This Week at Ascension + November 29, 2023

"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." - Psalm 96

Wednesday, November 29

Feria Mass

Evening Prayer on ZOOM at 6 p.m.

In-person and Live-streamed

Said Mass at 6:30 p.m.

Unction is available to those who wish it.

Image: Christ in Majesty in the initial A from an Antiphonary ca 1405



VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

World AIDS Day, December 1

In honor and remembrance of an important ministry to those with HIV/AIDS that took place at Ascension in the 1980s and 1990s as well as those whom we lost, a Mass will be celebrated at noon on World AIDS Day, December 1, followed by lunch and conversation. 

In order to know how much lunch to order, we need people to register ahead of time. You can do so by clicking this link.

If you would like to add names to our necrology, you can do so here. You do not have to be attending the Mass and lunch to add names.

Greening of the Church for Advent

Saturday, December 2 at 11 a.m.

As we prepare for Advent, we are looking for a few extra hands to help adorn the church. We are particularly in need of folks who are eager to help hang wreaths and garlands and are willing to spend some time outside greening the perimeter gates. Hot chocolate and other treats to fuel your work will be provided. Please contact Father de la Torre if you are available to help. 

The First Sunday of Advent, December 3, 2023

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via Zoom

9 a.m. Sung Mass

11 a.m. Solemn Procession, Mass and Te Deum -

In-person & Live-streamed

The 11 a.m. Order of Worship may be found here.

Image: Jesus said, “From the fig tree learn its lesson …”  German woodcut, late 15th century

Click to join us VIA YOUTUBE

or VIA FACEBOOK LIVE



And in the afternoon,

join us for

An Advent Service of

Lessons & Carols

at 4 p.m. on Sunday,

December 3, 2023

with The Choir of the Ascension singing works by G. P. da Palestrina,

Kathryn Rose, G. F. Handel,

Bob Chilcott, Barry Rose, Steffan Claas,

Felix Mendelssohn, & David R. White (b. 1959)

Click to join us VIA YOUTUBE

or VIA FACEBOOK LIVE

From the Stewardship Committee

Fellow Parishioners,

The beauty of the liturgy we all cherish was a wellspring of our forebears’ faith and strength. Our participation in worship roots us in the Catholic faith and in a broader outward-facing mission focused on works of mercy: charitable actions by which we support our neighbors. As we profess weekly, “… send us out to do the work You have given to us to do …” 

Following in this heritage, the Stewardship Committee has been focusing on encouraging the parish to “work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God.” Consequently, below are a few examples of what we have accomplished and our hopes for the next year.

We have:

• Preserved our Anglo-Catholic identity as a parish that rejoices in the beauty of our liturgy and music
• Expanded support for the Food Pantry at Ascension and fostered a new partnership with St. Chrys’ Closet 
• Maintained a dedicated parish staff that supports Ascension’s parishioners 

We hope to:

• Increase support for local and global outreach ministries including refugee and migrant support, food insecurity, homelessness, and LGBTQ+ needs
• Create new intergenerational discipleship, formation, and fellowship offerings 
• Expand our neighborhood visibility and community engagement

The financial trusts our forebears left us, upon which we rely to ensure our current needs, sustain our day-to-day operations, maintenance of our buildings and grounds, and our liturgical and music programs. Yet, the financial trusts we rely on as a parish aren’t enough to further increase and strengthen our ministries.

It is our time to honor the broader vision of our Anglo-Catholic heritage and increase our own individual pledges for 2024 as a sign of our faith and trust in God, our commitment to Church of the Ascension, and to meet the demands of our ailing world.

Last year we had 53 pledging households give $87,000 in total pledges. This year our goal is to see an increase in the total number of pledging households and a 20% increase in the total amount pledged, bringing us to $104,400. Please consider submitting a pledge card to support the work of our parish by or on the First Sunday of Advent, December 3, 2023. Pledge cards are available in the church or by contacting the parish office. Thank you for your unwavering care and support for the work and witness of Church of the Ascension.

Food Pantry is Saturday, December 2



We will again gather to assemble bags of shelf-stable groceries and personal items for our neighbors in need. We begin filling bags in St. Michael Hall at 9 a.m. and start distributing them at 11 a.m. We need the most help between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., but welcome your help for however long you are able to stay.

Come be the hands, heart, and feet of Christ in our own neighborhood, following in the wake of the Cross, and enjoy some fellowship as well.

Prepare Him Room

Advent Quiet Day Saturday, December 9

Take a break from the holiday hustle and bustle for a few hours for prayer and preparation for the birth of the Messiah. We will learn some basic skills and techniques for contemplative prayer, a practice that can allow us to increase our awareness of God’s presence and build intimacy with him. 

The retreat will take place from 10 am to 2 pm and lunch will be served. Please register using this sign up link or the sign up sheet in Wheeler Hall during coffee hour so we know how many to plan lunch for.

Advent Formation Series begins December 10

Blessed are You Among Women: Elizabeth & Mary in the Nativity

Following the Solemn High Mass, we will gather in the Library for lunch, fellowship, and formation as we explore the unique and important roles of Elizabeth and Mary in Luke and Matthew’s gospels. These women model for all Christians how to both wait for God and say yes to his call.

Young Adults Gathering December 17

The Young Adults are invited to gather for festive carols and a warming winter meal in the rectory from 4-6 pm, December 17. We’ll eat, sing, and enjoy one another’s company. Please sign up here so we know how much food to prepare. This event takes place on Gaudete Sunday, so wear pink!

Not sure if you’re a young adult? Generally, our group is comprised of members in their 20s, 30s, and even early 40s, but all are welcome.

Survey: Could you serve as an acolyte at a new weekday Mass?

Don't worry if you're new to being an acolyte or aren't sure how to serve. Training will be available, and we won't schedule you until you feel ready.

Prior to the pandemic, Ascension offered a rich weekday worship schedule including the full Daily Office and daily Masses. Our present weekday worship schedule of the Daily Office on Zoom and a weekly Wednesday evening Mass was adopted as the parish reopened amidst ongoing waves of COVID and has not been revisited since it was first implemented. 

As we prepare for a new liturgical and calendar year, this seems like the right time to examine what a new weekday mass schedule at Ascension might look like. In order to properly gauge what we might be able to offer, particularly when it comes to weekday Masses, we are seeking your feedback. Please fill out this survey:

https://forms.gle/NosZVPKBNadfMZau7

Your response will be key for us to determine how we might augment our weekday Mass offerings.

Thank you for your participation!

Morning Prayer Returns and Now on Zoom!

Monday - Friday at 7:30 AM

Beginning Monday, December 4, Morning Prayer will be offered Monday - Friday at 7:30 AM on Zoom. To participate, either daily or whenever your schedule permits, simply visit Ascension's Zoom room. Morning Prayer will be officiated by a designated leader, those in attendance are invited to pray along using their own Prayer Book. If you're in need of a Prayer Book, please speak with Father de la Torre to obtain a free copy. To learn more about the origin and development of Morning Prayer, please visit The Episcopal Church's glossary entry on Morning Prayer. 

Consider being a Coffee Hour host

There are spots available for hosting Coffee Hour after either Sunday Mass! Look for the sign-up sheets in Wheeler Hall. If you are leary of what hosting a Coffee Hour might entail, speak to Hospitality Committee members Josh or Ellie Simpson, David Reeves, LaVerne Saunders or Carol Noren. They will be glad to help.

The Prayers of the People

As part of our Sunday offering of the Mass, we bring to God our petitions and thanksgivings. As a community, we do this by bidding the parish’s intentions in the Prayers of the People. If you wish to have someone added to the Prayers of the People, please email Father de la Torre or Mother Murphy-Gill. You can also fill out the prayer request form in the link below. Names will remain on the prayer list for three weeks, unless otherwise requested.

Lord, hear the prayers of thy people; and what we have asked faithfully, grant that we may obtain effectually, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Share your prayer requests here.



Did you know that you can donate flowers for Sunday’s Mass? 

Donations may be given in memory of departed loved ones or in thanksgiving for a birthday, anniversary, or an important milestone. Flowers may be donated at the High Altar, the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Shrine of St. Michael, and the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. If you’re interested in donating flowers, please see the sign-up sheet in its new location: on the table in the back of the church closest to the door. 

You can also make a flower donations online by visiting Ascension's PayPal page. Once you’ve made your donation, please email the parish office any personal dedications.

The donation amount to cover the cost of flowers on the High Altar is $50 and for flowers on any one of the Shrines the amount is $30.

For our prayers

Ellen, Robert Baily, Lee Gould, Lillian Alexander, Stephanie Henderson,

Charlie Boemer, Robert Pischke, Derek Petite, Florence Jones Clanton, David Schrader,

Leslie Smebak Gormley, Jim Drury, Rachel Smolinski, Sarah Reece Glanman, Suzanne Dines,

MB Hwang, Juanita Malone, David S. Jones, Richard Francis Tracz, Victor Fernandez,

Claire Green, Beth Hall, Sue Lenz, Brenda Martins

Birthdays

Requiescat in pace

Len Kraig; Marvin Files, 10/16/2023; Linda Packard, Priest; Carol Moss;

Ferndel William Orrick, Priest, 13th Rector, 11/26/1969;

Enid Smith, 11/26/2007; Clara Smith Hayes, 11/27/2006;

Frank C. Alderson, Priest, 11/28/2009; Norman C Chylinski, 11/29/1993;

Eugene H. Smith, 12/1/2000

Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them;

May their souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



Organ and Choral Repertoire for December 3, 2023

Between Masses, please don’t forget that The Choir of the Ascension has recorded upwards of 60 tracks that you can listen to anywhere you have an internet connection. They can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/choir-of-the-ascension

Weekly Ascension Schedule

For connections:

via Zoom (click here)

SUNDAYS

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via Zoom

9:00 a.m. In-person Sung Mass

11:00 a.m. In-person and Live-Streamed Solemn High Mass

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

MONDAY-FRIDAY

8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer via Zoom

6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer via Zoom

WEDNESDAYS

6:30 p.m. Said Mass

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

Wardens and Vestry of Church of the Ascension

LaVerne Rollé Saunders, Sr. Warden;

SeniorWarden@AscensionChicago.org

David Reeves, Jr. Warden;

JuniorWarden@AscensionChicago.org

Ian Barillas-McEntee, Jim Lo Bello, Ken Cozette, Marlea Edinger, Sean Hansen,

David A. Robertson, Elizabeth Simpson, Joshua Simpson, Samuel Sommers, Clerk



Susan Schlough, Treasurer

Finance@ascensionchicago.org

Br. Nathanael Deward Rahm BSG, Parish Office

Office@ascensionchicago.org

Approved minutes of Vestry meetings are always available online to parishioners who request the link. If you would like Internet access to these Vestry Minutes, please email the Parish Office and request the link. Once you access the web page, you can read all recent Vestry meeting minutes.

The link remains live indefinitely. Any parishioner who has the link will not need to request a new link from month to month.