About Church of the Resurrection · Portsmouth, Virginia
Church of the Resurrection is a Roman Catholic parish in the western part of Portsmouth, Virginia, founded in 1971 and entrusted to the care of the Diocese of Richmond. It serves as the administrative hub for the Cluster Parishes of Portsmouth and Chesapeake, a four-parish collaborative that also includes St. Paul (downtown Portsmouth), the Church of the Holy Angels (Craddock neighborhood of Portsmouth), and St. Mary (Bowers Hill, Chesapeake). The parish celebrates Mass on Saturdays, Sundays, and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and offers Reconciliation on Saturday afternoons, with all services live-streamed through the cluster's Facebook page.
- Established
- 1971
- Patron
- The Resurrection of the Lord
- Rector
- Very Rev. Anthony Morris, V.F.
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Richmond (Deanery 3)
Why belong here
Church of the Resurrection is the anchor parish of the Cluster Parishes of Portsmouth and Chesapeake, which means parishioners get the personal scale of a single parish with the resources, staff, and ministries of a four-parish family. The parish runs a full sacramental life — weekday and Sunday Mass, Saturday Reconciliation, Baptism preparation classes for infants, Confirmation preparation for teens, and the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process for adults — all coordinated from the Cedar Lane campus. It also has an active youth ministry (grades 6–12) that meets Sunday evenings at Caroluzza Hall, a dedicated Pastoral Musician, and outreach to Province Place, Maryview Nursing Home, and the homebound. Every Mass is live-streamed on the cluster's Facebook page, so homebound parishioners and those traveling can stay connected.
Mass times at Church of the Resurrection
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 – 5:15 PM
About the Parish
Church of the Resurrection is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Richmond located at 3501 Cedar Lane in Portsmouth, Virginia. It was established in 1971 and today functions as the administrative lead of the Cluster Parishes of Portsmouth and Chesapeake — a collaborative of four parishes that share clergy, formation staff, and pastoral resources. Its pastor is Very Rev. Anthony Morris, V.F., assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Herminio Felipe (Fr. Jun). The parish and the cluster offices are co-located at the Cedar Lane campus, and the parish office is open Monday through Friday.
- Founded 1971, Diocese of Richmond (Deanery 3)
- 3501 Cedar Lane, Portsmouth, VA 23703
- Phone: (757) 484-7335 | Fax: (757) 484-5857
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The Cluster Parishes of Portsmouth & Chesapeake
Resurrection is the lead parish of the Cluster Parishes of Portsmouth and Chesapeake, a four-parish family organized so that the parishes can share clergy, staff, formation programs, and pastoral resources while each retains its own Mass schedule and sacramental life. The cluster offices — business manager, accounting, adult formation, youth ministry — are all housed at the Resurrection campus on Cedar Lane.
- Church of the Resurrection — Portsmouth, 3501 Cedar Lane (lead parish; cluster offices)
- St. Paul Catholic Church — downtown Portsmouth, the cluster's most traditional church
- Church of the Holy Angels — Craddock neighborhood of Portsmouth, formerly a mission church
- St. Mary Catholic Church — Bowers Hill area of Chesapeake, a traditional small Polish-heritage church known for its annual Polish Fest
Mass & Worship Schedule
Church of the Resurrection offers a Vigil Mass on Saturday evening, one Sunday morning Mass, and two weekday Masses (Tuesday and Wednesday). Holy Day vigils are celebrated the evening before the feast. All Masses at the parish are live-streamed on the cluster's official Facebook page, allowing parishioners who are sick, traveling, or homebound to participate remotely.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 5:30 PM
- Sunday Mass — 11:30 AM
- Tuesday Mass — 11:30 AM
- Wednesday Mass — 6:00 PM
- Holy Day Vigil Mass — 7:00 PM
- All Masses live-streamed on the Cluster's official Facebook page
Clergy & Staff
The parish and cluster are served by two priests and a coordinated lay staff that handles business, formation, music, and facilities across all four cluster parishes. The cluster offices are physically located at the Resurrection campus, so most parish business is processed there.
- Very Rev. Anthony Morris, V.F. — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Herminio Felipe (Fr. Jun) — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Faye Gardner-White — Business Manager ([email protected])
- Katherine Kardok — Director of Adult Formation ([email protected])
- Theresa Carpenter — Wedding Coordinator, Office Staff, and Children's Formation Coordinator ([email protected] / [email protected])
- Roberto Pagtalunan — Youth Minister ([email protected])
- Melissa Warren — Administrative Assistant / Accounting Clerk for the Cluster
- Laura Rainey & Traci Greene — Cluster Assistance Ministry ([email protected])
- Nick Nespoli — Pastoral Musician, St. Paul / Resurrection ([email protected])
- Joe Facenda — Custodian, St. Paul and Resurrection
- Jeff Warren — Maintenance Coordinator, Cluster
Pastoral Council
The Cluster Pastoral Council serves as an advisory board to the pastor. Membership is composed of representatives from each of the four parish communities. Resurrection's current representatives are Mike Hopkins, Jon Joaquin, and Maria Moster. Parishioners with items they would like presented to the council are encouraged to contact one of their parish representatives.
- Church of the Resurrection representatives: Mike Hopkins, Jon Joaquin, Maria Moster
- Church of the Holy Angels representatives: Joe Noha, Patrick Pearce, Maria Dickenson, Bob Kinast, Maria Romero
- St. Mary representatives: Tony Surace, Mike Kowalski, Karen McDougall
- St. Paul representatives: Shea Wilde, George Martin, Delores Oliver
Sacraments
All seven sacraments are celebrated or prepared for through the Cluster Parishes, with Resurrection often serving as the physical location for preparation classes. The parish explicitly notes that there is no requirement to be registered at any of the cluster parishes in order to receive the sacraments — all are welcome.
Baptism
Baptism is the first of the seven sacraments — the door to the others. Infant Baptism preparation classes are held at Church of the Resurrection on the first Tuesday of most months at 6:00 PM. First-time parents (and any parent who has not taken the class within the last three years) are required to complete the class before their child is baptized. Adults (age 7 and older) seeking Baptism are prepared through the OCIA process.
- Infant Baptism Preparation Class — first Tuesday of most months, 6:00 PM, Church of the Resurrection
- Contact: Katherine Kardok, [email protected], 757-484-7335
- Godparent Attestation Form required
- Adults (7+) prepared through OCIA
Confirmation
Confirmation is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation. In the Diocese of Richmond, an adolescent candidate must be at least 15 years old and enrolled in at least the 10th grade; reception of the sacrament occurs in the spring. Adult candidates (high-school graduates) prepare through the OCIA process. Confirmation classes run throughout the school year and are separate from regular youth-group meetings.
- Adolescent track: at least 15 years old and in 10th grade or higher
- Reception of the sacrament in the spring of the preparation year
- Contact: Roberto Pagtalunan, [email protected], 757-484-7335 ext. 111
- Adult Confirmation through OCIA
Matrimony
Couples preparing for marriage at any of the Cluster Parishes work directly with the parish Wedding Coordinator. Pre-Cana and marriage preparation resources are coordinated through the cluster offices at the Resurrection campus.
- Wedding Coordinator: Theresa Carpenter, [email protected]
Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — OCIA, the updated name for the former RCIA — is the normal process through which individuals age 7 and older join the Catholic Church. Classes begin each September and continue through the year, culminating in full reception into the Church at the Easter Vigil. The 2025–2026 series meets Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at Church of the Resurrection.
- For the unbaptized, baptized non-Catholics, and baptized Catholics completing the sacraments of initiation
- 2025–2026 classes: Thursday evenings 6:30–8:00 PM at Church of the Resurrection, beginning September 18
- Contact: Katherine Kardok, [email protected], 757-484-7335
Faith Formation
Formation at the cluster is organized by audience — children, youth, and adults — and most programs are coordinated from the Resurrection campus. Children's Christian Formation is coordinated by Theresa Carpenter; the Youth Ministry is led by Roberto Pagtalunan; and Adult Formation, including OCIA, is directed by Katherine Kardok.
- Children's Christian Formation (Christian Formation Coordinator: Theresa Carpenter)
- Cluster Youth Ministry for Grades 6–12 — Sundays 5:30–7:30 PM at Caroluzza Hall, Church of the Resurrection
- Adult Faith Formation / OCIA — Thursday evenings at Church of the Resurrection
Youth Ministry
The Cluster Parishes Youth Ministry is geared toward youth in Grades 6–12. The group meets at Caroluzza Hall on the Resurrection campus on Sunday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 PM for dinner, socializing, and faith formation, then splits into two age-appropriate groups (Grades 6–8 and Grades 9–12). The first formation evening for the 2025–2026 year was September 21 at 5:30 PM. The Youth Ministry also coordinates Confirmation preparation, regional and diocesan youth events, Work Camp, and faith-based social events throughout the year.
- Meets Sundays 5:30–7:30 PM at Caroluzza Hall, Church of the Resurrection
- Splits into Grades 6–8 and Grades 9–12 after opening together
- Confirmation sessions begin September 14
- Coordinates Diocesan Youth Conference, Work Camp, and regional youth events
- Contact: Roberto Pagtalunan, [email protected], 757-484-7335 ext. 111
Outreach & Special Ministries
The Diocese of Richmond lists several special ministries served by the parish, focused on the elderly, the homebound, and those living with serious illness. The Cluster Assistance Ministry is the cluster's primary parish-based outreach hub.
- Province Place Ministry
- Maryview Nursing Home Ministry
- AIDS Ministry
- Sick / Homebound Ministry
- Oasis Social Ministry
- Cluster Assistance Ministry — Laura Rainey and Traci Greene ([email protected])
Music Ministry
Music at Resurrection and the partner parish St. Paul is led by Pastoral Musician Nick Nespoli. The cluster is currently searching for a Pastoral Musician to serve the Holy Angels / St. Mary side of the cluster. The community's worship music is supported through this single dedicated role covering Resurrection's two weekend Masses and additional liturgical celebrations.
- Pastoral Musician for St. Paul and Resurrection: Nick Nespoli ([email protected])
Live-Streaming & Online Worship
All Masses celebrated at Church of the Resurrection are live-streamed on the cluster's official Facebook page, 'Cluster Parishes of Portsmouth and Chesapeake Official Group.' Live streaming on the cluster website begins roughly five minutes before the Sunday 11:30 AM Mass. This allows homebound parishioners, those who travel, and members of the wider community to participate in Resurrection's liturgical life in real time.
- Live-stream platform: 'Cluster Parishes of Portsmouth and Chesapeake Official Group' on Facebook
- Sunday Mass live stream begins approximately 11:25 AM EST on the cluster website
Visiting & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish through the cluster office located on the Resurrection campus. The office handles general inquiries, sacramental scheduling, business, and accounting. The four parish bulletin emails (resurrection@, holyangels@, saintmary@, saintpaul@) are also accepted as general inboxes through the cluster's administrative clerk.
- Cluster Office Telephone: 757-484-7335
- General inquiries: [email protected]
- Resurrection inbox: [email protected]
- Bulletin submissions: [email protected]