The Church of the Ascension

in the City of New York

12 West 11th Street, New York, NY 10011

212-254-8620 | info@ascensionnyc.org | ascensionnyc.org

i thank You God for most this amazing

day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun’s birthday;this is the birth

day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay

great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any—lifted from the no

of all nothing—human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

- e.e. cummings

Dear People of Ascension,

May this Eastertide invite you ever deeper into God’s “yes”. May the ears of your ears awake and the eyes of your eyes open.

Easter joy to you all-

Liz

The bulletin for the the Second Sunday of Easter can be found here:

Easter Memorial names can be found here.

MUSIC FOR APRIL 7 - Our choir will be on a well-deserved post-Easter break. Meanwhile, we have a special treat for that Sunday! The divine Lucia Bradford, mezzo-soprano, will hold forth in her rendition of Blessed Assurance. Not to be missed!

Are you thinking about confirmation or being received into the Episcopal Church? Do you want to learn more about this particular way of following Jesus? On Ascension Day, Thursday May 9, Bishop Mary Glasspool will join us to celebrate our feast and confirm and receive those who desire it. To prepare, we will offer an “Episcopalian 101” series. If you are interested, or simply curious, please contact the parish office (212-254-8620 or info@ascensionnyc.org) or speak to the clergy.

No Ascension forum today – Next week we return for the final session on Amy-Jill Levine’s book, The Gospel of Mark: A Beginner’s Guide to the Good News. 

We continue to accept the Good Friday Offering - For 102 years, the Episcopal Church’s Good Friday offering has traditionally supported ministries in the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem (which includes churches and institutions across the Middle East). This year Bishop Heyd has suggested that we direct our Good Friday offering to the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, a ministry of the Diocese of Jerusalem. We recieve an offering at our Good Friday service but will welcome additional funds for it throughout Holy Week. You can contribute through Abundant Giving, by check with “Good Friday offering” in the memo line or use one of the envelopes found in the narthex (labeled "Good Friday Offering 2024). You can also make an offering online through the American Friends of the Diocese of Jerusalem.

The hospital has been dramatically affected by the Israel-Hamas war. At this writing it is the only functioning hospital in the northern part of Gaza and continues to provide care for the people of Gaza, regardless of their background. Hospital Director Suhaila Tarazi says “The situation in Gaza is very catastrophic, and every day, it is hard… Your faith in our mission, your prayers and your support are what keep us going. Please continue to support Ahli… please continue to pray… for the strength of our staff at Ahli and pray for peace in Gaza.”  

Please give as generously as you can.

New Update on Haiti from Fr. Sam Owen- Just as we were welcoming Fr. Sam to Ascension and hearing his words about the situation in Haiti from the pulpit and in our forum, new and terrifying violence erupted in Port au Prince, leading to the declaration of a state of emergency in Haiti. You can read about these events here, and also the steadfast, hopeful ministry of St. Luke’s Church and School in Martel. Please keep the people of Martel, the St. Luke’s community and their priest Fr. Jean Berthold Phanord in your prayers, along with the New York Haiti Project and of course pray for a just and lasting peace in Haiti.

The long- awaited repairs to our tower are nearly complete. The original work has been done, and we await the special materials to replace the rods and stars that act as infrastructure for the tower- an issue that was discovered only after the workers were able to get inside the tower. We hope to finish that final project by some time in the spring. Meanwhile, our final payments to architects and contractors are coming due. We hope that all pledges will be paid by the end of the first quarter of 2024. If you have not yet pledged and are able to do so, or are able to make an extra gift, we will receive it gratefully. Remember when you pay by check to put “Tower Brownstone” in the memo line. If you pay through Abundant, select “Manton matching grant” from the drop-down menu. Thank you very much for your support!.

Sunday – April 7

Holy Eucharist (Church) 9:00 a.m.

Holy Eucharist w/ Music (Church & Live Stream) 11:00 a.m.

In person and online (Ascensionnyc.org/Sunday)

Join us for Coffee Hour following the Service

Meditation & Sacrament (Church) 6:00 p.m.

Monday – April 8

Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.

Evening Prayer (Zoom) 5:30 p.m.

Lectionary Bible Study (Zoom) 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday – April 9

Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.

Evening Prayer (Zoom) 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday – April 10

Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.

Evening Prayer (Zoom) 5:30 p.m.

Holy Eucharist (Church) 6:00 p.m.

Needlecraft Guild (Rear Parlor) 6:30 p.m.

Thursday – April 11

Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.

Evening Prayer (Zoom) 5:30 p.m.

Friday – April 12

Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.

Evening Prayer (Zoom) 5:30 p.m.

Saturday – April 13

The Food Pantry operates on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month. For assistance or to volunteer, please contact Fr. Ed (fatherchinery @ascensionyc.org) or Amy Shaw (amyqshaw@gmail.com).

Sunday – April 14

Holy Eucharist (Church) 9:00 a.m.

Holy Eucharist w/ Music (Church & Live Stream) 11:00 a.m.

In person and online (Ascensionnyc.org/Sunday)

Join us for Coffee Hour following the Service

Ascension Forum (Hybrid) after 11:00 service

Meditation & Sacrament (Church) 6:00 p.m.

In this time of seasonal weather changes, as happens every year, we are all becoming more mindful of even small changes in how we feel. As such, we ask that you give careful consideration to public health best-practices. And in light of the increase in Covid infection rates, please feel free to use a mask when you attend worship services, particularly if you could be considered at higher risk of infection.

If you have any question, or need assistance of any kind, please don’t hesitate to contact the parish office or your clergy members. Remember, we’re better together! Because together we can and do make a difference!