Weekend Special Edition for July 31, August 1 & Beyond

"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." - Psalm 96
Dear people of Ascension,

Two developments in the past few days have been sufficiently time sensitive, significant and concerning to merit an additional weekend communication with you. I'll be grateful for your attention, responses and prayers.

Rector

Saturday morning in the Our Lady of Victory Garden
Mask Guidance Updates
(and more to come)

"With a rise in COVID-19 cases, Cook County was added Thursday to a growing list of Illinois counties where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all residents wear masks in public indoor spaces, regardless of whether they’re vaccinated."
- From a WBEZ feature on Thursday, July 29

Most if not all of us who take part at Ascension follow pandemic news closely enough to know that recent optimism has given way, for various reasons, to renewed alarm. I feel compelled to adapt for our good at Ascension revised public safety guidance from the CDC, Governor Pritzker and the Diocese of Chicago ecclesiastical authority.

For tomorrow, Sunday, August 1:

  • All in attendance at the 10AM Solemn High Mass are asked to wear masks.
  • Those leading worship, including lectors, choir members and clergy, may remove masks when reading/singing/chanting and should otherwise wear them.
  • Members of the congregation are asked to remain masked even when responding in the liturgy and singing.
  • Masks may of course be removed to receive the Sacrament.
  • Masks should be worn inside any part of the church but may be removed outdoors (including in the event of a garden coffee hour).
  • Pleated masks (of the kind shown on the emojis above) or KN95 masks are available at no cost at the church.

Going forward ...

I ask members of our pandemic task force and I welcome any interested parishioner to join me at one or both of two meetings via Zoom to discuss next steps that will reflect our best leadership and best decisions:

  • Monday morning, August 2, 9:15-10:15 a.m. and/or
  • Tuesday afternoon, August 3, 4:00-5:00 p.m.


Difficult News Regarding
Bishop-Elect Paula Clark

On Wednesday, July 28, the Diocese of Chicago released a video featuring remarks by Presiding Bishop the Most Rev. Michael Curry, Bishop-Elect the Rev. Canon Paula Clark, and the Rev. Anne Jolly, President of the Diocese of Chicago Standing Committee and Rector of St. Gregory's Church, Deerfield. The gist of the messages is that Canon Clark will not be consecrated in August as planned, that recovery from her April 2021 brain bleed will require many more months of therapy and that the diocese contemplates announcing the appointment of an Assisting Bishop to serve until Canon Clark can be deemed fit for consecration and leadership or another way forward for her and for our diocese becomes clear.


Please pray for Bishop-elect Clark,
for our diocese and for all the church.

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look
favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being
raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

From the Liturgy for the Ordination of a Bishop
Book of Common Prayer, page 515

Two additional opportunities for Sunday, August 1

The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary will be prayed at the shrine of Mary
and streamed online for remote participation
immediately after the Solemn High Mass.

A Solemn High Mass rehearsal/refresher/introduction
for all who serve at the altar or the curious
will take place in the sanctuary following the Rosary.

All that follows below
is a nearly complete copy of the
(abbreviated) weekly parish newsletter from
Wednesday, July 28

Sunday, August 1, 2021 + The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

9:30 a.m. - Morning Prayer via ZOOM
10:00 a.m. In-person & Live-streamed Solemn High Mass


Image: The Israelites gathering manna, Ercole de' Roberti. The Natioaal Gallery, London


Thanks be to God
for the birth on
Wednesday, July 21, of
Wren Joaquin Peterson
to Paloma and Trevor
Peterson
and grandchild to
Cheryl and Jay
Peterson

Looking for common ground, common questions, common faith and common interests among our growing number of young adults at Ascension will be a focus for Deacon Meghan Murphy-Gill and Seminarian Bonnie Scott in coming days, weeks and months. They'll be reaching out to some whose names and contact information we have but will be happy to hear from others, young or not-so-young, who wish to join the conversation. Look for more information in weeks to come.
Image: Small Pleasures, Wassily Kankinsky, 1913.

Father Petite's sermon for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, 7/25, will be available in our August 4th newsletter.
Organ Repertoire for August 1, 2021
ORGAN
Zwei Präludien [ca. 1829]
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847)

At the Entrance Procession
Hymn 48 ES FLOG EIN KLEINS WALDVÕGELEIN

At the Offertory
Hymn 321  ROCKINGHAM

At the Communion
Hymn 547  MARSH CHAPEL 

At the Retiring Procession
Hymn 709  DUNDEE

ORGAN
Fugue à Mlle. Boulanger IJI 44 [1919-20]
Jacques-François Ibert (1890-1962)
About our 2021 Repertoire
As I develop a long-range plan for repertoire each year, I choose a theme or area of emphasis, often complete works or a complete large-scale work by one composer. During 2021, organ music by women composers and African-American composers is being and will be featured in voluntaries and recitals throughout the year. There are some little-known gems waiting to be discovered, as well as music by major composers, with whom works for the organ are not generally associated. Enjoy!
From Benjamin Rivera

Dear friends,

Our vocal music has returned to its usual (pre-COVID) summer format:
-congregational Mass Ordinary, hymns, and service
music
-chanted propers, solos, and/or motets sung by the
Schola

If you haven’t attended a summer Mass for a while, you may not be aware that many of these Masses feature a quartet or quintet of mixed voices. We hope you’ll join us in the building, or online if you’re unable to attend in person.

Peace be with you!
Benjamin

Between Masses, please don’t forget that our choir 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)
Participate in Ascension masses at our YouTube Channel. (Look for other connections options soon.)
Meeting ID:
792 031 7452
Password: 1133
Join-by-Phone Option: (312) 626-6799

Weekly Ascension Schedule

For connections:
via Zoom (click here)
except for Morning Prayer,
via Facebook (click here).

SUNDAYS
9:30 a.m. Virtual Morning Prayer
10:00 a.m. Live-Streamed Mass
11:00 a.m. Virtual Coffee Hour

MONDAY-FRIDAY
6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer via Zoom

WEDNESDAYS
6:30 p.m. Low Mass
Please give generously as you are able.
Treasurer Susan Schlough has asked me to remind you of Ascension's ongoing expenses at this time. To the extent that you are able, payment on your pledges or the offering of Holy Day or other special gifts will be greatly appreciated. You may still write a check and mail it to the church, or online payment is possible through the buttons at various places on our website. Thank you!
THE PARISH PRAYER LIST
For our prayers: August 'Augie' Alonzo, Jim Berger, Steven Wallis, Sarah Ponder, Taffy Wehe, Amy Peterson, Stephanie, Gwen Clark-Mason, The Rev. Canon Paula Clark, Lee Gould, Maria, Beth Hall, Claire, Inez Bahena, Gina, Catherine C., Steven Upmeyer, Sue Lenz, Ted Long,
Ted Saunders, Ben

Birthdays: Gary Gehrke, 7/27; Claire Annette Green, 7/28; Mateo Rivera, 7/29;
Andrew Wallace, 7/30 
 
Requiescat in pace: Astrid Olivia Felton, 7/25; Mark Galliher, 7/26/2018;
Carlos Duran Pineda, 7/29/2019; Doris Williams, 7/29/1989; Michael Berkshire, 7/31/1997;
Abbott Butler, 7/14/2021

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.

The Rev. Patrick Raymond, Rector

Susan Schlough, Treasurer

Br. Nathanael Deward Rahm BSG, Parish Office
Vestry of Church of the Ascension
Cheryl Peterson, Sr. Warden; Kenneth Kelling, Jr. Warden; Kelly Colomberti, Marilyn Evans, Lynette Hector, Jim Lo Bello, George Pineda, David Reeves, Samuel Sommers, Enrique Vilaseco, Amber Zelazny

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.