This Week at Ascension + October 25, 2023

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

Wednesday, October 25

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.

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 25A)

Sunday, October 29, 2023

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via ZOOM

9 a.m. Sung Mass

11 a.m. Solemn Mass -

In-person & Live-streamed

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

Image: The Pharisees question Jesus, James Tissot (1836-1907),

gouache over graphite on gray wove paper, Brooklyn Museum, NYC

Click to join us VIA YOUTUBE

or VIA FACEBOOK LIVE

Saturday, October 28

Commemoration of

Saint Simon and Saint Jude

Said Mass at 10 a.m.

From the Rector

Jesus said, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Since its earliest days, the Church has been called to serve God’s people in prayer and service. In this part of God’s vineyard, the Church of the Ascension has been called to be the Body of Christ on the corner N LaSalle and Elm – to open its doors for worship and for the work of healing and restoration. For more than 100 years, this parish has lived into our Lord’s command to love God with heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. 

While not difficult to do, this command can at times be complex to put into practice. I often ask myself, “how can I/we in 2023 show the love of God to the people of this city, to the people of this neighborhood?” We know what we have done in the past, what has worked and what has not. Yet, as the world around us is constantly changing, our command remains the same.

Our commandment to love God and to love our neighbor should move us to reclaim old ways and explore new practices. This is the work ahead of us. As the Body of Christ to come together as one body, as the people of the Ascension, to show the outpouring love of God in Christ. A love we have come to know in our Lord’s dying and rising – there is no better place to begin to live into our Lord’s command than in this place. 

—Fr. de la Torre

What is our Rhythm of Prayer?: A Conversation on Weekday Liturgies at the Church of the Ascension 

Thursday, October 26 at 6:30 PM on Zoom following Online Evening Prayer

During the pandemic, the Church of the Ascension’s weekday liturgies were drastically altered. While some liturgies were suspended, others went exclusively online and have seen an increased participation. The parish was able to pivot and develop a weekday worship schedule in response to the limitations of COVID, however, it's now time to revisit the parish’s weekday rhythm of prayer and liturgical schedule. Please join Fr de la Torre for a conversation on how we might expand and strengthen our weekday liturgies based on previous practices at the Ascension and from what we have learned from gathering online.

Announcing Ascension’s Fall Formation Program

In honor of the season of harvest and plenty, our fall formation and Christian Ed programming will include three consecutive weeks of conversation around food and faith. A tasty lunch will be provided for each gathering. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend for some delicious discussions.

Sunday, October 29 

Following the 11 a.m. Solemn Mass

Let Us Break Bread Together Week 1: The Extraordinary in the Ordinary, 

A Conversation with Mother Murphy-Gill, author of The Sacred Life of Bread

Copies of Mtr. Murphy-Gill's book are now available for $10 which will go to Ascension's monthly food pantry.

Sunday, November 5 

Following the 11 a.m. Solemn Mass

Let Us Break Bread Together Week 2: Food and Hospitality in the Old Testament

Sunday, November 12 

Following the 11 a.m. Solemn Mass

Let Us Break Bread Together Week 3: Eating Rituals in the New Testament

with Fr. Shane Patrick Gormley



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.

Winter Coats Needed

With temperatures dropping, migrants newly arriving in the city are in much need of warm coats. Consider this your cue to rummage through your coat closets and discern what you no longer need. We can take coats of all sizes and for all genders.

To arrange a drop off, please contact Liz Kohlbeck, coordinator of Chrys’ Closet at 920-254-4735.



For our prayers

Chuck Kelley, Robert Pischke, Ruby Woods, Earmy Nailor, Derek Petite, Florence Jones Clanton, Michael Curry, David Schrader, Stuy Peabody, Robert, DeDe Frank, Leslie Smebak Gormley, Pam and Hap Hopper, Jim Drury, Patricia Spencer, Rachel Smolinski, Sarah Reece Glanman, The Quevedo family, Suzanne Dines, Lee Gould, John Schram, Gertrude Isaac, MB Hwang, Juanita Malone, Oksana, Tyler, David S. Jones, Richard Francis Tracz, Natalia & Victor, Dorothy, Victor Fernandez, Claire Green, Beth Hall, Sue Lenz, Brenda Martins 

Requiescat in pace

Ronald Wilson; Dolly Cherny; Thomas Wikman; James Budzban, 10/23/2017;

Delores Peter, 10/23/2018; James Winchester Montgomery, IX Bishop of Chicago, 10/23/2019; David L. Brooks, 10/25/2008; Jean D. Gehrke, 10/26/2007;

Robert A. White, 10/27/2018; Rachael Ann Bottorff Patterson, 10/28/2012

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 October 29, 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 FACEBOOK LIVE

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.