This Week At Ascension

All Souls Memorial Cards - See More Information Below

Sunday, October 21st


The saints James the Great and John, cartoons by Domenico Morelli for the mosaic of the Amalfi Cathedral, Italy, drawing by P Scoppetta, engraving from L'Illustrazione Italiana, No 42, October 10, 1886 .

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer

8 a.m. Said Mass (Rite I)

9 a.m. Sung Mass

11 a.m. Solemn High Mass

José de Torres (c. 1670-1738)

Mass for Four Voices "ad omnem tonum" (1732)

This Week at Ascension +

October 17, 2018

IN THIS NEWSLETTER

From the Senior Warden

From the Rector

Last Sunday's Sermon

Commemorations at Ascension

Ascension Book Group: October

This Sunday at Ascension

Lawrence Hall Wish List

The Parish Prayer List

Approved Vestry Minutes Online

The Last Word

FROM THE SENIOR WARDEN

Millennials in Church

On Sunday, October 7, St. James Cathedral Curate-and Ascension Coach House resident-Deacon Anna Broadbent moderated a panel discussion in the Ascension library titled "Millennials in Church." Joining her were cathedral-goers Kayte Mares, Eric Strait, and Preston Winstead. The panelists (including Deacon Broadbent herself) described their journeys to the Episcopal Church, from both Roman Catholic and Protestant starting points.

One recurring theme was the church as a respite from a frenetic world and a connection to one's deepest, enduring values. That includes the depth of relationships forged among one's church family. The panelists remarked that this time of their lives is marked by transience-new cities, new jobs-and a whirlwind of new acquaintances. The church, being inter-generational and a transmitter of tradition and the revelation of the Eternal, adds a welcome anchoring. Another pervasive theme: nearly all panelists described appreciation of the Episcopal Church for women clergy and for the comfortable welcome of LGBTQ newcomers.

As noted, the good news for Ascension is that these Episcopal-affiliated millennials relish our historic traditions and delight in a multi-generational congregation. On the other hand, they also noted that a digital presence is critical to reaching out to young new residents of the city. Though two of our panelists lived in the vicinity of Ascension, neither encountered any digital presence of our parish in their online research!

With all that in mind, let me thank Deacon Broadbent for organizing this insightful and sobering panel. Let me also thank Gary Alexander for leading the Ascension website redesign and DiAnne Walsh for her work on maintaining Ascension's Facebook content. But it's clear that we should all endeavor to keep Ascension's digital content fresh and exciting. Please send your photos and other idea to keep our online presence engaging. Finally, if your travels take you to St James Cathedral, please extend your personal regards as an Ascension parishioner to our informative panelists!

Christopher Raymond, Senior Warden

FROM THE RECTOR

The Millennials in Church panel discussion was arranged in large part in the context of ongoing Vestry and informal parochial conversations about Ascension, our own identity and future and welcoming younger members. I'm confident that Deacon Broadbent would be pleased to hear from any of you regarding your thoughts or questions.

Speaking of Deacon Broadbent, her ordination as priest will take place on Sunday, December 23, The Fourth Sunday of Advent, at the 11:00 a.m. mass at St. James' Cathedral. Not the best time for me or more parish clergy ... but I want you all to have the information.

Please plan to share in the All Souls Requiem, Friday, November 2, 7:00 p.m., especially if you will be requesting prayers for the departed - which you may do by way of the memorial card that you can view and print by clicking here.

(The memorial card is found at the bottom of the page.)

Our 2019 Stewardship Appeal got underway this past Sunday, with Father Lawler's sermon on the rich young ruler 'and all of our stuff' and Ken Kelling's personal reflection. A letter and pledge card will be mailed by the end of this week, but if you just can't wait you may view, print, fill out and return the 2019 pledge card by clicking here. My thanks to Ken and to Cynthia Perrizo for co-chairing this year's stewardship endeavor.

Buildings and Grounds Repairs and Improvements received a great deal of attention at the Vestry's meeting this past Saturday, October 13. The most significant project approved will address the need to newly tuck point the entire arch over the church sanctuary and to re-plaster and repaint the entire wall above it. We will be entering into an agreement with Touchstone Group Solutions, Inc., for the project, to be undertaken early in the New Year. You may view the proposal here.

Repairing the roof in the southwest corner of St. Michael's Hall will be undertaken sometime this fall by Salvo Inc., the same contractor that did such a fine job on our new slate roof over the church last fall. The picture here shows the water damage to sloped ceiling and wall inside St. Michael's Hall.

A new roof will be installed over the lowest of the three parish house flat roofs. We've had chronic leaks at many areas on this roof in the past several years, and regular patching has helped, but the three new recent leaks have demonstrated the need for a permanent fix.

A rectory project will include a) a new flat roof, b) new sloped roof, c) repair of four gables and d) new gutters and downspouts. In addition to the frequent leak-and-patch cycle with the rectory roof for a number of years, the lack of proper gutters and downspouts has caused water to cascade down the sides of the building, leading to interior plaster damage at places on all floors. This project is partly aimed at significantly addressing this problem.

The alarm system keypad and siren will be moved from a poor location near the nursery to just inside the parish house doors. The keypad was installed at a time when the nursery was the church office and most people entered the building through the front door of the church. Having the siren at that location made sense at the time but it is not audible in many parts of the building. The installation will be, if possible, near the place indicated by the red circle in the photo.

Repairs to cement work in the garden will include the ramp at the back of the garden that leads up to the parish house doors (our only accessible entry), leveling some of the uneven surfaces in the poured concrete around the fountain, and replacing the damaged area of concrete surrounding a water meter cover just outside the garden gate.

The outdoor stairwell leading down to the rectory basement is at risk of collapsing and will be significantly repaired.

Two pressure-relief tanks for the church boiler will be replaced. They've been leaking since last winter and have not led to a crisis, but a failure of either tank would be a major problem. (Sorry, no photo ...)

Yes, but where will the money come from for all of these projects? Good question. All of these projects and the two-phase organ project also recently described will cost close to $200,000.

For the organ projects, we have some private donor commitments and intend to use all or most of a $36,000 bequest recently received from the estate of musician Rachel Long and we anticipate a capital campaign early in 2019 to welcome parishioner participation.
A significant portion of remaining need can be met by an end-of-year surplus, of which we recently learned, from the two Stoskopf trusts, in addition to existing building funds and some money already committed for repairs in our 2018 operating budget.
In making these commitments, Vestry members are all aware of the need to balance good stewardship of our resources with addressing at least our most pressing needs. A sheet that you can view here shows many of the projects completed in the past few years (not including the prior significant rectory investment) as well as a list of some of these current projects and more.
In these financial notes I've mentioned both Stoskopf and Rachel Long bequests. Please consider the importance of your own legacy giving to Ascension so that those who come after us will be able to sustain Ascension's mission and ministries ... and buildings.

Ten or so souls took part in our first Shared Lunch, Shared Blessings gathering a week ago, October 10. We're already looking forward to a second gathering, on the second Wednesday in November, the 14^th. Plan to join us for mass at 12:05 p.m. followed by a simple but sumptuous lunch and conversation ... and look for more details in coming weeks.

Please consider making a contribution to 'Dear Fr. D.' DiAnne Walsh will be grateful to hear from you sooner rather than at the last minute before the Friday, November 2, deadline. You may view a form that should make things easy here.

The Annual Clergy Conference for the Diocese of Chicago took place this past Sunday evening through Tuesday Noon, led by Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves of the Diocese of El Camino Real (central California coast). Bishop Gray-Reeves mainly focused on notions and realities of power and authority and how they are continuously changing in our lives, our churches and in cultures and nations. One feature of her presentation that I found of particular (and novel) interest was a 2014 TED Talk, What new power looks like, by Jeremy Heimans. The conference has for several years begun with a Sunday evening clergy appreciation dinner hosted by the people of St. James the Less, Northfield. Deacon Anna Broadbent was asked by Bishop Lee to preach at the Evensong prior to the meal and, many agreed, offered good and faithful insight and wisdom on the theme of persistence.

59^th Annual Bishop's Ball, anyone? As many of you will know, this is the big annual fund-raiser for all of our Episcopal Charities and Community Services. I am gathering the event will also serve this year to introduce the agency's new Executive Director, Matthew Barryman. My wife Brooke and I are hoping to be able to attend and will be grateful to learn if others at Ascension will be there or are curious.

Parishioner Enrique Vilaseco will bring his Stevenson High School Baroque Ensemble to Ascension for a half-hour (or so) performance following our All Saints Sunday afternoon Organ Recital, Choral Evensong and Benediction. A freewill offering will support the ensemble members' ambition to take part in a music conference and clinic in New Mexico after the New Year. More details to follow. For now, please mark your calendars.

praymond@ascensionchicago.org

LAST SUNDAY'S SERMON

Fr. Gary Lawler's sermon from Sunday, October 14, may be read here.

COMMEMORATIONS AT THE ASCENSION

Commemoration of

Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch and Martyr

Today, Weds., Oct. 17

6:10 p.m. Evening Prayer

6:30 p.m. Said Mass

Commemoration of

St. Luke the Evangelist

Thurs., Oct 18

7:10 a.m. Morning Prayer

6:10 p.m. Evening Prayer

6:30 p.m. Said Mass

ASCENSION BOOK GROUP

For October the Ascension Book Group will read War In Heaven (1931) by Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886-1945). Williams takes us on a 20th-century version of the Grail quest, with an Archdeacon, a Duke, an editor, the mysterious "Man in Grey", and a child playing the old Arthurian roles. Throughout, Williams reminds us that these legends ...