It was opened in 1874 by Cardinal Henry Manning, at that time the Archbishop of Westminster, and dedicated to Corpus Christi "as an act of reparation for the indignities offered to the Blessed Sacrament in this country in the sixteenth century and since".

One of the early parish priests was Fr Francis Stanfield who wrote two famous hymns: 'Sweet Sacrament Divine' and 'O Sacred Heart'.

Dominic Bruce, the British Royal Air Force officer known as the "Medium Sized Man", married Mary Brigid Lagan on 25 June 1938 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Maiden Lane.

Near the sanctuary steps is a bronze statue of St Tarcisius, the Roman boy martyr, by Karin Jonzen.

A shrine for Blessed Carlo Acutis, carved by Ferdinand Stuflesser in Italy and including a relic, was unveiled on his feast day on 12 October, 2022.