Gemma Pasewicz, communications director at Resurrection Catholic School (RCS), believes that most of the parishes that now send their children to Resurrection once each had their own schools. In 1991, St. Anthony of Padua Church, Iglesia San Juan Bautista Church, St. Joseph Church, and St. Mary's Church banded together to start RCS, located at 521 E. Orange St., Lancaster, next to St. Anthony of Padua. The church also serves families from St. Catherine of Siena, St. Philip the Apostle, and St. Richards Church. In addition, RCS educates children from families looking for a Christ-centered environment. Currently, 116 pre-kindergartens through eighth-graders attend the school.

In 2021, the school celebrated 30 years of existence, but COVID-19 restrictions interfered with the festivities. "We had our 30th anniversary Mass in November," said Pasewicz, who noted that Bishop Ronald W. Gainer of the Diocese of Harrisburg was in attendance. "Every month (in 2022) the Parent Teacher Organization is doing something special for the students because during 2021 we couldn't do a lot of in-person events to celebrate," noted Pasewicz, who is working on planning an anniversary reception during the coming year as well.

Currently, the school is offering a trial run to parents who would like their children to experience a Catholic education tuition-free. The trial run began Feb. 7 and will continue through Wednesday, June 8. "It's to give families an idea what Catholic education can be like," said Pasewicz, who went on to discuss what she sees as the many benefits of attending. "We have small class sizes, so there's more one-to-one time with the teacher. We are one-to-one with technology, which is really exciting," Pasewicz added, explaining that students in first through eighth grades receive Chromebooks. She also lauded the atmosphere of the school. "It's very close knit and family-oriented," she said. "We have tons of siblings that come to school together." Although most of the students are from within the boundaries of Lancaster, Pasewicz said students often travel from Manheim Township, Penn Manor, Lampeter-Strasburg, and even Solanco school districts to attend.

Pasewicz said that the school strives to provide funding for students who may lack the resources to attend. "We try to make it affordable for anyone," she said, noting that the school is starting an Angel Sponsor program, which allows businesses and individuals to donate to a student's tuition. "We try really hard to make it so anyone who wants to come here is able," she said.

Readers who would like to learn more may visit https://rcspa.org or search for "Resurrection Catholic School" on Facebook.