Parish History

The Church of the Resurrection's story involves the individuals, families, sisters and priests who have comprised this faith community. Today the Parish community numbers about 590 families, who participate in church activities at the main church in Muncy. In addition, approximately 300 women at the State Correctional Institution in Muncy are parishioners, who attend services at the chapel there. The number of parish members and their involvement in church functions has changed over the years.

At the beginning of the twentieth century few Catholics were known to live in the area. Those who attended Mass traveled distances - for example, by train to Annunciation Church in Williamsport. Through the efforts of several individuals Bishop Hafey approved the purchase of a property on South Main Street, Muncy (the current Resurrection Early Childhood Center) and assigned a pastor - Fr. Hubert McGranaghan. The first mass was celebrated on December 7, 1941. Those in attendance on that historic day and in the early years of the parish included the Ashkar, Bird, Buck, Butera, Carroll, Ciraulo, Corson, Edgeworth, Grady, Hess, Ives, Moran, Somerville, Umlauf, and Wilkie families. They came from Hughesville, Montgomery, Muncy, and Muncy Valley.

Given the date of the first mass (Pearl Harbor Day), it is evident that a variety of factors have nurtured and shaped the evolving character of Resurrection Parish. These influences include the global church, the local Christian and other faith communities as well as national and local historical forces that have transformed the social composition and function of the area surrounding the church's location in Muncy. A number of firsts quickly followed in 1942 with first baptism, First Holy Communion and marriage. Many other "firsts" would occur through the years as the religious, educational, spiritual, ministerial, and social function of the parish evolved along with the physical structures that housed some of these functions.

In addition to the Muncy location, from 1949 to 1959 the parish owned a property (St. Hugh's) in Hughesville that served as a place for liturgy and for a school staffed by Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. A convent (the current Religious Education building) was purchased in Muncy in 1959. A kindergarten continued in Muncy until the sisters' departure in 1966. Religious Education has continued at all levels. Many parishioners have actively worked with the various Directors of Religious Education over the years to provide religious education to the children and youth of the parish. The parish created the Resurrection Early Childhood Center as a ministry providing day care for families of the parish and local area in 1996. Teen and youth activities have taken a variety of forms over the years with the current Youth Ministry program providing religious and social formation for parish teens. Religious education of adults also has grown. The Rite for Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) - a year long inquiry and formation process of persons interested in joining the Resurrection faith community - began in the 1990s. For adult members, scriptural faith-sharing, book discussions, and a variety of presentations currently serve the continuing spiritual formation that is a lifelong commitment. Summer time religious education programming gives witness to the expanded sense of faith community. Resurrection has participated since the mid 1980s in the Muncy Ministerium's Vacation Bible School. The RENEW program, a multi-year faith-sharing program, has provided spiritual growth for adults along with community building in the mid 1980s and more recently from 2003-2004.

The current church structure erected in 1949 on South Main Street, Muncy demonstrated a broad community effort. St. James Episcopal Church, Muncy, provided its Parish House for some fund raising functions. Fr. Gerald Bischof, a former military chaplain and then pastor, acquired a military chapel from a defunct installation in Florida. A team of parishioners went to Florida to disassemble the building for shipment by train to Muncy. A local trucking firm (Smith) loaned trucks to transport the parts to the construction site. Significant commitment from parishioners led to the reassembly and finishing work in time for the dedication of the church on September 19, 1949. Several enhancements of the church have taken place including interior modifications to the church and basement hall in the 1970s with air conditioning added in the 1990s. As the parish has grown (currently approaching 600 families), the needs have outstripped the size and condition of the facilities. In the late 1990s, the parish undertook an assessment of its needs and collectively determined that a new and larger facility was necessary. The parish has acquired property (corner of South Main and Musser's Lane) and funds are being accumulated.

Liturgical services are an essential part of the Resurrection community. The commitment of celebrants, other liturgical ministers, and the faithful continue to contribute to the vitality of these core faith experiences. Many pastors and members of the congregation have sought to enhance the liturgical services. The Liturgical Committee has coordinated and developed liturgical services. The music ministry of the parish has a long history including the formation of a parish choir, the use of cantors beginning in the 1970s as song leaders, and the formation of the Resurrection Singers in the early 1970s. Lectors began to participate in the reading of the liturgy of the word in the 1970s as well. In the 1980s, Eucharistic ministers were established to provide assistance at various liturgies and to bring the Eucharist to homebound parishioners. Altar servers have likewise been active with both girls and boys participating. Several other activities during the liturgical year have extended the spiritual dimension of the season. The Seder Supper during Holy Week has grown through several decades as an enriching addition to that time. The Simple Meal during Lent provides fellowship, promotes self denial, and encourages service to those in need.

Service to others has taken many forms through the years. Parishioners support individuals and families in times of crisis such as serious illness. The parish has long supported families at the time of loss through the Women's Organization and more recently the Bereavement Committee. Various programs support local people in need. These efforts particularly increase at Thanksgiving with food baskets and supermarket gift cards. At Christmas, the Sharing Tree benefits a number of organizations that serve people with special needs while the Touch of Heart program serves children and senior citizens. Most recently the parish has sought to stimulate awareness of the global church community by supporting Mission Ecuador which targets groups in need in that country.

Two parish committees center their efforts on charity and justice. Since the mid 1990s, the Social Concerns Committee has organized a variety of programs for parish education and inspiration on social justice. A monthly Social Concerns Collection raises money for organizations serving those in need locally such as Son Light House (food pantry), Shepherd of the Streets (homeless), East Lycoming Habitat of the Humanity, and several prison ministry programs. Since the 1940s, the pastors of the Parish have served as Catholic Chaplain at SCI Muncy. Currently of the parishioners there, about 30 are serving life sentences and several are on death row. The connections between the main church and the prison are a constant reminder of the importance of prison ministry. Justice actions by the parish have included encouraging parishioners to express their opinions by writing to elected officials on such issues as landmines and the elimination of poverty. More recently the Pro-Life Committee has been reorganized to raise awareness of pro-life issues in the parish and community.

The parish has also attended to the social needs of its members and the local communities while at the same time often seeking to raise money for parish operations. The Women's Organization, preceded by the Altar and Rosary Society, is one of the parish's oldest groups. The Knights of Columbus have recently established a social and service opportunity for men of the parish. Through the years the parish has sponsored dances, held dinners for its senior members, and hosted a variety of other activities such as the Easter egg hunt for children. The Spaghetti Supper has been a long standing event popular with the community. The Parish Festival has recently given new excitement to late June evenings.

Since its formation in 1941, the role and level of participation in church function in all its dimensions has enriched the lives of the faithful of Resurrection. Increasingly many lay members have taken on active roles in religious, educational, organizational and service areas of the parish. Several members of the parish have responded to a call to religious life. These include William Somerville, John Kita, Greg Hann, Kim Wood and Karen Benfer. Chuck Huey has become a Permanent Deacon and has been assigned to Resurrection.

The story of Resurrection is ongoing. Many have and will continue to contribute to its development. The extent to which individuals and the faith community respond to the breath and life of the Spirit will contribute to the future of the people of the Church of the Resurrection.

Pastors of the Church of the Resurrection:

1941-1945 Fr. Hubert McGranaghan
1945-1948 Fr. John Cunningham
1948-1961 Fr. Gerald Bishof
1961-1972 Fr. Jacob Wideman
1972-1981 Fr. Joseph Bonner
1981-1982 Fr. William Blake
1982-1983 Fr. Peter Madus
1983-1988 Fr. Francis Kulik
1988-1997 Fr. Philip Sladicaka
1997-2000 Fr. David Cappelloni
2000- Fr. Glenn McCreary

updated September 13, 2005

Home