About Resurrection · Dawson Springs, Kentucky
Resurrection Parish is a small Roman Catholic congregation in Dawson Springs, a rural community in Hopkins County in western Kentucky. It is part of the Diocese of Owensboro and is currently served by Pastor Father David Kennedy and Deacon Michael Marsili. The parish is best known to a wider audience for rebuilding after its original church building was destroyed by the catastrophic December 10, 2021 tornado that devastated western Kentucky. After nearly three years of gathering for Mass in a parishioner's backyard shed, the rebuilt Resurrection church was dedicated by Bishop William F. Medley on August 17, 2024 — a story that has resonated across Catholic media.
- Patron
- The Resurrection of the Lord (the parish is named for Christ's Resurrection)
- Rector
- Father David Kennedy
- Diocese
- Diocese of Owensboro
Why belong here
Resurrection is a tight, resilient small-town parish where roughly 60 families have weathered loss and rebuilt together. Visitors and newcomers can expect a Sunday morning that begins with a community that knows each other's names — the kind of Catholic life where the Blessed Sacrament is rescued from the wreckage and the whole town turns out to celebrate a new church. The parish welcomes English-speaking Catholics (and others) in Dawson Springs and the surrounding rural area of Hopkins County, offering Sunday Mass, weekday Mass on Thursday mornings, and the sacraments through Father David Kennedy and Deacon Mike Marsili.
Mass times at Resurrection
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish Identity and Location
Resurrection Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Owensboro, located at 530 Industrial Parkway, Dawson Springs, Kentucky 42408, in Hopkins County in western Kentucky. It is a small rural community — described by regional Catholic media as a congregation of roughly 60 families — and the rebuilt church now stands on the same site where the original church was destroyed by the 2021 tornado.
- Address: 530 Industrial Parkway, Dawson Springs, KY 42408
- Phone: (270) 797-8665
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocese: Diocese of Owensboro (Bishop William F. Medley)
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
The parish is currently served by Father David Kennedy as pastor and Deacon Michael (Mike) Marsili. Deacon Marsili and his wife Ashley were central to leading the recovery and rebuilding work from the day after the tornado, and at the August 17, 2024 dedication Mass the congregation applauded Dcn. Marsili for his leadership through the entire journey.
- Father David Kennedy — Pastor (also listed on the official diocesan parish page)
- Deacon Michael (Mike) Marsili — Deacon; led the post-tornado rebuild efforts with his wife Ashley
A Parish Story: The 2021 Tornado and Rebuild
Resurrection's defining recent chapter is the December 10, 2021 tornado that totaled the original church building. Parishioners Donnie and Rhonda Mills opened their backyard shed for Sunday Mass the same week, and that arrangement — never expected to last long — continued for nearly two years and nine months. A groundbreaking for the new church was held on July 8, 2023, and the completed building was dedicated by Bishop William F. Medley on August 17, 2024.
- Dec. 10, 2021 — Tornado destroys the church; tabernacle and Blessed Sacrament preserved and recovered.
- Same week — Mass begins in the Mills' 20-by-20-ft backyard shed.
- July 8, 2023 — Groundbreaking on the original site (Bishop Medley, Fr. Kennedy, Dcn. Marsili, Rhonda Mills, Joe Carol Keller).
- Aug. 17, 2024 — New church dedicated by Bishop Medley.
- Ongoing — Stained glass mural installed; future parish hall remains to be built.
Sacred Art and the New Worship Space
Among the most striking features of the rebuilt church is an 800-piece stained-glass mural of the Resurrection of Christ designed by Owensboro artist Scott Poynter of The Glass Factory. The 15×18-foot work, divided into nine panels, was unveiled in concept at a sacred-art exhibit during the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress; specialists in Ohio painted the figure of Christ, the angels, and the tomb, and Poynter assembled, glazed, and polished the panels on site. The piece is intended to last for the next 200 years of parish life.
- Stained-glass mural: ~800 pieces across 9 panels depicting the Resurrection of Christ
- Designed and fabricated by Scott Poynter (The Glass Factory, Owensboro)
- Statue of Our Lady with Child Jesus — original, survived the tornado, now at the entranceway
- Tabernacle and Blessed Sacrament recovered intact from the ruins
Community and Outreach
From the very first days after the tornado, Resurrection's identity as a community of neighbors — not just parishioners — was visible: a family opened their backyard; the Knights and ladies of neighboring parishes pitched in; and Bishop Medley tied the parish's name to the town's own recovery. The parish has expressed its gratitude by planning a community open house after the stained-glass installation, welcoming the many non-Catholic neighbors of Dawson Springs who supported the rebuild.
- Support received from Christ the King (Madisonville), St. Mark (Eddyville) and St. Paul (Princeton)
- Open house planned for the broader Dawson Springs community after stained-glass installation
- Ongoing rebuild efforts toward completion of a parish hall
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Frank RoofPre-2021 through at least late 2021 (then retired)
Former pastor of Resurrection; retired; concelebrated the Aug. 17, 2024 dedication Mass.
- Father Bruce FogleFormer pastor
At the time of the 2021 tornado was pastor of Resurrection; later moved to St. John the Evangelist in Paducah; concelebrated the 2024 dedication.
- Father David KennedyThrough the entire 2021 tornado and 2024 rebuild (present pastor)
Led the parish through the storm, the years of Mass in the Mills' shed, the 2023 groundbreaking, and the 2024 dedication.