This Week at Ascension + January 3, 2024

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

Wednesday, January 3

Christmas Feria

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

Saturday, January 6

Feast of The Epiphany

11 a.m. Solemn Mass with Choir

Food Pantry is Saturday, January 6



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 way of the Cross, and enjoy some fellowship as well.

The First Sunday after

the Epiphany: Baptism of

Our Lord Jesus Christ

January 7, 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: Baptism of Our Lord, Bartolome Murillo, 1655

January 7 in the afternoon

3:30 p.m. Organ Recital by David White

4 p.m. Choral Evensong

and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

The Bulletin may be found here.

From the Rector

Three miles from the city of Bethlehem, on top of a truncated cone-shaped hill, Herod the Great built his palace, fortress, and small village: the Herodium. Erected five hundred feet above sea level, the Herodium was purposely built on the highest peak of the Judean desert. Now an archaeological site and national park, the Herodium was more than a home or compound – it was a monument to Herod's dominion. 

During my pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I was able to visit the Herodium. Even though all that’s left of Herod’s blueprint are scattered architectural fragments, it is still a remarkable site to behold. What was even more striking was realizing that it was probably there, exactly where I was standing, on top of a hill overlooking Bethlehem, that Herod first heard of Jesus’ birth from the traveling wise men. 

Following a radiant star, these wise men embarked on an unknown, unplanned journey. Not knowing what they would find in Bethlehem, the wise men encountered Mary and her Son – the newborn king that threatened everything Herod had built and stood for. In the end, what the wise men found in Bethlehem was Truth: the truth of what a true king looks like, the truth of God's revelation and love. “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

— Fr. de la Torre

An Update from the Stewardship Committee

We closed out 2023 having received 38 pledges totaling $72,338. Thank you for supporting the work and witness of Church of the Ascension!   

If you have not yet made a pledge, please consider making your pledge before the Annual Meeting. Pledge cards are available in the narthex or you can make a pledge by emailing Susan Scholough at Finance@ascensionchicago.org. In your email, please include your full name, mailing address, phone number, and your total pledge amount. 

From the Treasurer

If you have made a pledge for 2024 and asked for Offering Envelopes, please pick them up on the table in the narthex at the back of the church.

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. 

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

For our prayers: 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

Birthdays

Glen Hedley, 12/31; Elaine Wilson, 1/6

Requiescat in pace

Alvaro Araica, Priest, 12/31/ 2023;

Dorothy Hall, 12/17/2023; Linda Clark; Meri Hirata, 1/3/2000;

Nancy Hyer, 1/3/2018; Charles Borin, 1/5/2000; Robert Richard Bolt, 1/5/2018

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 First Sunday after the Epiphany, January 7, 2024

The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ

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.