This Week at Ascension + August 14, 2024

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

The Feast of

the Assumption

August 15, 2024

8 a.m. Low Mass

6 p.m. Evening Prayer in the Nave

In-person & Live-streamed

7 p.m. Procession, Angelus,

& Solemn High Mass

In-person & Live-streamed

A Dessert Reception follows

The Bulletin for the Mass may be found here.

Image: The Assumption, Church of the Ascension Rosary windows

The Thirteenth Sunday

after Pentecost

August 18, 2024

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer

via Zoom

9 a.m. Sung Mass

10 a.m. Confession Available

11 a.m. Solemn High Mass

In-person & Live-streamed

The 11 a.m. bulletin may be found here.

 Image: Christ the Saviour with the Eucharist, Juan de Juanes (1503-1579) Museo del Prado



Click to join us VIA YOUTUBE

or VIA FACEBOOK LIVE

Weekday Mass Schedule

12 p.m. on Monday & Friday

8 a.m. on Tuesday & Thursday

6:30 p.m. on Wednesday

View the Wednesday 6:30 p.m. Live-stream Mass here

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

Weekday Offices

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via Zoom

6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer via Zoom

From the Rector

In his book Mary for All Christians, one of the only distinctly Anglo-Catholic theological works on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Father John Macquarrie meditates on the sheer gloriousness of the Assumption. He writes:

“An assumption could not be anything other than glorious, for it means a taking up from the drabness and ordinariness of earthly life into what we call “heaven,” the unimaginable glory of the divine presence in its immediacy.”

While our Lord’s Incarnation, Resurrection, and Ascension occur as acts and signs of God’s glory — revealing, once again, God’s power and majesty over all of creation. Our Lady’s Assumption takes place not just as an act and sign of God’s glory, but as an act and sign of God’s longing to bring humanity into his power and majesty, the otherwise unimaginable glory of his divine presence.

However, our Lady’s Assumption is not a personal accomplishment, but a fruit of what’s been accomplished by our Lord. The Assumption affirms, in the words of Father Macquarrie, that “the heaven which Jesus ascended, and into which Mary is assumed, is not a region in the skies, but a new level of existence.” A new level of existence not just for our Lord, our Lady, and the saints, but for you and me. Come celebrate this new reality, this divine pledge at our Assumption Day liturgies. Hail Mary, full of grace!

—Fr. de la Torre



Welcome our Guest Celebrant

Sunday, August 18

The Reverend Canon Broderick Greer has served as canon precentor for Saint John’s Cathedral in Denver, Colorado since 2017. At Saint John’s, Father Greer directs liturgical planning, ministry to people in their 20s and 30s, and assists with stewardship and staff development. 



Embracing the Sacramental Life 

Sunday, August 25 at 12:45 p.m.

We will kick-off our faith formation program by returning "back to basics" as we explore the nature and purpose of the Sacraments; how they shape our lives; and why they matter. We will also discuss the Sacrament of Confirmation and the ritual practice of Reception into The Episcopal Church for those interested in Confirmation and Reception. A hearty lunch will be provided

For further reading, we will be providing free copies of Father Andrew Davison’s book, "Why Sacraments?" – a must-read for those seeking a modern perspective on Anglo-Catholic sacramentality. 

One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism:

A Retreat for Those Seeking Renewal, Confirmation, and Reception 

Saturday, September 7 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Our end of summer morning retreat is designed for those seeking to deepen their understanding of the Sacramental Life. Using the Baptismal Covenant as our guide, we will reflect on how to grow in faith and live a sanctified life. This retreat is open to all and mandatory for those seeking to be sponsored for Confirmation or Reception on Saturday, September 14 at 11AM at Saint James Cathedral. A light breakfast will be served at 8:45AM. We will conclude our gathering with lunch at a nearby restaurant. 

Please register using this sign-up form so we can plan appropriately: 

https://forms.gle/kJgNuqtqipQ35Qpz5

Chrys' Closet Backpack Drive 

Our friends at Chrys' Closet are gearing up for a free backpack giveaway on Saturday, August 24 (more event details to come). We have been asked to assist them in their backpack collection effort for elementary school and middle school children. Beginning next Sunday, there will be a special collection box in Wheeler Hall where parishioners may drop off backpack donations. Please consider donating a backpack for our neighbors in need. Please email Liz Kohlbeck if you have any questions: elizabethkohlbeck@yahoo.com



Calling All eBayers

Occasionally, The Closet receives donations that have a monetary value that is better to turn into cash for the Refugee mission rather than handing them out. Past examples include designer clothing or sporting equipment. The money raised from their sale is used to buy much needed items like diapers. 

We need one or two Ascension parishioners skilled at and willing to market these items on eBay from the comfort of their homes. Closet volunteers will send photos, dimensions, condition, etc for you to post and after the sale, they will pack and ship the items. 

Can you help with this important church mission? 

If you are interested in volunteering or learning more, contact Liz Kohlbeck at elizabethkohlbeck@yahoo.com.

David Robertson

Jr. Warden 

Did you know 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 Saint 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 donation 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 on any one of the Shrines the amount is $30.

Consider being a Coffee Hour host

There are spots available for hosting Coffee Hour after either Sunday Mass! Look for the SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 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. 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.

For our prayers

Robert Pischke, Roderick & Patricia Greer, Meg Brennand, Steve Legaut, Samuel R. Gibbons, Christian Olson, Julie Jones, Kathryn Rowland, Patricia & Jack Callahan, Malcolm Wood, Bram Bassford, Randy Thomas, Carolyn Wiggins, David Schrader, Marlea Edinger, Ken McPhillips, Elizabeth McLaughlin, Lee Gould, Florence Jones Clanton, MB Hwang, Juanita Malone, Richard Francis Tracz, Victor Fernandez, Claire Green, Beth Hall, Sue Lenz, Brenda Martins

Birthdays

James "Woody" Abbott, 8/16

Requiescat in pace

Rosemary Alexander, Jerrod Cook, Wesley Ball, Jayne M. FitzSimmons, 8/11/1999;

Barbara Louise Drell OSA (Religious), 8/11/2020, Elsa Marie Klages, 8/14/1991;

Shirley M. Akan, 8/15/2008; James Hobson Dunkerley (Priest), 8/16/2018;

Sylvia Isabelle Fertig, 8/17/2011

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

August 18, 2024

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

Ascension Connections

(with your click and God's help)

Our website home page --

often with up-to-date info/links.

Participate in Ascension masses at our YouTube Channel. (Look for other connections options soon.)

Our Facebook page:

Videos, upcoming events and more.

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 Mass

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

MONDAY-FRIDAY

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via Zoom

6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer via Zoom

Weekday Mass Schedule

12 p.m. on Monday & Friday

8 a.m. on Tuesday & Thursday

6:30 p.m. on Wednesday

View the Wednesday Mass here

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

Wardens

David Reeves, Sr. Warden

David Reeves, Sr. Warden

David A. Robertson, Jr. Warden

David A. Robertson Jr. Warden

Vestry

Ian Barillas-McEntee, Jay Peterson, Joshua Simpson

Ken Cozette, Elizabeth Simpson, Samuel Sommers (Clerk)

Vicki Dvonch, Nancy Pardee, DiAnne Walsh



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.