About Church of the Resurrection · Burtonsville, Maryland
Church of the Resurrection is a Roman Catholic parish in Burtonsville, Maryland, in the Archdiocese of Washington. Canonically established on Easter Sunday, April 19, 1981, it serves the Burtonsville–Fairland–Calverton area of Montgomery County and has pastoral care of the Riderwood Village retirement community and the new White Oak Adventist Hospital. The parish offers daily and Sunday Masses in the main church and at Riderwood Chapel, a weekly religious education program, an in-house preschool, an active youth ministry, and a strong social-justice outreach rooted in its Eucharistic identity. The church itself, built above an all-purpose hall and dedicated by Cardinal James Hickey on November 12, 1989, is the spiritual home to roughly a thousand local Catholic households.
- Established
- 1981
- Patron
- The Risen Christ (Church of the Resurrection)
- Rector
- Rev. John M. Barry
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
Resurrection welcomes anyone who wants to grow closer to Christ through the Eucharist and service. A new family can register online, join a vibrant youth ministry (grades 6–12), sign children up for weekly Religious Education classes, or take part in the year-long Becoming Catholic (RCIA) journey led personally by the pastor, Fr. John Barry. The parish reaches well beyond its walls: it ministers to the residents of Riderwood Village retirement community, runs a twice-monthly food pantry, supports C-4, EMEAN and Shepherd's Table, sustains a long-standing Haiti mission, knits hats through the Needlework Ministry (Circle of St. Clare), and fields the Msgr. John R. Pennington Knights of Columbus Council 9808. Add Friday Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction, a daily rosary, and a popular Living Arts Concert Series, and you have a parish that takes its patron — the Risen Christ — into every corner of Burtonsville life.
Mass times at Church of the Resurrection
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- All Fridays: 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM (during Eucharistic Adoration)
- By appointment — call the parish office
Adoration times
- All Fridays: 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM, followed by Benediction at 7:30 PM
Welcome to Resurrection
The parish describes itself as a welcoming Roman Catholic community in Burtonsville, part of the Archdiocese of Washington and under one Pope, 'serving together since Pentecost as the body of believers under and in One Lord Jesus.' Its Mission Statement reads: 'We, the parishioners of the Church of the Resurrection, strive to be a welcoming Christian Community as we come together to share in the Eucharist. Strengthened by our bond to Christ and one another, we accept the challenge to bring about the unity to which we are called by reaching out to others and offering them an experience of Faith, Hope, and Love. In this way, we proclaim the Kingdom of God.' Newcomers can register online via the parish website.
- Parish Mission Statement
- New parishioner registration form (downloadable)
- Parish territory covers Burtonsville–Fairland–Calverton with pastoral care for Riderwood Village and White Oak Adventist Hospital
Parish History
The parish was founded as the Fairland-Burtonsville-Calverton Catholic Community in November 1980 and was renamed Church of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, April 19, 1981. The first Masses were celebrated at Liberty Grove Methodist Church and Paint Branch High School, and the church was built above an all-purpose hall completed in 1986. Cardinal James Hickey dedicated the permanent church on November 12, 1989. The parish marked its 40th anniversary in November 2021 with Cardinal Wilton Gregory.
- Founded November 1980 as a mission; canonical establishment Easter 1981
- First Mass: Liberty Grove Methodist Church (5 PM Saturday) and Paint Branch High School (Sunday)
- All-purpose lower-level building completed July 1986
- Permanent church dedicated by Cardinal Hickey, November 12, 1989
- 40th anniversary celebrated with Cardinal Gregory, November 2021
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. John M. Barry, supported by Pastoral Assistant Rev. Virginus Osuagwu, SDS, Parochial Vicar Rev. Daniel T. Gallaugher, and Deacon Chuck Bieberich. Lay staff include Business Manager Diane Choi, Office Manager Anne Brennan, Coordinator of Religious Education / Director of Religious Education and Youth Ministry Helene Stever, and Director of Liturgy & Music Annick Kanter-St. Hubert.
- Rev. John M. Barry — Pastor
- Rev. Virginus Osuagwu, SDS — Pastoral Assistant
- Rev. Daniel T. Gallaugher — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Chuck Bieberich
- Helene Stever — Coordinator of Religious Education / Youth Ministry
- Annick Kanter-St. Hubert — Director of Liturgy & Music
- Diane Choi — Business Manager
- Anne Brennan — Office Manager
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's Religious Education Program is open to all children in public school or homeschool, with in-person classes for grades K through High School held weekly in the Reverend Keffer Parish Life Center classrooms on Mondays, 6:00–7:15 PM, from September 22 through May 11. Children and teens in Grades 1–12 who have not yet been baptized or received First Communion/Confirmation may enroll in the Sacramental Preparation program (RCIC) and, when fully prepared, receive the sacraments at the Easter Vigil.
- Registration window: August 15 – September 15
- Classes Mondays 6:00–7:15 PM, September–May
- Sacramental Preparation / RCIC for unbaptized children and teens
- Contact: Helene Stever, Director of Religious Education and Youth Ministry, 301-288-4664
Becoming Catholic (RCIA & RCIC)
The Becoming Catholic program (RCIA) runs from September until Easter and includes teaching, Q&A, video and discussion on Catholic life. It is led personally by the pastor, Fr. John Barry, who serves as RCIA director, with a team that offers weekly catechesis. Sessions are open to the unbaptized, Christians baptized in other traditions, and baptized Catholics seeking Eucharist or Confirmation. The children's and teen version, RCIC, is directed by Helene Stever.
- Year-long process — September through Easter
- Four stages: Inquiry, Catechumenate, Enlightenment & Purification, Mystagogy
- First meeting each year typically held virtually in mid-September
- Adult RCIA led by Fr. John Barry; RCIC for Grades 1–12 led by Helene Stever
Youth Ministry
The Youth Ministry empowers parish teens in grades 6–12 — public, Catholic, private, or homeschool — to embrace their Catholic faith through faith-formation gatherings, spiritual activities, service projects, athletics, and social events. Most gatherings are held in the Parish Life Youth Center, and adult volunteers must comply with Archdiocese Policy 2010. Service opportunities also let teens earn Montgomery County SSL hours.
- Open to grades 6–12 from any school
- Separate Middle School and High School tracks
- Service opportunities for SSL hours
- Contact: Helene Stever, 301-288-4664
Preschool
Resurrection Catholic Church Preschool is a standalone archdiocesan preschool serving children with a spiritually nourishing, safe, and loving environment. Through developmentally appropriate, play-based activities, it nurtures cognitive, social-emotional, creative, physical, and spiritual growth, introducing Catholic prayer, liturgy, and the sacraments throughout the day. The preschool is closing at the end of May 2026.
- Director: Susan Quinn
- Phone: 301-288-4665
- Located in the Amadeo Room at 3315 Greencastle Road
- Co-ed, Montgomery County, 6:1 student:staff ratio
- Closing at the end of May 2026
Liturgy & Music
Liturgy and music are directed by Annick Kanter-St. Hubert, Director of Liturgy & Music. A family-focused Sunday Mass is celebrated at 9:00 AM in the parish hall below the church (the Amadeo Room) — its entrance is on the lower south front side — and the large sanctuary includes a family room for parents with toddlers and babies.
- Director of Liturgy & Music: Annick Kanter-St. Hubert
- Family Mass at 9:00 AM Sunday in the Amadeo Room
- Large-capacity church with dedicated family room
Sacraments
Resurrection prepares families and individuals for Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, Confirmation, and First Communion. There are no monetary requirements for Baptism, and a Baptism Preparation class is offered for parents of infants up to 5 years old. Marriage preparation requires at least six months, and Saturday weddings must conclude by 2:00 PM. Anointing of the Sick can be scheduled through the pastor; emergency calls after hours are routed through the main parish line.
- Baptism — contact Deacon Chuck Bieberich
- Marriage — contact Fr. John Barry, 301-288-4662
- Anointing of the Sick — Fr. John Barry, 301-288-4662; emergencies 301-236-5200
- Eucharist & Confirmation — through Religious Education or RCIA/RCIC
Social Justice & Outreach
Resurrection lives out its mission through an unusually broad network of social-justice partnerships. The parish runs a twice-monthly food pantry and supports interfaith agencies serving the wider Colesville and eastern Montgomery County community. A long-running Haiti Project built churches, schools, water systems, an egg-production facility, and a goat husbandry project in partnership with a parish in Gros Morne.
- Parish Food Pantry — open 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 6:00–7:30 PM; donations Mon–Thu 9:30 AM–3:30 PM
- C-4 (Colesville Council of Community Congregations) — clothing closet and baby closet; parish volunteers in November and April
- EMEAN — Eastern Montgomery Emergency Assistance Network (eviction/utility/medical assistance)
- Shepherd's Table — nightly hot-meal program in downtown Silver Spring
- Haiti Project — long-standing parish-to-parish mission in Gros Morne
- Needlework Ministry / Circle of St. Clare — hats, scarves, baby blankets (meets 2nd Tuesday at 7:00 PM)
Knights of Columbus
Msgr. John R. Pennington Council 9808 of the Knights of Columbus meets at 8:00 PM on the first and third Tuesdays of the month in the parish. Catholic men 18 and older interested in charity, parish service, faith, and fraternity — and the top-rated K of C insurance program — are invited to join.
- Council #9808 — Msgr. John R. Pennington Council
- Meets 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 8:00 PM
- Service: Coats for Kids, Food for Families, Ultrasound Program, disaster relief, wheelchairs
- Contact: Marion Johnson, Jr., 240-305-4353
Riderwood & Arbor Ridge Pastoral Care
Resurrection has pastoral responsibility for the Catholic residents of Riderwood Village (independent living, assisted care, and skilled nursing) on Gracefield Road, and Arbor Ridge. Weekday and Sunday Masses are celebrated in Riderwood Chapel and Arbor Ridge for residents who cannot easily travel to the main church. Fr. Barry has posted videos walking the hallways of Riderwood to bring the parish's life to those residents.
- Riderwood Chapel Masses: Sun 9:00 AM & 2:00 PM; Wed 3:00 PM
- Arbor Ridge Mass: Wed 10:00 AM
- Pastoral care visits and sacramental ministry to residents
Living Arts Concert Series
From October through June, Resurrection hosts the Living Arts Concert Series, presenting 'culturally and spiritually uplifting concerts' in the parish. The series runs September 2025 through June 2026.
- Season: October–June (September–June for the 2025–2026 season)
- Culturally and spiritually uplifting programming
Facilities, Location & Accessibility
The parish sits at the intersection of Old Columbia Pike and Greencastle Road, a half-mile west of Route 29 (between Route 200/Briggs Chaney to the south and Route 198 to the north). It includes the main church, the lower-level Amadeo Room, and the Reverend Robert F. Keffer Parish Life Center with classrooms, meeting rooms, the Youth Center, offices, and a courtyard. There is ample parking and a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the church.
- 23-acre campus acquired by the Archdiocese in 1950
- Ample parking; wheelchair-accessible
- Reverend Robert F. Keffer Parish Life Center (renamed 2014)
- Easy reach from Routes 29, 198, and 200
Reflections in Video Form
Fr. John Barry maintains an active YouTube channel with reflections, book reviews, Bible studies (e.g., Psalm 23), teaching videos on the Ten Commandments, St. Thomas / Road to Pentecost, 'The Forgotten Way' and 'Rocking Chair Prophet,' and light-hearted videos from the parish — including hallway walks of Riderwood during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- YouTube channel: reflections, teaching, and light-hearted videos
- Bible studies, book reviews, homily videos
- Fr. Barry's walks through Riderwood (2020)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jack Macfarlane1981 – 1992
Founding pastor; studied the Burtonsville area's needs, suggested the name 'Resurrection', celebrated the first Masses at Liberty Grove Methodist Church and Paint Branch High School, oversaw the all-purpose building and the construction/dedication of the permanent church (Nov 12, 1989). Later transferred to St. Elizabeth's in Rockville; retired in 2016.
- Rev. (later Msgr.) John Pennington1992 – 1999
Second pastor; established the parish preschool (opened October 1992), oversaw religious education for ~700 children, and moved parish offices to the lower church level in December 1994. Elevated to Monsignor after leaving; served at St. Peter's Waldorf and St. John the Evangelist; died Oct 7, 2014. The parish's Knights of Columbus council is named Msgr. John R. Pennington Council 9808.
- Rev. Robert F. Keffer1999 – July 2012
Third pastor; previously associate pastor at Shrine of the Sacred Heart and diocesan director of campus ministry. Founded the Riderwood/Resurrection Catholic Community at Riderwood Retirement Community and built the adjoining Parish Life Center (dedicated August 2006, renamed The Rev. Robert F. Keffer Parish Life Center in June 2014).
- Rev. Jeffrey DefayetteJuly 1, 2015 – June 30, 2017
Ordained May 21, 1988 by Cardinal Hickey; served at St. Jane de Chantal in Bethesda, Mother Seton in Germantown, St. Mark's in Hyattsville, and St. Matthias the Apostle in Lanham before being appointed pastor of Resurrection.
- Rev. John M. BarryAdministrator 2012–2015; Pastor October 2018 – present
First appointed administrator by Cardinal Wuerl after Fr. Keffer's departure; previously pastor of St. Edward the Confessor in Bowie for 10 years. A University of Maryland and Mount St. Mary's Seminary graduate, ordained 1988. Also serves as the parish RCIA director.