Church of the Resurrection
Hebrew 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.
From Resurrection Parents:
In 2018 & 2019, through God’s Providence, our family spent a sabbatical year in Lansing, MI during which we attended Church of the Resurrection Parish and our children attended Resurrection school and preschool. During that year, we were able to participate in many school and parish activities. When our sabbatical year ended, we were convinced that we should try to find something “like” Resurrection as a permanent home. When the opportunity to move back to Michigan and to return to Resurrection school and parish presented itself, we did not hesitate to move our family from Albany, New York back to the Lansing area to return to Resurrection on a permanent basis.
The key defining feature about Resurrection is that it is Catholic. Fearlessly, Openly, Unabashedly, and Unapologetically Catholic. The school and church seem to be one seamless whole. In an era where Catholic school administrators play down the Catholicism of their schools or offer to teach “religion” as an optional “wrap around” to better appeal to the secular culture, the uniqueness of Resurrection is, quite literally, stunning.
To illustrate, there are the obvious differences such as Mass multiple times a week as opposed to one a week or one a month, weekly Eucharistic adoration, frequent prayer times for students throughout the day, and monthly opportunities for Confession. There is the abundance of scriptural quotes and sacramentals throughout the building. There is a solid religious education curriculum in place of ones that are not clearly Catholic.
However, the biggest difference is in the people. Resurrection is blessed with a prayerful and sacramental faculty and staff. This is not to say that some people are better or holier as that is for God alone to judge. Rather, it describes the orientation that faculty and staff of Resurrection appear to take. It seems that they look first to prayer and that their ideas and suggestions come from that place of prayer. They are appealing for inspiration not to the world, but to God. This is reflected, among other places, in the nature of their suggestions big and small, in the prioritization of family life, in their respect for parents as primary educators.
Another way in which the Catholic nature of Resurrection manifests itself is in the sense of community we felt and feel as members of the parish and school. Our family is a multi-racial, adoptive family and includes children with disabilities and children who were born in different states. At Resurrection school, our boys are treated as gifts to be cherished, and the diversity they bring to the school is welcomed and celebrated. As parents, we are happy to know that our boys will see many students who look like them at Resurrection school. They will not be the only students of color in their class, or the only adoptive family in the school, or the only person who lives with a disability. We are also pleased to know that our boys will be taught, and shown by example, how to treat every person with dignity and respect, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, income level, or any other facet of their life. The teachers and staff at Resurrection genuinely care for and value their students. They have a wonderful ability to meet each student where they are, to treasure them for all their unique gifts, and to teach their students to care for and value each other as sons and daughters of God the Father.
We are grateful for the gift that Resurrection parish and school is for our family, and we are grateful for the prayers and support they receive from the Black and Indian Mission Office.
