Bishop Earl Fernandes dedicated the new Parish Community Center at New Albany Church of the Resurrection Saturday night at the annual Fall Festival. The evening continued as parishioners and community members celebrated and came together in the new space for the first time.
This project marks the conclusion of construction for Church of the Resurrection’s campaign, Faith in Motion. The first feasibility studies for this campaign took place in 2019 and were put on hold with the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly six years later, construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony in March 2025.
Sue Larson, business manager at Church of the Resurrection, has been a part of the planning and campaign since the first feasibility study. Larson has served on the campaign alongside many other full-time staff and countless volunteers.
“This day marks the realization of a vision that has been taking shape since 2019,” she said. “This beautiful new space is more than an addition to our building; it creates new opportunities for our parish community and ministries to gather, grow, serve and strengthen our faith together for generations to come.”
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The new Parish Community Center adds nearly 17,000 square feet of ministry space to the Church of the Resurrection campus. The main hall in the building will serve as a space for large community events, such as the Fall Fest, and can also be divided into three smaller spaces to accommodate the more-than 50 ministries at the parish.
Additional campus renovations and updates during the campaign included a new maintenance facilities building and retrofitted ministry and office spaces in the existing Ministry Center. Additionally, parking lot and drainage updates were made, laying the groundwork for a future office building that was originally part of the campaign. That portion of the original construction plan remains on hold until further notice due to unexpected increases in construction costs.
Despite changes to the original plan, Father David Sizemore, pastor at Church of the Resurrection, was overjoyed with the parish accomplishment.
“I am so excited to celebrate (the opening) of our new Parish Community Center,” he said. “I am grateful that Bishop Fernandes values this and wants to come and offer the Saturday evening Mass and personally bless and dedicate the PCC (Parish Community Center) to the Lord and the many good works that will happen within our new community center. God is good, all the time.”
Also in attendance concelebrating the Mass were Fathers Jerry Rodenfels and Denis Kigozi, former pastors. Father Kigozi preceded Father Sizemore as pastor and was instrumental in the initial phases of the campaign. He served as part of the executive committee and major gifts committee for the project before his pastoral assignment change to Delaware St. Mary Church in July 2025.
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The new space, retrofitted Ministry Center and maintenance facilities building will provide more flexibility as the parish continues to grow. In the last year, the parish increased parishioners by nearly 200 families.
With the new spaces, the parish will be able to not only continue to do what it does well, but expand its offering of opportunities for parishioners and community members to deepen their faith and discipleship, including the potential of bringing in speakers and hosting Catholic events for the area at large.
During the campaign, it was noted that the project was never about the future needs of the parish but what the parish needs now. Thanks to the generosity of its donors, and after nearly seven years of waiting, planning and work, the need for physical space was realized.
The dedication not only marks a well-earned celebration but the beginning of a new chapter in ministry as the parish seeks to further its mission to “Make Disciples and Disciple Makers.”