This Week at Ascension + June 22, 2022
"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." - Psalm 96
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Tonight, June 22, 2022
Commemoration of Alban,
First Martyr of Britain, c. 304
In-person and Live-streamed Said Mass at 6:30 p.m.
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Sunday, June 26, 2022
The Third Sunday after Pentecost
9:00 a.m. In-person Sung Mass
with Organ and Hymns
11:00 a.m. In-person & Live-streamed
Solemn High Mass
Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests (Lk 9:58) Great Canterbury Psalter, ca. 1200,
Bibliothèque nationale de France
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“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”
– Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Constantine the Great was declared emperor by his army in York, England in 306, following his father’s death. His impressive victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 gave him control of the city of Rome, but it took another twelve years for him to become sole emperor of the Roman Empire.
Christianity had been growing steadily, despite its being challenged by persecutions. One of the results of this growth was the creation of new episcopal jurisdictions. Bishops were the successors of the Apostles and we hold that our bishops are in historic succession to the Apostles, thereby linking them to Jesus himself. Presbyters (we call them priests) were ordained to assist the bishops with sacramental work. Deacons were the truest embodiment of Jesus’ ministry: the servants of the people. That’s what Jesus modeled for us in so many ways.
When Constantine recognized the Christian church and gave it “state” status, many things changed. One was the construction of edifices for use by the church. Another was the creation of formal liturgies. With the liturgies came the Roman “order of procession”: the most important person was at the tail end. This results in having a long standing tradition of putting the “servant of the people” in the most honored position. As Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”
One of my practices during our liturgies is that I bow to the congregation before I turn away from it. Why? Because it is a physical reminder to me that I serve you. I am not the most important person in the room. Yes, priests have been educated and trained for the work we do. Yes, we’ve been ordained by bishops to assist them in their work. In the mass, we are making an offering to God on your behalf as representatives of the assembly gathered. That’s because you are the most important people in the room.
—Fr. Heard
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Requiescat in pace Michael Paul Clark, Sr. |
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Ascension parishioner Michael Paul Clark, Sr., age 47, died in the evening on Monday, June 20, 2022 at Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago. Visitation will be held on Friday 6/24 from 2 to 8 p.m. at Hickey Memorial Chapel, 4201 W. 147th St, Midlothian, IL.
Please keep Michael's children and grandchildren and all who loved and cared for him in your prayers.
Rest eternal grant unto him, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
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Remembering Ricardo Avila |
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Ricardo (Ricky) Avila, son of Ethel Martin, passed away last Thursday, June 16th, one day after his 62nd birthday. Ricky was a graduate of the Ascension Grade School in the 1960s. He served at the altar while in grade school and was the youngest Sub-deacon as a teenager (16 years of age). He followed his dreams after that. He played guitar and was in several bands.
Ricky returned to Ascension after the new millennium with his wife, Joyce. He served faithfully at the altar most Sundays. For the past seven months he had been working at O’Hare Airport, which required him to work weekends. While working at O’Hare, he would say frequently during phone calls to “say hello to everyone at Ascension.”
He was last here on his mother’s birthday when he came to place flowers for her at the Columbarium. One of our former Rectors summed him up best by saying: "Ricky loves God and serving at the altar."
Eternal Rest to you, Ricky, and may perpetual light shine upon you.
—Jim Lo Bello
Note:
At this time plans are being made for a Requiem Mass on Friday, July 8th at 11 a.m.
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On Friday, June 24, at 11 a.m., we will celebrate the marriage vows of vestry member Ian Barillas-McEntee and Guido Moret. Ian and Guido wish to invite their fellow Ascension parishioners to this special day. Mtr. Murphy-Gill will preside, and we will enjoy the music of a full choir. A reception will follow in the courtyard, weather permitting.
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Thank you to Gary Alexander for creating the beautiful Pride banner (see above) hanging on the gate in front of the courtyard. It celebrates and welcomes the diversity of God’s beloved children in a perfectly Ascension way: with Latin and fine art. If you haven’t had a chance to see it, be sure to take a look this Sunday, Pride Sunday.
We'll be celebrating Pride Sunday with a special reception following the 11 a.m. Mass this weekend.
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In order to offer a Solemn High Mass in the manner most beloved by this congregation, we need acolytes. That means you! Thanks to illness and injury, seasonal travel, and the relocation of two former acolytes, we are in particular need for the summer.
Serving at the altar is a tremendous gift our acolytes offer to God and this community. Giving it a try one Sunday does not commit you to a lifetime of torchbearing, though, you may find that it’s a ministry God has been calling you to. We also could use help with tech, a ministry that allows us to welcome worshippers from near and afar to our celebrations of the Eucharist.
I urge you to spend some time in prayer asking God whether you might serve in one of these ways, and to reach out to our Verger MB Hwang (quidquid@gmail.com) to find out how you can help.
—Mtr. Murphy-Gill
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From the Rector Search Committee |
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Small Groups
You have read in previous Newsletters that the Search Committee will be conducting Small Group Meetings. These meetings will take place between June 26 and July 17. Parishioners may choose to participate in person or online via Zoom. The times available for the groups to meet will be posted and parishioners may choose a time that is best for them. Groups will be small—six to eight people in each. The purpose of the groups is to help us better understand our congregation.
In these meetings you will be asked several questions about your experience at Ascension such as, “What is unique about Ascension, why do you come to Ascension, where should we be heading, what should our focus be, what might be holding us back and finally what characteristics and skills will be most important in our next rector?” You have plenty of time to think about how you might answer. Do pray for guidance.
Blessings,
The Rector Search Committee
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Pastoral Listening Sessions continue This Sunday, June 26
Join Fr. Petite in St. Michael Hall at 1 p.m., Sunday, June 26 for the third in his series on learning pastoral listening skills:
Feelings as Messengers: The Suffering is not your Problem to Solve
Please RSVP using this link so we have an idea of how much lunch to order. You can use this same form to RSVP to the remaining session as well. The topic is below:
- Session Four (July 10): Prayer: Entering the Canopy of Vulnerability
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Do you have a need for special prayer in your life? Whether your prayer needs are because you have an upcoming surgery, an ill family member, or you’re just feeling particularly lonely lately, Fr. Heard and Mtr. Murphy-Gill would like to know.
We’ve created a way for letting us know about your requests for prayers in a way we hope makes it easy for you to reach out, though you can always call the church or reach out to one of the priests personally.
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Contribute to This Week at Ascension
If you would like to include an announcement in our weekly newsletter, please email your contribution to office@ascensionchicago.org by Monday at noon. Include a photo if you can!
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Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has set September 17 as the day he will ordain and consecrate the Rev. Paula E. Clark as the Thirteenth Bishop of Chicago. The service will take place at the Westin Chicago Lombard in Lombard, Illinois.
Read more about the Consecration here.
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Organ and Choral Repertoire for June 26, 2022 |
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ORGAN
Pastorale, op. 19 [1863 version]
César-Auguste Franck (1822-1890)
At the Entrance Procession
375 DU LEBENSBROT, HERR JESU CHRIST
At the Offertory
565 MONK'S GATE
At the Communion
706 HALTON HOLGATE (9 a.m.)
549 ST. ANDREW (11 a.m.)
At the Retiring Procession
559 DULCE CARMEN
ORGAN
Grand Choeur CFF 49
César-Auguste Franck
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Mass Setting
Congregational
Offertory Motet
Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672)
In te Domine speravi
Communion Motet
Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770)
Tantum ergo
Chanted Mass Propers from the Graduale Romanum
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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
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Ascension Connections
(with your click and God's help)
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Meeting ID:
792 031 7452
Password: 1133
Join-by-Phone Option: (312) 626-6799
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Weekly Ascension Schedule
For connections:
SUNDAYS
9:00 a.m. In-person Sung Mass
11:00 a.m. In-person and Live-Streamed Solemn High Mass
MONDAY-FRIDAY
WEDNESDAYS
6:30 p.m. Said Mass
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For our prayers: Joyce Avila, Janis Anfossi, LaVerne Saunders, Ted Saunders,
August ‘Augie’ Alonzo, Beth Hall, Sue Lenz, Brenda Martins, Claire Green,
Lee Gould, Gertrude Isaac, Marty Stenson, Paula Clark (Bishop-elect)
Birthdays: David Allen, 6/25
Anniversaries: Victor & Marjorie Lofgreen, marriage, 6/20/1993;
Michael Haile Zelazny, baptism, 6/25/2017
Requiescat in pace: Michael Paul Clark, Sr., 6/20/2022; Ricardo Avila, 6/16/2022; Joseph Young; Alfred John Landwer, Jr. 6/19/1987, William B. Gormley, Jr. 6/19/2004; Lorraine Leonard Burita, 6/20/2004; Lynn Scott, 6/22/2013; Daniel F. Thomas, 6/23/2002; Juanita Warfield, 6/23/2008; Weldon Reeves, 6/25/2003
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.
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The Rev. Thomas Heard, Interim Rector
The Rev. Meghan Murphy-Gill, Curate
Susan Schlough, Treasurer
Br. Nathanael Deward Rahm BSG, Parish Office
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Vestry of Church of the Ascension
Ian Barillas-McEntee, Jim Lo Bello, Ken Cozette, Marlea Edinger, Sean Hansen, George Pineda, Joshua Simpson, Sam Sommers, Enrique Vilaseco, Vestry
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.
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