Resurrection History

Resurrection School was born of a dream shared by the children of Resurrection parish and the church pastor, Father Henry Alker. The school was the fulfillment of both a desire, and a necessity, to provide a catholic education to families who wanted quality schooling for their children, at that time, the families from southern Boyle Heights, who wanted their children to attend a catholic school had to wither send their children to the mother parish of St. Mary’s or the missionary sisters from our lady of victory. On February 24, 1949, the youngsters of the parish picketed their elders after masses in hope that a school would be built.

Groundbreaking for the project schoolhouse took place on Feb. 21, 1950. The pastor sent out letters to different convents in the hope of staffing the school. Only one order of the Sisters responded to his request- the Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate. The Provincial House could only send enough Sisters to service the four lower grades. With the co-endeavor of Father Alker and the Franciscan sisters of Mary immaculate, the school opened in September 1950. Two hundred and eleven (211) children were ready to take their seats in the school house for the first time. In 1953, the new pastor, father Ramon Garcia, added three more grades to the school, and two years later (1955), the school produced its first graduating eighth grade class.

The first principal of resurrection school was Sister Emma Oswald, FMI.

Today, the school is not only servicing the children of Boyle Heights area, but also students who live far North of Alhambra, South to Long Beach, west to the mid Wilshire area, and as far as Palmdale. With the co-efforts of a professional and dedicated catholic lay staff, the Franciscans Sisters of Mary immaculate continue to provide a faith based quality education. The school now includes grades Pre-kindergarten through eighth and has an enrollment of 240 students.