The Cluster Parishes of Portsmouth and Chesapeake brings four Catholic churches together under one pastor, one staff, and one pattern of worship, formation, and service. The cluster office is at the Church of the Resurrection on Cedar Lane in Portsmouth, while the other three parishes reach into the Craddock section of Portsmouth, downtown Portsmouth, and the Bowers Hill area of Chesapeake. The cluster is known for a steady rhythm of Mass in English and Spanish, formation programs for children, youth, and adults that run through the week, and All Saints Catholic Cemetery, the Catholic burial ground of Portsmouth since the 1880s.
Four Parish Churches, One Shared Life
The Cluster Parishes of Portsmouth and Chesapeake consists of four parishes with distinct histories and personalities. Much of the shared activity happens at the Church of the Resurrection, where the cluster offices are located and where Caroluzza Hall hosts youth and adult gatherings.
The Church of the Resurrection, at 3501 Cedar Lane in Portsmouth, hosts the cluster offices and the Wednesday formation night. Mass is celebrated there on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., Sunday at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday at 11:30 a.m., and Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.
The Church of the Holy Angels, at 34 Afton Parkway in the Craddock section of Portsmouth, was once a mission church and now serves as a full parish with Sunday Mass at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., the second in Spanish, plus weekday Masses on Monday and Thursday at 9:00 a.m.
St. Mary Catholic Church, at 536 Homestead Road in the Bowers Hill area of Chesapeake, is a traditional, small Polish church, known for the Polish Fest it holds each year. Its Sunday Mass is at 9:00 a.m.
St. Paul Catholic Church, at 522 High Street in downtown Portsmouth, is the cluster's most traditional church. It celebrates Mass on Saturday at 4:00 p.m., Sunday at 9:00 a.m., and Friday at 7:30 a.m.
Mass and Reconciliation Through the Week
Worship is offered at every one of the four churches, and the weekly pattern gives families several ways to join the cluster.
- Holy Angels: Mass Sunday at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in Spanish, Monday at 9:00 a.m., and Thursday at 9:00 a.m. Reconciliation is offered Sunday from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m.
- Resurrection: Mass Saturday at 5:30 p.m., Sunday at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday at 11:30 a.m., and Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Reconciliation is offered Saturday from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m.
- St. Mary: Mass Sunday at 9:00 a.m., with Reconciliation from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m.
- St. Paul: Mass Saturday at 4:00 p.m., Sunday at 9:00 a.m., and Friday at 7:30 a.m. Reconciliation is offered Saturday from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Sunday Mass Live from Resurrection
Every Mass at the Church of the Resurrection is live streamed, and the Sunday service begins at 11:25 a.m. and remains available through the week until the next Sunday's broadcast replaces it. Recordings of past services are archived on the cluster's YouTube channel, reaching back to early 2022, and daily, Sunday, and Triduum Masses are carried on the cluster's Facebook presence as well. You can also watch the livestream.
Spanish Mass and Bilingual Preparation
Spanish reaches beyond a single Mass. The 1:00 p.m. Mass at Holy Angels is celebrated in Spanish, and Reconciliation is available just before it. Parents preparing a child for Baptism may take the class offered in Spanish on the second Tuesday of most months at 6:00 p.m. at Resurrection, while the English class meets on the first Tuesday of most months at the same hour. Parent handbooks, First Communion and First Reconciliation preparation letters, godparent forms, and parish registration forms are available in English and Spanish, and parishioners are asked their preferred language when they register.
Children's Formation on Sunday Mornings
Children's Faith Formation for grades kindergarten through fifth grade meets on Sundays from 10:20 to 11:20 a.m. at the Church of the Resurrection. The program builds a Christian learning environment through the cooperative efforts of parents, catechists, and students, and it recognizes parents as the primary religious educators of their children. Volunteer catechists and aides work to build a community of faith in which each student can better see and understand God's action through faith-sharing, prayer, and liturgy. The cost is $35 per child, and scholarships are available.
Children preparing for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion must be enrolled in the formation classes, take part in an additional parent-child sacramental preparation process, and submit a registration form with a copy of the child's baptism certificate. A baptism certificate is not needed for children baptized at one of the cluster's own parishes, and a parents' meeting is held in the hall at Resurrection when formation begins each year.
Confirmed Catholics are invited to serve as catechists, lead teachers, assistant teachers, and helpers at special events. Parents are also connected with Christian education, First Reconciliation, First Communion, and child safety resources from the Diocese of Richmond, all available in English and Spanish, and with Formed.org, a free Catholic content platform with movies, faith formation, Bible studies, and children's shows that can be used on a phone, tablet, or computer through its app or browser.
Youth Ministry Evenings at Caroluzza Hall
The Cluster Parishes Youth Ministry is built for students in grades 6 through 12. It meets at Caroluzza Hall at the Church of the Resurrection on Sunday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for dinner, socializing, and faith formation. The evening begins with the whole group together and then splits, with age-appropriate formation for grades 6 to 8 and for grades 9 to 12.
The ministry coordinates regional youth events, the Diocesan Youth Conference, and faith-based social events through the year, and it prepares youth for the Sacrament of Confirmation. In the Diocese of Richmond, youth who are at least 15 years old and are in at least 10th grade are eligible for Confirmation. Confirmation classes run throughout the school year and are separate from the regular youth group, and candidates are expected to take part in both unless they attend a Catholic school or receive Catholic faith instruction.
Wednesday Nights, Thursday Mornings, Saturday Men
Adult formation fills the middle of the week at Resurrection. Wednesday Night Adult Formation gathers in the hall from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m., with the 6:00 p.m. Mass celebrated just before, and sessions have taken up the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the relationship between faith and science. The Women's Bible Study meets at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday mornings in Caroluzza Hall. On Saturday mornings at 7:30 a.m., The Men of Saint Joseph meet in the same hall; the group describes itself as an association of Christian men united under the Catholic Church who meet weekly to pray together and encourage one another to be spiritual leaders of their families, growing stronger in relationship with Christ and in faith.
People who have been away from Mass are welcomed back. The cluster offers one-on-one meetings for anyone who wishes to explore the Catholic faith again after a long absence, in a confidential setting where questions and concerns can be discussed and individual needs addressed.
Becoming Catholic Through OCIA
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, commonly called OCIA, is the normal process for anyone age seven and older who wishes to join the Catholic Church. It welcomes people who have not been baptized in any Christian tradition, people baptized in a non-Catholic Christian faith, and Catholics who were baptized but have not completed Confirmation and Eucharist. The process moves through periods of initial discernment and inquiry, structured faith formation, prayer, and community-building, with classes normally beginning each September and continuing through the year, culminating in full reception into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil Mass.
OCIA classes meet on Thursday evenings at the Church of the Resurrection, and the cluster is always looking for practicing, fully initiated Catholics to serve as sponsors and share their faith. Non-baptized children ages 7 through 17 are considered adults by the Catholic Church for the purposes of preparing for Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist, so they receive special catechesis at an age-appropriate level in a monthly Thursday evening group, and they must also be registered with Children's Formation.
Seven Sacraments and Their Preparation
The cluster teaches the seven sacraments as communal celebrations of grace that mark the peak moments of life. The three sacraments of initiation are Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist; the two sacraments of healing are Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick; and the two sacraments at the service of communion are Matrimony and Holy Orders.
Baptism is the door to the other sacraments, uniting a person with Christ, forgiving original and personal sin, beginning a new life in Christ and the Holy Spirit, and incorporating the person into the Church. Parents of children from birth through six years of age take a required Baptismal Preparation Class at Resurrection at 6:00 p.m., with English classes on the first Tuesday of most months and Spanish classes on the second Tuesday of most months. Godparents complete an attestation form signed by their pastor, and a baptism registry form is completed for the parish where the child will be baptized. Adults seeking baptism are welcomed through OCIA.
First Eucharist preparation begins in second grade and runs for a year within the parish formation program, alongside a separate, family-led preparation program, for students in public or Catholic schools. Adults who did not receive First Holy Communion as children must first be Confirmed. First Reconciliation preparation also begins in second grade in the same yearlong parish program with a family-led component, and baptized adults who have not received the sacrament as a young person are given the opportunity to receive it before Confirmation through OCIA. Confirmation completes and strengthens the grace received at Baptism and calls the confirmed to active witness and service; adolescent candidates must have received Baptism and Eucharist, be enrolled in at least tenth grade, and be at least 15 years of age, with reception in the spring of the year preparation is completed.
Anointing of the Sick is for those who are seriously ill, suffering the difficulties of old age, or in danger of death, and it may take place in a home, in a hospital, or in a church. Holy Orders continues the mission Christ entrusted to his Apostles through the priesthood and the diaconate, while religious life as a nun, sister, monk, or brother is also a vocation requiring a period of reflection, formation, preparation, and discernment.
One point is repeated throughout the cluster's sacramental preparation: there is no requirement to join or be registered at any of the four parishes in order to receive the sacraments. Anyone is welcome to worship at any of them, and registration is never a condition.
Weddings at the Cluster
Marriage is understood as a gift from God, and the sacrament celebrates the covenant of love between a man and a woman, witnessing Christ's covenant of love for the Church. A wedding is a public liturgical celebration in which the couple freely expresses consent before a priest or deacon, two witnesses, and an assembly. Couples are asked to make an appointment at least six months before the wedding so that there is time for discernment and preparation, both spiritual and administrative.
Preparation includes a current baptism record for a Catholic partner, affidavits of freedom to marry signed by witnesses known well for at least five years, and, for a previously married person, a determination of freedom to marry, with any annulment petition resolved before a date is set. A Catholic marrying a baptized non-Catholic Christian seeks permission from the bishop, and an interfaith marriage with a non-baptized person requires a special dispensation. At least one member of a couple must be a parishioner at one of the cluster parishes for the wedding to take place at one of them.
All Saints Catholic Cemetery
All Saints Catholic Cemetery is the final resting place of more than 1,600 people and occupies the corner of Elm Avenue and Portsmouth Boulevard, with its entrance gate on Elm Avenue. In 1880, Father Thomas J. Brady, pastor of St. Paul's, purchased eight acres of land to establish a Catholic cemetery in Portsmouth, and the cemetery was consecrated on June 29, 1884, by Bishop Keane. In 1976 its name changed to Portsmouth Catholic Cemetery and management passed to a board made up of members of the local parishes; it is now All Saints Catholic Cemetery, managed by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond through its Office of Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services. Clergy and religious who served local Catholic churches and institutions are buried there, and room remains for future expansion.
Burial lots are still available, and the cemetery offers ways to memorialize loved ones either buried there or in another cemetery locally or out of town. A new area called the Madonna and Christ Child Courtyard holds inscribed brick pavers, crepe myrtle trees with inscribed granite markers, and polished granite benches with names inscribed.
What to Wear and How to Take Part
First-time visitors are told to come as they are comfortable. In summer, people are commonly seen in sandals, shorts, and a shirt, and Sunday best is equally fine. The cluster asks that shorts be of a conservative length and that clothing in general be respectable and conservative. More on planning a first visit.
Visitors who are not Catholic need not feel self-conscious about when to stand, sit, or kneel. Most simply follow the lead of the parishioners, and each pew holds a worship aid with the order of the Mass, the postures, and the words of each prayer. Ushers will bring one to anyone who does not find one.
Communion is the most intimate expression of Catholic faith, and the cluster asks non-Catholics not to receive it. Those who do not receive the Body and Blood of Christ are invited to come forward with their hands crossed over their chests for a special blessing. Visitors are not expected to put money in the offering and may simply let it pass, though parishioners are encouraged to give weekly by check or cash during services or through online giving.
The parish office at 3501 Cedar Lane in Portsmouth is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and the office phone is 757-484-7335.
Protecting Children and Vulnerable Adults
The cluster's safe environment mission is to educate and empower individuals to ensure safe environments for children and vulnerable adults, supported by diocesan safe environment regulations and VIRTUS training.
The Diocese of Richmond operates a toll-free EthicsPoint hotline at 844-739-3210 in multiple languages for reporting suspected financial, administrative, or human resource misconduct within the diocese. Reports are handled by an independent third party and may be made anonymously by employees, volunteers, clergy, parishioners, or anyone else, and that number is not for emergencies or for sexual abuse allegations. Anyone aware of abuse of a minor by clergy or staff is encouraged to notify civil authorities, call the Attorney General's Clergy Abuse Hotline at 1-833-454-9064, and reach the Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at 1-877-887-9603.
Giving and Staying Connected
Each of the four parishes has its own online giving, and a dedicated e-giving support line at 865-658-3408 is available with option 2 for assistance. Giving by check or cash during a service is welcome as well.
The cluster keeps an email mailing list for parish news, maintains a Facebook page and a group where members can comment on live posts, and keeps past services available through its YouTube channel. Parish registration forms can be completed in English or Spanish for any of the four churches, and can be placed in the collection plate, mailed to the cluster office, or sent by email.
One Team Serving Four Parishes
Very Rev. Anthony Morris, V.F., serves as pastor of the cluster, and Rev. Augustine Lukenge serves as vicar. Formation is led by Katherine Kardok, Director of Adult Formation, Roberto Pagtalunan, Youth Minister, and Theresa Carpenter, Children's Formation Coordinator. Nick Nespoli serves as pastoral musician for St. Paul and Resurrection, the pastoral musician position for Holy Angels and St. Mary is open, and Laura Rainey and Traci Greene staff the Cluster Assistance Ministry.
A business manager, an administrative assistant and accounting clerk, a maintenance coordinator, and custodians for Holy Angels, St. Mary, and St. Paul and Resurrection support the practical work of the cluster. The Cluster Pastoral Council serves as an advisory board to the pastor, with representatives drawn from each of the four parish communities.
From the Spanish Mass at Holy Angels to the Friday morning Mass at St. Paul, and from the Sunday formation classes to the Wednesday nights at Resurrection, the four churches continue to gather as one Catholic community in Portsmouth and Chesapeake.