About Corpus Christi · Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Corpus Christi Parish is a Roman Catholic parish on the west side of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of Green Bay, serving the Door County peninsula community. The parish gathers for Mass in English on weekends and select weekdays, runs faith formation for children (Genesis grades 1–5) and youth (EDGE & Life Teen), and shares the historic 1904-era founding story of Sturgeon Bay's west-side Catholic community. Corpus Christi is also home to St. John Bosco School (the consolidated Catholic school formed in 2007 with St. Joseph and Ss. Peter & Paul parishes), and remains a hub for worship, formation, outreach, and Eucharistic Adoration on the Door peninsula.
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ)
- Rector
- Fr. Bill Brunner (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
Corpus Christi welcomes visitors and new parishioners as part of an extended parish family. The community gathers twice on Sundays (7:00 AM and 10:30 AM) plus a Saturday vigil at 4:30 PM, with daily Mass on Monday evening and Wednesday morning, regular confessions, and First Thursday all-day Eucharistic Adoration. Faith formation runs from Genesis (grades 1–5) through EDGE & Life Teen youth ministry, the parish hosts St. John Bosco School on its campus, and music, liturgical, and outreach ministries give parishioners of every age a way to serve and belong.
Mass times at Corpus Christi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- Monday 4:30 PM – 5:20 PM (priest availability subject to change — see parish Facebook for cancellations)
- Wednesday 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM (priest availability subject to change — see parish Facebook for cancellations)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- First Thursday of each month, 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
About Corpus Christi Parish
Corpus Christi is a Roman Catholic parish serving the west side of Sturgeon Bay and the broader Door County peninsula, in the Diocese of Green Bay. The parish gathers at 811 W Juniper Street for Sunday Mass (7:00 AM and 10:30 AM) and a Saturday vigil (4:30 PM), with weekday Mass on Monday evening and Wednesday morning, regular confession, and First Thursday all-day Adoration. The parish describes itself as a family that welcomes visitors, and it shares youth ministry, faith formation, and adult formation with neighboring parishes.
- Parish family: 'If you're new in town, we would love to add you to our parish family.'
- Mission statement: faithful Catholic disciples of Christ walking the path together
- Diocese: Green Bay
History of the Parish
Until 1904 the Catholics of Sturgeon Bay's west side crossed the bay to worship at St. Joseph's. The parish was incorporated in March 1904 as the Church of Corpus Christi, and a church and rectory were built in 1905 on West Maple Street. A school opened in the church basement in 1907 and a convent was added in 1915. By 1945 the basement school was overflowing, and a new school building opened in 1951; all classrooms were in use by 1958. On 12 May 1963 a new social hall, convent, and church were dedicated — the church designed by Robert W. Surplice of Green Bay. A new rectory was built in 1996 and an addition to the school was completed in 1999. In 2007 the Catholic schools of Corpus Christi, St. Joseph, and Ss. Peter & Paul consolidated and the former Corpus Christi school was renamed St. John Bosco.
- 1904 — parish incorporated as the Church of Corpus Christi
- 1905 — church and rectory built on West Maple Street
- 1907 — school opened in the church basement
- 1915 — original convent erected
- 1951 — new school building opened
- 12 May 1963 — new church, convent, and social hall dedicated (architect Robert W. Surplice)
- 1996 — new rectory built
- 1999 — school addition completed
- Fall 2007 — consolidated Catholic school opened as St. John Bosco with 158 students, 4K–8
Architecture & Campus
The current Corpus Christi church, designed by Robert W. Surplice of Green Bay and dedicated in 1963, is built in a Contemporary style with stone-veneer walls. The 1963 church, 1951/1999 school, and 1963 social hall are all connected via 'hyphen-like' connecting hallways, while the 1963 convent and 1996 rectory sit a short distance to the southwest and southeast respectively. A bell tower holding the bell from the 1905 church stands just east of the church entrance, and a gabled signage element stands to the northwest.
- Architect: Robert W. Surplice, Green Bay
- Style: Contemporary; wall material: stone veneer
- Bell tower with the 1905 church bell, east of the church entrance
- Connected church–school–social hall complex
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently administered by Fr. Bill Brunner as Parish Administrator, with Fr. Tony Birdsall assisting as a retired senior priest. A staff of lay ministers and coordinators handles faith formation, youth ministry, liturgy, music, business, and maintenance.
- Fr. Bill Brunner — Parish Administrator
- Fr. Tony Birdsall — Sr. Priest (Retired)
- Music Director
- Ben Tonner — Liturgy Coordinator
- Sarah Gavin — Youth Minister (EDGE & Life Teen)
- Laura Hoffman — Faith Formation Coordinator (Genesis grades 1–5)
- Amanda Kuntz
- Sandy McGrath — Administrative Coordinator
- Tony Klink — Business Manager
- Kyle Starr — Maintenance
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Corpus Christi runs age-appropriate faith formation from elementary through high school. Genesis covers grades 1–5 and the EDGE & Life Teen programs walk middle- and high-school youth through their faith under Youth Minister Sarah Gavin. Corpus Christi, St. Joseph, and other area parishes share staff for youth ministry, religious education, and adult faith formation, so families often benefit from a coordinated Catholic formation network across Sturgeon Bay.
- Genesis — grades 1–5
- EDGE — middle school youth ministry
- Life Teen — high school youth ministry
- Shared staff for youth ministry and adult faith formation with neighboring parishes
St. John Bosco School
St. John Bosco Catholic School is located on the Corpus Christi campus and was formed in Fall 2007 when the Catholic schools of Corpus Christi, St. Joseph, and Ss. Peter & Paul voted to consolidate. The former Corpus Christi school building was renamed St. John Bosco and opened with 158 students from 4K through 8th grade.
- Opened Fall 2007 on the Corpus Christi campus
- Grades served: 4K through 8th
- 158 students in the inaugural year
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music and liturgy are coordinated at the parish by a Music Director and a Liturgy Coordinator (Ben Tonner). Together they support weekend Masses, holy day liturgies, and sacramental celebrations throughout the year.
- Music Director
- Liturgy Coordinator — Ben Tonner
Getting Involved
Parishioners can serve as lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, musicians, choir members, faith-formation catechists, or members of outreach and hospitality ministries. The parish invites new members and visitors alike to make Corpus Christi their parish home, and the parish office (920-743-4716) is the starting point for registering, signing up for sacraments, or volunteering.
- Parish office: (920) 743-4716
- Liturgical roles: lectors, EMHCs, altar servers, music/choir
- Formation roles: catechists, youth ministry helpers
- Outreach and hospitality ministries
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Fr. Peters1904–1907
First pastor of the newly incorporated Church of Corpus Christi, Sawyer/Sturgeon Bay west side.
- Rev. C. Hugo1907–1908
Succeeded Fr. Peters.
- Rev. H. Pfeifer1908–
Pastoral tenure recorded in the 1917 History of Door County.