Pause for a moment. Imagine the dedication it takes to build a sacred space like the Church of the Resurrection. This church began its journey as a small faith community. It started on May 8 1970. Fr. Joseph Finnerty was commissioned by Bishop Leo Maher. He was sent to Escondido. His mission was to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.
From humble beginnings in Fr. Finnerty’s garage, the Church of the Resurrection was dedicated in 1973. It became a welcoming community. The Church of the Resurrection has grown significantly over the years.
In 1973, the church moved from the Knights of Columbus Hall to Rose School. Groundbreaking for the current worship space occurred. A multi-use building was constructed. Ministry offices were located in the church building. The church was even used for CCD classes.
The Church of the Resurrection saw many changes. In 1976, a patio and stairs were built. The parking lot was expanded. A new office building and garage were added. Rev. Laurence Dolan was named Pastor in 1983.
The parish experienced tremendous growth in 1985. Temporary trailers were used for social activities. In 1986, Rev. Roger Lechner became the Pastor. Rev. Charles Fuld followed in 1992. By 1993, the Church of the Resurrection had over 3800 registered parishioners. It also had over 1000 CCD students.
In 1995, a Parish Hall and six classrooms were constructed. Rev. Kenneth Del Priore was named Pastor in 2001. At that time, registered parishioners numbered over 4200. In 2005, the parish committed to the “We Are Church . . . Together We Build” campaign. They began planning for the New Permanent Church. They also planned a Master Plan of the Campus.
Phase I which involved parking lot and fencing was completed in 2009. The Cornerstone Celebration took place in 2013 when the Old Youth Center was torn down. In 2014, Phase II began. It included completion of the back parking lot up to the pad. The new church would sit there.
The campaign Sharing Our Faith, Building Our Future was launched in 2015. Construction of the Church Building Phase III began in 2017. The New Permanent Church opened on June 7 2018. In 2019, Rev. Eduardo Bernardino was named Pastor.
The Church of the Resurrection in Escondido was dedicated by the Bishop of the Diocese of San Diego. Domusstudio worked as the Construction Manager on this project. They collaborated with the Parish, Questar Construction and Kluger Architects. The Sanctuary was phase 3 of the Parish’s campus project. The new Church is 19800 SF total. It seats 1100 people.
The liturgical pieces were crafted by Artesanos don Bosco in Peru. These included the Reredos Altar Ambo Baptismal Font Stations of the Cross Stained Glass Windows Ambry and Front Door. These pieces combined fused glass carved wood stonework glass mosaics and carved wood.
The Church of the Resurrection stands as a testament to faith community and artistic collaboration.