenure as pastor.
- Fr. Tom ThakadipuramJanuary 2016–c.2022
Served as pastor of Corpus Christi Parish with Fr. Enrique Garcia as associate.
- Fr. Luis (Luisito) Mejiacurrent
Current pastor of Corpus Christi Parish; ordained June 5 (anniversary celebrated by the parish in 2025 with a surprise visit from his mother from El Salvador).