About Corpus Christi · Temple Terrace, Florida
Corpus Christi Catholic Church is a Roman-Latin rite parish serving the Temple Terrace community in northeastern Hillsborough County, Florida. Founded in 1958 as a mission of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Tampa, it became an independent parish on November 27, 1958 and has grown into a bilingual (English and Spanish) community at 9715 N. 56th Street. The parish is part of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg (North Tampa Deanery) and operates the adjoining Corpus Christi Catholic School, which opened in 1964 and has sent over 1,000 graduates on to Tampa-area Catholic high schools.
- Established
- 1958
- Patron
- Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ)
- Rector
- Rev. Joshua M. Hare
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg (Deanery: North Tampa)
Why belong here
Corpus Christi offers a warm, bilingual Catholic home in Temple Terrace, with three Sunday Masses (including a 9:30 a.m. Mass in Spanish), daily Mass Monday through Saturday, and a parish school that has formed over 1,000 students in a Christ-centered environment. The parish provides regular opportunities for sacramental life — weekday confessions, Thursday adoration, First Friday devotions, and a Faith Formation program for children whose parents are not enrolled in the parish school. A bilingual priest is available, making the parish a natural fit for English- and Spanish-speaking families in the North Tampa corridor.
Mass times at Corpus Christi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (a bilingual priest is available)
- Wednesday: 7:30 PM – 8:20 PM
- Thursday: 9:30 AM – 10:20 AM
- Friday (First Friday of the month): 7:30 PM – 8:20 PM
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
- Thursday: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
- Wednesday (First Friday of the month): 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
About Corpus Christi Parish
Corpus Christi is a Roman-Latin rite Catholic parish in Temple Terrace, Florida, part of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg's North Tampa Deanery. Founded in 1958, the parish shares its 56th Street campus with Corpus Christi Catholic School (established 1964) and serves a bilingual community of English- and Spanish-speaking families in northeastern Hillsborough County. Its mailing address, mass times, clergy, and confession schedule are all published through the official website at www.spiritualhome.org.
- Parish name: Corpus Christi Catholic Church
- Founded: 1958
- Diocese: Saint Petersburg (Deanery: North Tampa)
- County: Hillsborough
- Website: www.spiritualhome.org
History of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi traces its roots to February 1954, when Mary and Basil Brook sold land between Ridgedale Road and 56th Street to the Roman Catholic Church. Initially a mission of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Tampa, the community celebrated its first Mass in February 1958 with 125 people at Most Holy Redeemer. After parishioner Joseph Cappolino built a portable altar, Mass moved to the Civic Center on Glen Arven. On November 27, 1958, the mission became an independent parish; ground was broken for the church in January 1960 and the building was dedicated on November 6, 1960.
- 1954: Land purchased for the parish
- February 1958: First Mass at Most Holy Redeemer (125 people)
- November 27, 1958: Became an independent parish
- January 1960: Church construction began
- November 6, 1960: Church dedicated
- April 1964: School construction began
- 2008: Parish marked its 50th anniversary
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently led by Pastor Rev. Joshua M. Hare, with Parochial Vicars Rev. Joel M. Kovanis and Rev. Christian A. Galvan. Deacon Henry Jerez assists in ministry. The parish office can be reached at (813) 988-1593 or by email at [email protected].
- Rev. Joshua M. Hare — Pastor
- Rev. Joel M. Kovanis — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Christian A. Galvan — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Henry Jerez
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Corpus Christi's Evangelization & Faith Formation office partners with parents — whom the National Catechetical Directory calls the 'first and foremost catechists of their children' — to nurture faith from childhood through adulthood. While the parish school provides Religious Education for K–8 students, the Faith Formation office coordinates sacramental preparation for all parishioners as well as religious education for children not enrolled in the Catholic school.
- Pre-K Sunday classes (for children age 4 by Sept 1; at least one parent/guardian must be a registered, practicing parishioner)
- Sacramental preparation (Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation)
- Religious education for parishioners not in Catholic school
- Parent/guardian partnership requirement for all programs
Corpus Christi Catholic School
Corpus Christi Catholic School opened in September 1964 as a ministry of Corpus Christi Catholic Church, welcoming 96 students in grades one through four. Kindergarten was added in 1965, and in 1974 the school graduated its first class of 29 eighth graders. Today it provides a Christ-centered education in Pre-K through 8th grade under Principal Mrs. Kelly Kearney, and its graduates regularly continue on to Tampa Catholic High School, the Academy of the Holy Names, and Jesuit High School.
- Founded: September 1964
- First graduates (8th grade): 1974 (29 students)
- More than 1,000 alumni since 1964
- Principal: Mrs. Kelly Kearney
- Pastor on staff: Fr. Joel Kovanis
- Programs: STREAM, Gifted, VPK/PreK, PE, Music PreK–8, 21st Century Skills
Service and Outreach
Service to the poor and marginalized is a hallmark of Corpus Christi's school and parish life. Younger children take part in school-based collections and card-writing for the homebound, while older students serve regularly at Mission Santa Maria (feeding the homeless), Metropolitan Ministries (sorting food), and the diocesan Catholic Charities office. Students also support their sister school, St. Michael the Archangel in Dilaire, Haiti. These hands-on experiences are paired with religion classes that root service in the Gospel's preferential option for the poor.
- Service to Mission Santa Maria (homeless feeding)
- Service to Metropolitan Ministries (food sorting)
- Diocesan Catholic Charities service
- Sister-school partnership with St. Michael the Archangel, Dilaire, Haiti
- School-wide food drives, card-writing for the homebound
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation) through its Faith Formation office and offers opportunities for the sacraments of healing (Confession, Anointing of the Sick) and vocation (Marriage) on a regular basis. Parents seeking Baptism or first sacraments for children are asked to contact the Parish Office at (813) 988-1593.
- Baptism — parish preparation required; baptismal certificate if previously baptized
- First Reconciliation / First Communion — parish-based preparation
- Confirmation — parish-based preparation
- Marriage — contact the Parish Office
- Anointing of the Sick
- Confession — see weekly schedule
Visiting Corpus Christi
Parishioners and visitors can find Corpus Christi at 9715 N. 56th Street, Temple Terrace, FL 33617, two blocks south of Busch Boulevard. The phone number is (813) 988-1593, fax (813) 985-3583, and the office email is [email protected]. The website at www.spiritualhome.org is the best source for the most current Mass, confession, and event schedule.
- Address: 9715 N. 56th Street, Temple Terrace, FL 33617
- Phone: (813) 988-1593
- Fax: (813) 985-3583
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://spiritualhome.org