Our History
In
1904 the Catholic Faith returned to Wokingham after the
reformation in 1903. There were only three or four
Catholic families in Wokingham and no Catholic Church.
Mass was said for them in the “Welcome Inn” in Peach
Street, situated by the Old Forge, celebrated by Father
Doran the priest at Bracknell.
The Dominican Sisters arrived in 1904. They rented a place in the Market Place, now the Edinburgh Wool Shop, and Mass was celebrated here. The Convent used by the Sisters was rented and the Stables were converted into a Chapel.
On 14th May 1911, Fr. Doran blessed the new Church giving it the name of Corpus Christi. Father John Connolly became the long serving Parish Priest from 1916 - 1947. He was buried in All Saints Church in 1947.
Father Zollo took over as Parish Priest between 1947 – 1954, followed by Father Maurice Wallace from 1954 – 1984. During this time, work on building a new Church took place. The Church was completed and opened by Bishop D. Worlock on 14th November 1970.
For many years Fr Wallace was a very sick man but he achieved his dream of a built and paid for New Church of Corpus Christi before he died 1st April 1984.
Between 1984-2002 Father Keenan harnessed the faith, skills, and talents of the Parishioners too by introducing new programmes involving many people. He introduced the Baptismal Programme and Parish and School Based Eucharistic involving Parents, Teachers, Catechists, Tea Ladies etc. Late in December 2001, Father Keenan was diagnosed with a brain tumour and sadly died in July.
In August 2002 Mgr. James 'Jim' Joyce arrived to start his duties as Parish Priest. Many more changes were to come starting with the building of the much needed Parish Rooms - the Keenan Rooms. Fr Jim retired to Twyford in 2015. Father had been unwell for the last couple of years, he wanted to move to a smaller Parish in the Reading area because of continuing treatment at The Royal Berkshire Hospital.
Fr David O’Sullivan arrived at the parish on 11th September 2015 and is continuing the good work in the Parish.