About Corpus Christi · Piedmont, California
Corpus Christi is a welcoming Roman Catholic parish in the small, family-oriented City of Piedmont in Alameda County, California, located in the Oakland Hills just east of Oakland. Founded in 1929 and now nearing its centenary, the parish is described by its own staff as a community 'grounded in faith, nourished by the Eucharist, and dedicated to stewardship and service.' It operates a celebrated K–8 school, a full faith formation program for children and teens, an OCIA (RCIA) process for adults, and a music ministry led by its own Music Director. The parish sits within the Diocese of Oakland and is currently pastored by Fr. Leo Edgerly, Jr., who chairs the Diocesan Task Force for Racial Justice.
- Established
- 1929
- Patron
- Corpus Christi (the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ)
- Rector
- Fr. Leo Edgerly, Jr.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Oakland (originally founded in 1929 as part of the Archdiocese of San Francisco)
Why belong here
Corpus Christi combines a century-old Piedmont presence with a present-day, multi-generational community: an acclaimed K–8 school with a 7:1 student-to-staff ratio, full family faith formation that walks children and parents through First Communion and Confirmation together, OCIA (RCIA) for adults discerning the Catholic faith, an active Confirmation youth ministry that pairs classroom work with retreat and service at places like St. Anthony's Foundation in San Francisco and St. Mary's Center in Oakland, a dedicated music ministry, and a pastor publicly committed to welcoming every person 'not despite who you are, but because of who you are.' Parishioners describe it as a place where you can wrestle with hard questions, take faith seriously without taking yourself too seriously, and find your gifts meaningfully put to work.
Mass times at Corpus Christi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm in the Church Reconciliation Room (the parish also lists confessions available Saturdays 3:30 pm–4:30 pm; by appointment with Fr. Leo at 510-530-4343)
Adoration times
- Per the parish's published Catholic Church Directory listing, Adoration is offered — consult the parish calendar at corpuschristipiedmont.org/calendar for the current weekly schedule.
Our History
The Corpus Christi Parish was formally opened on November 24, 1929 by founding pastor Reverend Francis D. Ahern, then part of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The first church and rectory, blessed by Archbishop Hanna on January 11, 1931, seated just 160 parishioners. Father Edwin J. Keller, who took over in November 1933, built the present-day church and dedicated it on March 8, 1936 — a building often mistaken for Mission-style but actually patterned on 10th-century Italian hill-town ecclesiastical architecture. The parish grew into a full complex over decades: Corpus Christi School opened in 1956, the church was extended by 55 feet in 1962, and the separate rectory was completed in May 1967. A 1997 seismic retrofit under Father Albano Oliveira produced the modern interior we see today, along with the Gibson Center and Plaza, dedicated days before Father Oliveira's sudden death on December 29, 1998.
- Founded November 4 (pastor's appointment) / November 24 (first Mass), 1929
- First church blessed by Archbishop Hanna, January 11, 1931 (160 seats)
- Present-day church dedicated March 8, 1936 under Father Edwin J. Keller
- School opened September 28, 1956
- Church extended 55 feet and re-dedicated in 1962 (≈1,000 seats)
- Rectory completed May 1967
- Seismic retrofit, Master Plan, and Gibson Center & Plaza completed 1997–1998 under Father Albano Oliveira
Pastoral Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Fr. Leo Edgerly, Jr., a pastor of some 27 years who also chairs the Diocesan Task Force for Racial Justice and serves as Vice President for Catholic Mission at Bishop O'Dowd High School. He is joined in residence by Fr. Basil DePinto, with Fr. Paul Vassar as guest celebrant. A strong lay staff runs faith formation, music, liturgy, communications, and the parish school.
- Pastor: Fr. Leo Edgerly, Jr.
- Priests in Residence / Visiting: Fr. Basil DePinto, Fr. Paul Vassar
- Music Director: Joseph Hébert
- Accompanist & FORMED coordinator: Claire Chaix
- Confirmation & Youth Ministry: Adrian Fulay
- Family Faith Formation & Children's Liturgy of the Word: Rebeccah Pelle
- OCIA (RCIA): Anne Kallin Zehren
- Assistant to the Pastor: Ankie Edgar
- Business Manager: Judy Hilgert
- Office Manager: Ann Endress
- Web Manager: Karyn Caruso
- Bulletin Editor: Gail Van Deusen
- School Co-Principals: Kathleen Murphy & Mele Mortonson
Faith Formation
Faith formation at Corpus Christi is described by the parish as 'not about memorizing answers — it's about developing a real relationship with a loving God that changes who you are.' Programs span the youngest parishioners through adults.
- Family Faith Formation (K–5th grade), with First Communion preparation
- Junior High program (6th–8th grade)
- High School program (9th–12th grade)
- Confirmation & Youth Ministry — a two-year journey with retreat and a required Service Outreach engagement (e.g. St. Anthony's Foundation, St. Mary's Center)
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for those exploring Catholicism
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- FORMED — free access for parishioners to films, podcasts, books, and scripture studies
Parish School — Corpus Christi School (K–8)
Corpus Christi School is a Catholic, parish-based K–8 elementary school that has operated since September 28, 1956. According to its own mission statement, it is 'an inclusive Catholic community which educates, nurtures and challenges its K-8 student body to develop life skills for spiritual, academic, physical, social, and emotional growth.' The school is recognized for academic outcomes (99.9% of graduates matriculate to their first-choice high school) and a 7:1 student-to-staff ratio.
- Grades served: K–8
- School address: 1 Estates Drive, Piedmont, CA 94611
- Phone: (510) 530-4056
- Co-Principals: Kathleen Murphy and Mele Mortonson
- Operated as a ministry of Corpus Christi Parish; part of the Diocese of Oakland Catholic schools
- Active-parishioner admission priority determined by the pastor
Sacraments
The parish prepares and celebrates all seven sacraments. Children's sacramental preparation is woven into Family Faith Formation; adult preparation (including for those completing sacraments) is handled through OCIA. Reconciliation is available weekly in the Church Reconciliation Room, and appointments can be made with Fr. Leo for any sacrament by calling the parish office.
- Baptism — preparation begins in infancy through faith formation
- First Communion — prepared in age-appropriate ways in second and fourth grades
- Reconciliation — Saturday 4:00–4:30 pm in the Church Reconciliation Room
- Confirmation — two-year youth ministry program culminating in the sacrament
- Anointing of the Sick (Sacrament of Healing)
- Matrimony / Marriage — contact the parish office at 510-530-4343
Music Ministry
Corpus Christi maintains a dedicated music ministry under Music Director Joseph Hébert and Accompanist Claire Chaix. The ministry also operates a separate website at corpuschristimusicministry.com and is responsible for the music of the weekend and daily liturgies, including the livestreamed Sunday 10:30 a.m. Mass.
- Music Director: Joseph Hébert
- Accompanist & FORMED liaison: Claire Chaix
- Music Ministry website: corpuschristimusicministry.com
Outreach & Service
Service is central to the parish's identity. The Confirmation program's required service engagement takes teens and adults to partner agencies serving the Bay Area's most vulnerable, and the parish supports other works of mercy through parish-organized days of service and stewardship.
- Saturday of Service opportunities at St. Anthony's Foundation, San Francisco
- Saturday of Service opportunities at St. Mary's Center, Oakland
- Parish leadership of the Diocesan Task Force for Racial Justice (chaired by Fr. Leo Edgerly, Jr.)
- Stewardship and parish giving through the 'Ways to Give' program
Getting Here
Corpus Christi is at 322 St. James Drive in Piedmont, California, but the parish's main parking lot is actually the school lot at 1 Estates Drive. From there, a stair path and an elevator at the far end of the lot (near the tree) lead up to the church. The parish office is open Monday–Thursday 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., closed on weekends. Detailed driving directions from all four approach directions (Route 13 and I-580, north and south) are published on the parish website.
- Main parking lot: 1 Estates Drive (the school lot)
- Use stairs or elevator at the far end near the tree to reach the church
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.; Fri 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.; Sat–Sun closed
- Phone: 510-530-4343; Fax: 510-530-6824; Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Francis D. Ahern1929–c. 1933
Founding pastor; appointed November 4, 1929; formally opened the parish on November 24, 1929 with the first Mass, then operated from a rented cottage at 222 St. James Drive.
- Reverend Edwin J. Keller1933–c. 1963
Began tenure November 17, 1933; served roughly three decades; built the present-day church, dedicated March 8, 1936.
- Father Albano Oliveira
Stewarded the 1997–1998 seismic retrofit and Master Plan, oversaw construction of the Gibson Center and Plaza (dedicated December 27, 1998), and died unexpectedly two days later on December 29, 1998.
- Fr. Leo Edgerly, Jr.
Current pastor; also serves on the Diocesan Presbyteral Council and College of Consultors, chairs the Diocesan Task Force for Racial Justice, and is Vice President for Catholic Mission at Bishop O'Dowd High School.