The Church of the Resurrection was founded as a post-Vatican II parish at the request of Bishop Joseph L. Hogan of Rochester. (After Vatican II the Mass was celebrated in the vernacular. The priest turned to face the people. Gregorian chant was replaced with more modern music. Church buildings themselves were remodeled to make room for lay ministers and to reflect a theology in which the community itself helped pray the Mass. The Catholic Church entered into ecumenical conversations with other churches with the hope of establishing greater Christian unity. And so much more.) On Easter in March of 1973, Fr. Robert G. Kreckel and a few dedicated parishioners planted the seed that was to become this caring, loving community.

This new “church” had no building. Fr. Bob and a small group of original parishioners had the vision that “the people are the church.” This was ingrained in the hearts of our members. Weekend liturgies were celebrated in the building next to Martha Brown Middle School; daily Mass at the rectory, which was located on Hamilton Road; and committees met in parishioners’ homes. Fr. Bob personally visited each new parishioner for as long as he could and requested invitations from parishioners to eat dinner in their homes so that he could get to know them better.

On October 9, 1976, we celebrated the first Mass in our current building at 63 Mason Road. For many years, the building served the dual function of place of worship and parish center. The majority of our activities took place in the great room, which resembled a medieval banquet hall. Here our families partook in the meal of the Eucharist and experienced their faith community as well. Classrooms and offices line the outer walls; a community room and kitchen were behind the Worship Space. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel is located near the front door; it was available for daily Mass, and individual and group prayer whenever the building was open. There are seven arches in the main body that represent the seven sacraments. This building was designed to have a second floor, but that plan never came to fruition.

 

Fr. Lawrence V. Murphy became our pastor in 1985. During his tenure, the rectory was moved from 283 Hamilton Rd. to 52 Mason Rd. When Fr. Louis A. Vasile became our pastor in 1993, a parish building capital fund drive and the creation of the current Parish Mission Statement took place.

Fr. William E. Graf was asked to be our pastor in 1998, and he was a bridge into the 21st Century. He worked with parishioners to renovate the Worship Space, add padded pews, build our Emmaus Hall (name based on the post-Resurrection story) with a new kitchen. We also expanded outreach to all in Fairport and beyond. Although he retired in 2005, he continued as Sacramental Minister, presiding at Mass and Sacraments.

Nancy DeRycke was appointed by Bishop Matthew Clark in June 2005 as our first Pastoral Administrator. She was followed by Sr. Joan M. Cawley, SSJ, in 2008 as our second Pastoral Administrator. Fr. George Heyman joined the staff in 2008 as Sacramental Minister.

In 2014 Bishop Salvatore R. Matano assigned Fr. Edward L. Palumbos to assume the role of Pastor of Church of the Resurrection as a sister parish to Church of the Assumption where he was serving as Pastor. He helped the two parishes to collaborate their ministries, committees, and efforts wherever possible to be good stewards of the resources that God has provided to us.

In 2018, Fr. George Heyman returned to become Pastor for both Church of the Resurrection and Church of the Assumption. In early 2020, he guided the parishioners through the COVID-19 pandemic. Church of the Resurrection was closed for a while, but in July of 2020, the building was reopened for daily Mass, and on November 1st Fr. George resumed saying Mass on Sundays, although we were wearing masks and sitting in alternate pews.

In April 2021, our parish community was shocked by Fr. George Heyman's sudden passing. Fr. Peter Clifford, from neighboring St. John of Rochester, stepped in as interim administrator until a new pastor could be appointed by Bishop Matano. In June 2021, Fr. Mickey McGrath became the pastor of Church of the Resurrection and Church of the Assumption.

Church of the Resurrection is a vibrant, hospitable, and loving Faith Community, a people called to reach out to God and our neighbor. Enlivened by the Holy Spirit, we share the joy of Baptism, Eucharist, First Reconciliation, Confirmation, and Weddings. Our early members laid the groundwork for embracing the philosophy of “Live simply so that others can simply live.” Over the years, some parishioners have volunteered their time as carpenters to do woodworking on our new building, while others have done staining and painting. Teens seeded the original lawn, and flower gardens are still maintained by volunteers of all ages. All of this is done so that the money saved can be used for outreach. Our ministries prayerfully, financially, and physically support the sick, the aged, the dying, and those in need, locally and far beyond our four walls. We cherish our times of fellowship with one another at Eucharist, parish events, retreats, and while serving others outside our Faith Community. We are a family!

While our building was partially closed due to a pandemic, we gained a new appreciation for the day our doors would be opened wide and we could return “home” to worship God -- as well as enjoy being in fellowship once again as we continue our faith journey together in our little church in the woods!

~Jan Harmon, parish secretary June 1997 to April 2018