In 2018, Resurrection Catholic Missions of the South, Inc. is celebrating 75 years of service to the people of Alabama, the Southeast, and the United States. For several years previous to 1943, Resurrectionist Fathers and Brothers worked with Father Harold Purcell, at the City of St. Jude, also located in Montgomery.

The initial focus of our work was the African-American community of North and Central Montgomery. In rapid progression, programs in evangelization, social service, health care, and education were established. The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth helped to staff the mission’s school and residential facility for challenged children.

In 1964, largely through the efforts of Father Walter Mikosz, C.R., the mission broke ground for a new multi-million dollar complex of buildings a few miles from our initial site on the banks of the Alabama River.

The complex consists of a school, church, residential treatment center for challenged children, convent, rectory, administration and service center. In 1978, Resurrection assumed the management of Holy Spirit Catholic Missions, another Congregation of the Resurrection ministry consisting of a 20 bed nursing facility for indigent women.

In 1991, St. John the Baptist Catholic School, founded by St. Katherine Drexel and her Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, was merged into Resurrection’s existing school. After the consolidation, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart led the school for several years. In 2009, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet assumed leadership of the school.

In 1992, Interfaith Community Outreach was established to provide advocacy and direct aid services to indigent elders, allowing them to remain living independently in their own homes as long as possible. Through the years, this program has evolved into a multifaceted social service program, but the end result is the same — to see that those we serve have the most basic necessities of life. That same year, an outreach known as Montgomery Addiction Counseling Service was started to address drug abuse and to provide violence prevention programs aimed at public housing youth.

In 1995, Resurrection Catholic Missions of the South, Inc. hosted a group of young people from the University of Dayton for an alternative spring break week and the Resurrection Collegiate Volunteer Service Program was born. Young people from DePaul, Ohio Dominican, Marquette, St. Thomas, Creighton, Portland, and Rosary Universities have participated in the week of service at the mission and study of civil rights history. In 2010, students from the Newman Center at UCLA became the first public university students to join the program.

In 2008, Resurrection Life Center was transferred to another healthcare entity. In October 2010, management of the Father Walter Memorial Child Care Center was entrusted by the Missions’ sponsors to a new management entity. Resurrection Catholic Missions of the South, Inc. continues to provide pastoral care to the children who reside there.

Over the last twenty years, Resurrection Catholic Missions of the South, Inc. has been blessed to enjoy the service of innumerable dedicated laity as well as the continued service of the Congregation of the Resurrection and in addition to the aforementioned religious, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the Sisters of Providence, the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, Resurrection Sisters, Daughters of Charity and Sisters for Christian Community.