This Week at Ascension + January 17, 2024

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

Wednesday, January 17

Saint Anthony of Egypt

Evening Prayer on ZOOM at 6 p.m.

In-person and Live-streamed

Said Mass at 6:30 p.m.



VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

Thursday, January 18

The Confession of Saint Peter

Said Mass at 12 p.m.

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

January 21, 2024

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via Zoom

9 a.m. Sung Mass

10 a.m. Confession available

11 a.m. Solemn Mass -

In-person & Live-streamed

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

Click to join us VIA YOUTUBE

or VIA FACEBOOK LIVE

Image: The Calling of Andrew and Simon Peter, Luca Giordano, 1690

From the Rector

This Thursday and next, the Church commemorates the Confession of Saint Peter and the Conversion of Saint Paul – pivotal events in the lives of these two giants of our Catholic faith. Unlike their shared feast day on June 29 (a day centered on their martyrdom), the feasts of Saint Peter’s Confession and Saint Paul’s Conversion commemorate events of spiritual awakening and divine revelation: Saint Peter confessing our Lord as the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and Saint Paul encountering our Lord on the road to Damascus.

In both these encounters, our Lord begins by asking a question. Of Saint Peter, our Lord asks, “Who do people say that I am?” Of Saint Paul, our Lord asks, “Why are you persecuting me?” It is our Lord who is the initiator of their confession and conversion. If we look closely at these stories, we see that Saint Peter’s Confession and Saint Paul’s Conversion are not byproducts of personal habits, labor, or study… but a revelation from God who sees their need for clarity. Clarity to see who our Lord is and clarity to see themselves in relationship to our Lord and his Church – Saint Peter as the rock upon which our Lord will build his Church and Saint Paul as the apostle to the nations.

As we observe these major feats and recount these marvelous stories of spiritual awakening and divine revelation let us remember that we, like Saint Peter and Saint Paul, are also called to know our Lord and be in relationship with his Church. We are all called, individually and collectively, to journey with Christ, to listen to his voice, and to ponder and answer faithfully the question(s) he has placed on our hearts. 

— Fr. de la Torre

2024 Annual Meeting Announcement

The Rector, Wardens, and Vestry of Church of the Ascension have called for the Annual Meeting of the Parish to be held on Sunday, January 28, 2024. There will be one mass at 10:00 AM, immediately followed by the Annual Meeting. This year, the meeting will take place in the church nave and be in-person only for business purposes. A YouTube link to a live recording of the meeting will be shared, however, there will be no online participation available. 

This meeting is for the express purpose of receiving reports concerning the financial state and the activities of the parish, and to elect a warden and vestry members. A full and festive coffee hour in Wheeler Hall will follow. Please register your intention to attend, this will help ensure there's enough food available. You can use this link to register your intention to attend: https://forms.gle/exWcp5GQA6DD2TUp8. A sign-up sheet will also be available in the narthex. 

2024 Vestry Slate Announced

The Nominating Committee invites you to get to know the candidates who have been nominated to serve on Vestry:

David Alan Robertson – Warden: Two-Year Term

Vicki Dvonch – Vestry: Three-Year Term

Nancy Pardee – Vestry: Three-Year Term

DiAnne Walsh – Vestry: Three-Year Term

Samuel Sommers – Vestry: Two-Year Term

Jay Peterson – Vestry: One-Year Term 

We appreciate their ongoing commitment to Church of the Ascension.

Click here to read the candidates' profiles. 

If you wish to add your name to the vestry slate or wish to nominate a candidate (only nominate candidates who have given you their full consent), please contact LaVerne Saunders (lavernerollesaunders@gmail.com). 

Acolyte Day on Sunday, January 21

from 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Acolytes, we hope you'll join us on Sunday afternoon for some fellowship, training updates, a bit of housekeeping, and a special “acolyte wellness” activity! Lunch will be served. Please register here to help us plan ahead!

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 narthex.

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.

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.



For our prayers

Ellen, Kenneth Phillips, Amy and Amanda Boemer, Elizabeth McLaughlin, Greg Nigosian, Ellen Penrod, Andrew Carlin, Marilyn Labkon, Robert Baily, Lee Gould, Robert Pischke, Derrick Petite, Florence Jones Clanton, David Schrader, Leslie Smebak Gormley, 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

Anniversaries

Bob Sheridan and Jana Holt, Marriage, 1/18/1999

Requiescat in pace

Alison Henderson; Alvaro Araica, Priest, 12/31/2023; Quintin Ebenezer Primo, Bishop, 1/15/1998;

Harry J. Carstensen, 1/15/2002; Betty J. Marse, 1/15/2015; John Martensen, 1/15/2018

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

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany, January 21, 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 High Mass

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

MONDAY-FRIDAY

7:30 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.