Mass at Resurrection
Resurrection Catholic Church sits on South Evergreen Road in south Tempe, serving a parish that stretches across the neighborhoods on both sides of Apache Boulevard. The worship schedule is built around three Sunday Masses at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., and 5 p.m., and a Saturday evening Mass at 5 p.m. that is livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel. Daily Mass is celebrated at 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday, giving parishioners a way to start the morning in prayer. On First Fridays, an additional 6 p.m. Mass is offered, followed at 8 p.m. by the BLD Community Healing Mass, which is also broadcast online. The parish follows Arizona time year-round and does not shift for daylight savings.
A Parish with Three Languages
Two language communities have made Resurrection their spiritual home and give the parish a distinctly international character. The Igbo (Nigerian) Community gathers for Mass at noon on selected Sundays, with services livestreamed for relatives abroad and parishioners who cannot attend in person. The Tongan Community celebrates Mass at noon on the last Sunday of each month, also available online. Together these communities keep Resurrection connected to Catholic life well beyond south Tempe, and they welcome both long-time members and newcomers who want to pray in their first language.
Adoration and Confession
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered on Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., giving the parish a midweek window for quiet prayer. Confession is available weekdays after the 8 a.m. Mass, on Saturdays from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m., and on First Fridays from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m. The Saturday afternoon hour is a convenient stop for those preparing to attend the vigil Mass.
Sacraments and Sacramental Preparation
The parish's sacramental life centers on the rites of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist - and on the continuing sacraments that mark a Catholic's journey. Infant baptism is offered for children from birth through age seven. Families must be registered parishioners for at least three months and attend an introduction class with Baptism Coordinator Rob Kubasko. Godparents must be practicing Catholics in good standing, although a non-Catholic Christian may serve as a witness.
Children in second grade prepare for First Reconciliation through the Religious Education program, and third graders prepare for Confirmation and First Eucharist within the same curriculum. Older youth who have not yet received the sacraments enroll in OCIA for Youth, which meets on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. alongside the third-grade class. Adults who are unbaptized, already-baptized Catholics needing Confirmation and First Eucharist, or Christians from other denominations enter the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA). The OCIA program runs each year beginning in the fall.
Faith Formation from Pre-K Through High School
Resurrection runs a continuous faith-formation pathway that follows children from preschool through high school graduation. Religious Education for Pre-K through Grade 3 meets on Sunday mornings during the 10 a.m. Mass, with pickup afterward. Spirit, for fourth and fifth graders, gathers on scheduled Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in McCarthy Hall and helps ease the transition into middle school. Edge, for grades 6 through 8, also meets Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in Philip Hall and follows the nationally recognized Edge middle-school curriculum, with an optional weekend retreat. Life Teen, for grades 9 through 12, meets on Sundays at 6:30 p.m. in Philip Hall and offers high schoolers the same kind of retreat opportunity along with activities designed to keep faith at the center of a busy stage of life. Parents are recognized as the first educators of their children in faith, and the parish supports that role through regular Flocknote updates, a yearly religious education calendar, and recommended resources such as Hallow, Ascension for Kids, Dynamic Catholic, and the God's Plan in Scripture program.
The 2,000 Hail Marys Devotion
On the third Saturday of every month, the parish gathers in Bishop McCarthy Hall for the 2,000 Hail Marys devotion, an all-day prayer rooted in the story of Juan Riu Farrán, who first prayed it in 1933 and later became a Salesian priest and missionary. The day begins at 6 a.m. with opening prayers and the first four mysteries of the Holy Rosary. After 8 a.m. Mass and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the petitions continue through the morning. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed at 3 p.m., followed by an hour of confessions from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m., the Angelus at 6 p.m., and closing prayers, Benediction, and the burning of petitions at 6:30 p.m. Those who are sick or out of state can join the day by Zoom, and the parish keeps the meeting ID and passcode posted for anyone who wants to pray from a distance. The devotion is offered for world peace, an end to violence and calamities, and the physical, emotional, and spiritual healing of all.
St. Vincent de Paul: Helping Neighbors in Need
The parish's St. Vincent de Paul Conference assists parishioners and non-parishioners within the parish boundaries with food, rent, and utility assistance, along with job-search support and referrals to other agencies. Food bags are arranged by phone interview and are available for pickup by appointment. The SVdP office, located on the Resurrection campus, is open Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 to 10:45 a.m., and assistance can also be requested by phone at (480) 329-0968 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. Monetary donations are accepted year-round, with twice-yearly food, soap, and toiletry drives in March and October. The organization is a qualifying Charitable Organization under Arizona's tax-credit program, which means donors can direct a portion of their state taxes to support this work. Donations can be dropped off at the parish office or in the SVdP collection box in the narthex, mailed to the parish address, or sent through Zelle.
Music Ministry and the Children's Choir
Music Director Phil Hylton leads the parish music program and also coordinates funeral liturgies. The Children's Choir is a no-cost, no-audition ministry that welcomes young singers for weekly rehearsals and rotates singing at one Mass each month. Rehearsals take place in the Shepherd's Den and resume in mid-August each year. The choir has been growing and gives children a regular place to serve the parish through song.
Funerals and Bereavement Support
Funerals at Resurrection are recorded and posted to the parish YouTube channel shortly after the service, allowing family members who cannot travel to take part from wherever they are. A YouTube Funeral Playlist keeps past services accessible for those who wish to revisit them. Music Director Phil Hylton oversees funeral liturgy planning in partnership with the priests and deacons, and the parish walks closely with families through the practical and prayerful details of a Catholic funeral.
Online Giving and Parish Registration
Resurrection uses the myEoffering platform for online giving, which lets parishioners set up recurring or one-time donations from a checking account, debit card, or credit card. Families new to the parish can register by downloading the parishioner registration PDF, filling it in, and either printing it for the parish office or emailing it to parishinfo@resurrectionaz.org. The Flocknote system keeps parishioners connected to ministries and faith-formation updates by email or text.
The Parish Team
Resurrection is led by Parochial Administrator Father Simon Osuchukwu, who can be reached at the parish office, and Parochial Vicar Father Jo Thomas, who also serves the Ministry of Care. Two deacons assist with parish life: Deacon Bill Malatin and Deacon Bill Finnegan. Vicki Ruiz coordinates Religious Education for Pre-K through Grade 5, and Tracey Siedinski-Seyler directs youth ministry for grades 6 through 12, including both Edge and Life Teen. Rob Kubasko coordinates sacraments and communications, including Baptism, OCIA for children and adults, and Confirmation preparation. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the main phone number (480) 838-0207 connecting to every extension.