200th anniversary of the establishment of the Episcopal tradition in Oswego

The members of the Church of the Resurrection hope the Oswego community will join them in this celebration.

The history of the Church of the Resurrection began in February, 1822, when a mission church, known as Christ Church, was founded by a group of forward thinking pioneers. The original building was located in the southeast corner of what was then known as Public Square and is now known as Franklin Square or West Park. The land itself was given to the Parish by the village of Oswego, and the actual cornerstone was laid on May 9, 1829.

As the Parish membership grew, a group split off from Christ Church and in 1850, the Church of the Evangelists was formed and located on the east side of the Oswego River. The Church of the Evangelists was located at the corner of East Second and East Oneida streets and remained an active Parish until 1971.

The property where the current church is located was purchased in 1853 and the cornerstone was laid on Jan. 4, 1857. From that date forward, there have been many additions and renovations to the church, including the construction and renovation of what is currently the church chapel, and the addition in 1957-58 of a new Parish Hall which included a kitchen, Sunday school rooms and a choir room. In the 1980’s this Parish Hall facility was renovated to become a worship space now known as the Great Hall.

By the late 1960’s it became increasingly evident that the two separate Episcopal Parishes needed to pool their resources once again. In 1971, the Church of the Evangelists and Christ Church merged into what is now the Church of the Resurrection. At the same time, it became clear that the stone structure of Christ Church was in bad condition and after a lengthy engineering study it was determined that the entire edifice needed to be taken down. It was demolished in 1973.

In 1997 a major building project was again undertaken and a new bell tower along with office space was constructed. The bell tower currently houses one of the original Kingsford Bells which was donated by a family of the Parish.

The church, like the nation as a whole, has gone through its share of tragedies and triumphs during its history but has tried to keep pace with the times. After nearly a century of only allowing only men to be elected to serve as Vestry members, in 1916 women were given the right to vote in Parish elections.

The church was a forerunner in the movement to allow women to be leaders of the Parish and in 1976 women were allowed to become ordained to the priesthood. They were fortunate to have among them as a parishioner The Rev. Kathleen Adams-Sheperd and in 1984 she became the Priest in Charge. Since that time, they have had numerous women serve in leadership positions as Vestry members, Wardens and as the current Rector.

Over the past 200 years the Episcopal tradition has been kept alive and well in Oswego. It has been one of continued growth providing an influence for good not only in the church itself but in the Oswego community as a whole. The current members of Church of the Resurrection look forward to continuing to face the future with faith, hope and a determination that the forces of good will prevail in our world.