Church of the Resurrection

About Church of the Resurrection

As the people of Church of the Resurrection, we are a Catholic Community seeking to be a Visible Presence of Jesus. The parish invites all to join in prayer and fellowship and points to its mission statement: 'We, the Catholic Christian community of the Church of the Resurrection, are rich in tradition and history. We acknowledge with pride and gratitude the sacrifices and efforts made by those who came before us. We are a growing, faith-filled parish. We value worship, education, faith development, and ministries that utilize our God-given talents.' Stewardship is grounded in 1 Peter 4:10 — 'Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.'

Parish History

The parish was founded in March 1856 by Bishop Mathias Loras, who named it after St. Philomena, a Roman martyr honored in his home city of Lyons, France. The first frame church was built on land donated by William Kelly and the rectory was made from a home given by Mr. McFarland. A 1871 parish school served about 600 children, and the 1920 brick replacement church (rebuilt after a 1935 fire under Fr. Joseph E. Dunn) housed the Archdiocese's first 'liturgical altar.' In 1959 the parish purchased twenty acres in newly annexed west Dubuque; the new school opened in 1961 with four Presentation Sisters, and the parish was renamed the Church of the Resurrection by decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites in October 1961.

• 1856 — Parish founded by Bishop Mathias Loras as St. Philomena's
• 1871 — Parish school established
• 1920 — Brick church replaces original frame structure
• September 1, 1935 — Fire damages brick church; first liturgical altar in the Archdiocese installed during rebuilding
• 1961 — New school opens in Asbury area; parish renamed Church of the Resurrection
• 1964 — Convent, rectory and eight new classrooms added
• February 1985 — Door-to-door pledge drive raises $1.2 million in one week
• April 28, 1985 — Construction of present church begins
• May 17, 1986 — Church dedicated by Archbishop Daniel Kucera

Clergy and Staff

The parish is served by its pastor and four deacons, supported by a team of parish staff in faith formation, youth ministry, music, liturgy, outreach, business and maintenance. The parish office entrance is on the east side of the church building.

• Fr. Phil Gibbs — Pastor
• Deacon Mike Ellis — Pastoral Associate (Marriage Prep, hospital/visitation coordination)
• Deacon Jerry Jorgensen
• Deacon Jim Schmidt
• Deacon John Robbins
• Wendy Osterberger — Director of Faith Formation
• Melissa Tucker — Coordinator of Faith Formation (Preschool–5th Grade)
• Brian Nilles — Coordinator of Youth & Young Adult Ministry
• Mary Beth Smith — Faith Formation & Outreach Assistant
• Terry Slade — Coordinator of Liturgical Music
• Jessica Steines — Liturgical Ministry Scheduler
• Melissa Turner — Business Manager
• Judy Tigges — Bookkeeper
• Mary Jo Dalsing — Secretary
• Mary Schmidt, RN — Parish Nurse
• John Jaeger — Maintenance Supervisor

Sacraments

The parish celebrates and prepares parishioners for the full range of Catholic sacraments through dedicated formation tracks.

• Baptism — celebrated the 1st and 3rd weekends of each month after the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass; monthly Pre-Baptism class required (coordinated with Wendy Osterberger)
• First Reconciliation and First Eucharist — preparation for children
• Confirmation — preparation for both teens and adults
• Marriage — couples contact Deacon Mike Ellis at least six months in advance; marriage-prep checklist and guidelines available
• Anointing of the Sick / Communion to the Homebound — arranged through the parish office for hospital, hospice and care-center visits
• OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — for unbaptized adults and those entering full communion with the Catholic Church

Faith Formation and Religious Education

The parish offers Catholic formation for every age — children, youth, teens and adults — through classroom, summer, homeschool and family-based tracks. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is offered as a Montessori-based faith formation method for children ages 3–6 in a dedicated atrium space.

• Pre-K through 12th Grade Youth Faith Formation (YFF)
• School Year YFF (1st–5th Sundays Sept–Apr at Resurrection School)
• Summer YFF (1st–5th and 6th–8th)
• Homeschool YFF with textbook and online resources
• Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (ages 3–Kindergarten)
• Confirmation Prep for teens and adults
• Adult formation opportunities (contact Wendy Osterberger)

Youth and Young Adult Ministry

Resurrection maintains active, ongoing programs for middle-school, high-school and young adult parishioners, coordinated by Brian Nilles.

• Foundation — middle-school (6th–8th) Wednesday-night program with fun, faith and community (6:30–8:00 PM in the LoBianco Youth Room at Resurrection School)
• High School Youth Ministry — small-group discussions, service projects (raised garden beds, meal ministry for families in need), social events, and trips
• Youth Leadership Team (YLT) — high-school leadership and service
• Young Adult Ministry

Parish School

Resurrection School, opened in 1961, continues to educate children in the parish community on the parish campus (K–8). The school building also houses the LoBianco Youth Room used for Foundation Nights and other youth ministry gatherings.

• Opened fall 1961 with 147 children in grades 1–6, staffed by four Presentation Sisters and a lay teacher
• A convent, rectory and eight new classrooms with a connecting wing were completed in 1964
• Home to the LoBianco Youth Room and Foundation Nights for middle-school youth ministry

Liturgical Music and Worship

Music ministry at Resurrection is led by Terry Slade (Coordinator of Liturgical Music), with Jessica Steines coordinating liturgical ministry scheduling. The parish livestreams the Saturday vigil Mass on its YouTube channel every weekend for those unable to attend in person due to illness or weather.

• Saturday 4:00 PM Mass livestreamed on YouTube (@ResparishDB)
• Tuesday Eucharistic Adoration following the 7:00 AM Mass until 5:00 PM
• Rosary prayed Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:30 AM

Outreach and Charity

Resurrection lives out its 'Visible Presence' mission through a robust network of outreach ministries supporting the sick, homebound, grieving and materially poor in the parish and wider Dubuque community.

• St. Vincent de Paul Society — monthly meetings, food pantry, utility and gas vouchers, holiday food baskets at Thanksgiving/Christmas/Easter, and Christmas giving tree
• Prayer Shawl Ministry — handmade shawls with prayer cards for the seriously ill, those in hospice, those grieving a loss, those who have moved to a care center, or anyone discouraged
• Bereavement Ministry — six gatherings to help people move through grief in a healthy spiritual and emotional way (coordinated with Deacon Mike Ellis)
• Homebound Visitation — volunteers visit and bring Communion to homebound parishioners, including daily Communion visits for those in hospice
• Dubuque Rescue Mission Meal — parishioners sponsor and serve a luncheon meal on Father's Day each year and support ongoing meal preparation
• Parish Nurse Ministry — Mary Schmidt, RN

Parish Office, Contact and Location

The parish office is on the east side of the church building and can be reached by phone Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM–4:30 PM and Friday 8:00 AM–2:00 PM. Sacramental registrations, baptism class sign-ups, marriage preparation, hospital visits, and homebound or hospice visits are all arranged through the parish office.

• Address: 4300 Asbury Road, Dubuque, IA 52002
• Phone: (563) 556-7511
• Office Hours: Mon–Thu 8:00 AM–4:30 PM; Fri 8:00 AM–2:00 PM
• Office Entrance: east side of the church building
• Website: https://res-dbq.org
• Facebook: facebook.com/resdbq
• YouTube: youtube.com/@ResparishDB