The beginning of Corpus Christi Parish was the beginning of Catholism in Northwest Iowa. Corpus Christi was the mother Church for this whole section. It was the first parish in what is now the Souix City Diocese, comprising twenty-four counties with an area of 14,519 square miles.
 

Bishop Matthias Loras, D.D., Bishop of Dubuque promised a Church for Fort Dodge in the year 1856. That spring, Father John Vahey was sent to Fort Dodge.

According to Webster County Court House, the first piece of real estate purchased by Corpus Christi was made up of Lots 1 and @, in Block 59, in the original Plat of Fort Dodge, which is the tract on which the church and the former rectory now stand. These two lots were conveyed to Bishop Loras by Jesse Williams on January 28, 1857 for the price of $200. The construction of the first Church began in the fall of 1856 prior to issuance of the original deed.

Father Marsh was 41 years of age when he came to Fort Dodge in 1859. Father Marsh moved into the rectory and his board was given by John Haire, who lived at the corner of sixth street and First Avenue South. Under his direction the first school in the diocese for Catholic education was begun.

Seminary Square was the piece of property just north of the church and rectory. Records show that in the original plat of the town of Fort Dodge, a reservation of certain land was made to be donated to a religious denomination for school purposes, and that this tract was withheld from sale and sub-division and called Seminary Square. Seminary Square was to be given to the first religous denomination making use of it for a school site. Seminary square became the property of Corpus Christi on April 18, 1862.

Father John A. O'Reilly was the first boy from Webster county and Corpus Christi Parish to be ordained a priest. He was the son of Patrick and Anne O'Reilly, early settlers who emigrated from Illinois. Born at Dixon, Illinois, April 23, 1855, John O'reilly came to Webster County with his parents. He left the community to begin his clerical studies at St. John's College in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. After completing his seminary work in Niagara Falls, N.Y., he was ordained there by Archbishop Ryan on the fifth of June, 1879. Father O'Reilly said his first Mass in the old Corpus Christi Church during the pastorate of Father T.M. Lenihan. After more than fifty years in the priesthood, Father O'Reilly died during the January of 1930. 

Miss Elizabeth Noonan was the first girl from Corpus Christi Parish to be professed. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Noonan, and entered the Sister of Charity, BVM at Dubuque in 1861 at the age of fourteen years and nine months. She taught music, and was stationed for a time at Council Bluffs. She died in 1874. Her name in religion was Sister Mary Philomena. 
 
 

The new Corpus Christi Church (1881) was a masterpiece in the world of liturgical architecture and construction. The quarring of stone was started in 1879 and construction was started in 1880. The architect for the project was Fred Heer from Dubuque. Mr. Heer stayed with Conrad Laufersweiler on his trips to Fort Dodge ti inspect constuction ...total cost was $37,892.59

FIRST BAPTISM: The first child baptized in this church was Agnes Welch on April 20, 1856. Agnes was the daughter of William Welch and Catherine Graly. The sponsers were William Quinn and Bridget Murphy.

FIRST MARRIAGE: The first marriage in this parish, at which Father Vahey officiated, was on June 18, 1856, and united Richard Kelly and Catherine Knox in holy wedlock.

FIRST BURIAL: the first burial took place on December 29, 1859. On this date Father marsh buried John Thomas Furlong, infant son of Richard and Anastasis Furlong.

Corpus Christi Parish suffered a great loss in the death of Miss Ursula Ryan in 1949. Ursula had been the organist and singer for weddings and funerals for more than 40 years. She attended Mass daily and was an important person in the life of our parish for more than two generations. She held a Masters Degree in Music from the Bush Conservatory of Music in Chicago. When her sister died in 1905, leaving four children, she brought them to Fort Dodge and raised them in her home. They are Frank Burns of Fort Dodge, the late James Burns of Souix City, Jan Burns of Chicago and John Burns.