Familia 2011 November

IN THIS ISSUE 2012 Annual Giving Campaign Page 2 Ascension Family Spotlight Page 3

Thanksgiving Dinner: Food and Volunteers Needed! Page 4

St. Anthony of Padua Soup Kitchen & Food Pantry Update Page 5

Birthdays and Anniversaries Page 5

November Ordo Kalendar Page 6

Familia The Newsletter of the Ascension Parish Family November 2011

Bringing the Harvest Home All Saints, All Souls, and November

I t is often pointed out that, although

it is mostly part of what our Roman

Catholic friends call “Ordinary

Time” (that long stretch of “green”

Sundays after Pentecost),

the month of November

has its own special liturgi-

cal character.

We begin the month

with the great festival of

All Saints’ Day and, one

day later, the solemn ob-

servation of All Souls’ Day

with its requiem Masses.

And we end November

with the first Sunday of

Advent. In between,

comes the Feast of Christ

the King (the second-to-

last Sunday of the month)

and Thanksgiving.

Seen together, these

observances have some-

thing in common: a focus

on the “heavenly harvest”

of redeemed souls.

Whether it is All Saints’

Day, with its celebration of

apostles, martyrs, prophets, all the great

men and women of God … or All Souls’

Day, with its remembrance of those who

have gone before us … or Christ the King’s

and Advent Sunday’s heralding of the

coming Kingdom of God, these holidays

all deal with what theologians call

“eschatology”—in simple terms, the study

of “what comes next.”

And maybe there is no better time

than November to think about what’s next

for all us. It is easy to proclaim the resur-

rection at Easter in April, when the whole

world is coming to life. But in November,

with its shortening days and grey skies?

When the world around us is preparing

for winter’s cold, it’s hard

to sing “Now the Green

Blade Rises.”

And yet our faith tells us

that it does—that the grave

is not an end, but a passage

to new life. And, despite

the chilliness of death, we

can anticipate the warm

love of a new heaven and a

new earth.

Perhaps the hymn says it

best:

But lo! There breaks a yet

more glorious day;

The saints triumphant rise in

bright array;

The King of glory passes on

His way.

Alleluia. Alleluia!

There are many opportuni-

ties to celebrate Novem-

ber’s hopeful vision here at

Ascension: multiple observances of All

Saints Day (a low Mass on November 1

and the festival celebration transferred to

the following Sunday, November 6), two

requiem Masses on All Soul’s Day

(November 2), the Feast of Christ the King

on November 20, a sung Mass on Thanks-

giving Day, and, finally, Advent Sunday

on November 27, with Masses in the

morning and our great choir’s annual fes-

tival of Lessons and Carols at 4:00 pm.

Please make plans to join us!

2 Familia November 2011

Familia The Newsletter of the

Church of the Ascension

Parish Family

The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Lee

Bishop of Chicago

The Rev. Gary Fertig

Rector

The Rev. Kurt Olson

Assisting Priest

Michael Vales

Senior Warden

David D. Schrader

Junior Warden

James Baran

Avril Hector

Scott Knitter

Jett McAlister

Doug Mose

Carol Noren

Cheryl Peterson

Sylvia Sorgel

Sonja Smith

Members of the Vestry

Charley Taylor

Director of Finance and

Administration

Arelys Greene-Vasquez

Director of Christian Education

Susan Schlough

Coordinator, St. Antony of Padua Soup

Kitchen and Food Pantry

Familia is produced and edited by

Jett McAlister, Doug Mose, and

Sonja Smith. To contact Familia,

send email to:

[email protected]

CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION

1133 N. LASALLE BOULEVARD

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60610-2601

(312) 664-1271

http://www.ascensionchicago.org/

[email protected]

We remember those who have finished their course in Your faith and fear,

especially, on the anniversaries of their deaths:

2 Alice Louise Stoskopf

6 Betty Lee Cox

10 Peter Fertig

James Avery King (father of Judy Mintel)

17 Alvin Joyner

Mary Margaret Skanes, Religious

18 Richard Earl Pistole, Priest

19 John C. Hedley (husband of Joan)

21 Leona Delores Jones

Glovenia A. Orr

26 F. William Orrick, Priest, Thirteenth Rector of this Parish

Enid C. Smith (grandmother of Scott Smith)

27 Clara Smith Hayes

29 Norman C. Chylinski

Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord: Let light perpetual shine upon them.

May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed,

The 2012 Annual Stewardship Cam-

paign is now underway. On Sundays, you

have been hearing personal remarks on

the importance of Church of the Ascen-

sion from fellow parishioners, explaining

to you why and how

Church of Ascension is

an important part of

their lives. Hopefully

you will find these re-

flections moving and

inspirational in your

own contemplation of

our Church’s meaning

and value in your own

life.

We, at Church of

the Ascension, are a community whose

works of Christian stewardship are real-

ized through the dedication of our mem-

bers who commit time, talents, and finan-

cial support.

Each of us is personally asked by

Jesus to sustain and to build the founda-

tion He laid. The stewardship of Christ’s

Church is the responsibility of all Chris-

tians. Christ revealed to us His genuine

commitment to us through His loving

sacrifice of Himself on

the Cross and His

mighty resurrection.

Similarly, your pledge

of financial support is

your sincere commit-

ment to love and sacri-

fice, and is an expres-

sion of your gratitude

for the salvation Our

Lord won for us. It is

your private prayer. It is

between you and God, and it is a ministry

that immeasurably secures and advances

the community at Church of the Ascen-

sion.

Please be generous as the Church

seeks your commitment for another year.

Church of the Ascension

2012 Annual Giving Campaign The mission of the Church is to witness to the Good News of God in Jesus

Each of us is personally

asked by Jesus to sustain

and to build the

foundation He laid. The

stewardship of Christ’s

Church is the responsibil-

ity of all Christians.

November 2011 Familia 3

Ascension Family Spotlight Interviews with Parishioners and Friends of the Parish

Familia is featuring a regular series of in-terviews with members of the Ascension family, to help us get to know each other better. Maybe you‘d like to be interviewed! Email [email protected] to learn more. This month, Familia sat down with David and Jenna Jones, who recently celebrated the first anniversary of their marriage at Church of the Ascension. Familia: David and Jenna, thanks for agreeing to talk to us—and congratula-tions on your first anniversary! I hear your wedding was a big one. Jenna: I guess it was. We each had eight people stand up with us—plus two flower girls, and two ring bearers. David: And a 6-voice choir. Familia: It’s fortunate we’ve got plenty of experience with elaborate ceremo-nies. Is that why you chose Ascension to be married in? David: I had been attending Ascension regularly for a couple of years—and our traditional liturgy is why I joined the par-ish. So, after I invited Jenna to come to church with me and we started attending Mass as a couple—we knew there was no other place we would want to be married. And the ceremony was beautiful. In fact, afterwards one of my co-workers told me, “David, I’ve been an atheist all my life—but that service was amazing.” That’s one reason I’m so glad we were married here—now, each Sunday when we come to Mass, I’m reminded of that beautiful service and the promises we made each other then. Familia: Jenna, I understand you were raised in the Methodist church. How did you feel about joining Church of the Ascension? Jenna: Yes. I used to be a member at First United Methodist in the Chicago Temple Building in the Loop. But I appreciated

the worship services at Ascension right away—my home parish had a formal wor-ship style, so I liked that about Ascension. And, of course, the music here is just out-standing, which is important to me—I love hearing David Schrader and the choir … and singing the hymns and lit-urgy. David: Jenna is being modest: she trained in musical theater in New York, and has an outstanding voice. Familia: I’ll have to remember to sit in front of you in church some Sunday so I can listen! So, you’re both from Talla-hassee—did you start dating there and then come to Chicago? Jenna: Not at all. Although we did meet when we were teenagers in Tallahassee—we were both part of the same theater group. But we went to different high schools and didn’t spend a lot of time together.

David: I guess Facebook gets the credit for bringing us together. A couple of years ago, I saw Jenna’s profile on Face-book and recognized her from when we were kids—so I asked her out for lunch. After lunch, I asked her out again. And, pretty soon, two dates turned into three … four … five … six. And, the next thing you know, I asked her to marry me! Familia: That’s a sweet story. Tell us a little bit more about the two of you. David: Well, we live pretty close to the church, near the corner of Division and Halsted. I work in the legal department at Exelon—and Jenna is a massage therapist and instructor. We’re the proud owners of an extremely headstrong Weimaraner named Wallis—so headstrong that, last week, we had Chicago’s equivalent of the “Dog Whisperer” come meet with her about her attitude toward other dogs.

See INTERVIEW, Page 5


Next meetings: November 3, December 8, at 6:30 in Wheeler Hall

Celebrate Thanksgiving—and be an early bird! Church of the Ascension will host Thanksgiving dinner for our neighbors on Sunday, November 20. That’s four days before the national holiday, and we need some “early birds” (i.e., roasted turkeys) to make it possible. Can you contribute a turkey and/or help set up, serve the meal, or clean up? Last year we served about 200 meals, and we expect a larger crowd this time.

To volunteer and get more information, telephone Carol Noren at 773 267-8864, or send email to [email protected]. Contributions of money would also be greatly appreciated; checks may be made out to the church, indicating that they are for the Thanksgiving dinner fund. A sign-up sheet for volunteers will also be posted on the bulletin board near the church kitchen.

—Carol Noren

Book Group to read Greene, L’Engle

The November selection for the Ascension Book Group

is Graham Greene’s masterpiece The Power and the Glory.

This 1940 novel follows a Roman Catholic priest in revolu-

tionary Mexico, as he tries to elude government persecu-

tion. The novel is a powerful exploration of the possibility

of redemption and holiness in a deeply sinful world. We

will meet to discuss The Power and the Glory at 6:30 p.m.,

Thursday, November 3.

Our December selection is Madeleine L’Engle’s fantasy

classic A Wrinkle in Time. L’Engle was a well-regarded au-

thor of young-adult fiction, and was for many years writer-

in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New

York. A Wrinkle in Time is a memorable adventure about a

young family discovering their role in the cosmic conflict of

good and evil. We’ll discuss the book at 6:30 p.m., Thursday,

December 8 (different than the usual first Thursday). Both

books can be purchased at the book stall in Wheeler Hall.

PHOTOS BY SCOTT SMITH

Above: Parishioners Lynette Hector, Jim Berger, and Brad Creigh-ton help prepare food for the 2010 Thanksgiving Dinner. Left: Friends from the neighborhood enjoying the meal.

Annual Neighborhood Thanksgiving Dinner Large crowd expected on Nov. 20; volunteers are needed!


1 | Fr. David Belding (Ordination to

the Sacred Priesthood)

3| Olive Milewczyk

6 | Fr. Gary Fertig

10 | Bob Chaney

13 | Ray Patrick

14 | Jett McAlister

15 | Shakira Malone

16 | Andrew Abbott

Bp. Jeffrey Lee (Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood)

17 | Jana Holt

18 | Cheryl Peterson

19 | Bob Barbour

Danae Adames (friend of Abra- ham Bassford)

21 | Bill Kolb

22 | Carnola Malone

24 | Harold Paul

27 | David Duggan

November Birthdays and Anniversaries

Are you receiving Familia by first-class mail? Have this newsletter delivered straight to your e-mail inbox, saving the parish printing and postage costs. If you have e-mail, send one to [email protected] to sign up for email delivery. We are happy to mail Familia to those without e-mail and to those who just want a paper version. Thanks!

INTERVIEW, from Page 3 Some of our friends with children have said that their kids are less work than Wallis—and I believe them. Jenna: Wallis is a handful. Besides taking care of her, we also like to take advantage of Chicago’s won-derful theater scene. That’s one of the first reasons I moved to the city. And I still perform professionally from time to time as a cabaret singer—in fact, a friend and I are working on an show that we hope to open at Davenport’s next spring. David: My interests are less glamor-ous. I grew up hunting and fishing –and still take annual trips to do that. My dad and I go to Wyoming to hunt every year, and we like to deep sea fish on his boat in Flor-ida—in fact, Jenna caught her first big fish, a Spanish mackerel, this year. I’m also interested in photog-raphy and genealogy—and I like to think the photos I take will be a part of how our story is told to future generations. Familia: Last question for you—how would you describe the Church of the Ascension to some-body? David: The first thing that comes to mind is the liturgy—orthodox, tra-ditional, and beautiful. If you want praise bands and projected words on a screen, then it won’t be for you. But for people who are looking for a traditional worship service, I think they’ll fall in love with the parish, just like we did. Jenna: And it’s more than just the worship. Things like our food pan-try ministry—which David and I have enjoyed being a part of—really show the kind of work a church should be doing in the city. We combine worshiping God with serv-ing our neighbors.

—Interview by Doug Mose

The St. Anthony of Padua Food Pan-

try and Soup Kitchen meets the first Satur-

day of every month at 10:30 AM. Parish-

ioners and other community volunteers

spend a sociable morning making sand-

wiches, assembling lunches, and packing

bags of dry groceries. These are distrib-

uted at noon to a client base that includes

elderly, handicapped, homeless, and other

needy community members.

The Food Pantry continues to fill an

important need in the community. The

number of clients served each month has

increased from 120 in the early part of the

year to approximately 150 now. Parishion-

ers have generously contributed canned

fish and meat products so that we have

been able to distribute them almost every

month—thank you all! We have also been

able to distribute toiletries, again thanks to

the faithful contributions of parishioners

each week. Another important source of

help for the Pantry is the local Treasure

Island store, which has generously con-

tributed both plastic and paper shopping

bags each month, allowing us to spend

our money for food, not bags.

Please continue your terrific support

for the Food Pantry. And, if you have time

on the first Saturday of the month, come

join the fun!

—Susan Schlough

Food pantry continues to

seek donations, volunteers


Ordo Kalendar—November 2011 1 THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS (Low Mass at 7:00 a.m.)

2 THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL FAITHFUL DEPARTED: ALL SOULS’ DAY (Low Requiem Mass at 7:00 a.m.,

Solemn High Requiem Mass at 6:30 p.m.)

3 Richard Hooker, Priest, 1600

4 Charles Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan, 1854

5 Elizabeth and Zechariah, 1st Century (Saturday Public Mass of Healing at 10:00 a.m.)

6 THE SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS’ DAY (Masses at 8, 9 amd 11 a.m.)

Solemn Procession & High Mass at 11 a.m., Organ Recital at 3:30 p.m., Evensong and Benediction at 4:00 p.m.)

7 Willibrord, Archbishop of Utrecht, Missionary to Frisia, 739

8 The Saints and Martyrs of the Anglican Communion

9 Feria (Wednesday Low Mass at 6:20 p.m.)

10 Leo the Great, Bishop of Rome, 461

11 Martin, Bishop of Tours, 397

12 Charles Simeon, Priest, 1836 (Saturday Public Mass of Healing at 10:00 a.m.)

13 THE TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (Proper 28)

14 Consecration of Samuel Seabury, First American Bishop, 1784

15 Albert the Great, Bishop of Ratisbon and Friar, 1280

16 Margaret, Queen of Scotland, 1093 (Wednesday Low Mass at 6:20 p.m.)

17 Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, 1200

18 Hilda, Abbess of Whitby, 680

19 Elizabeth, Princess of Hungary, 1231 (Saturday Public Mass of Healing at 10:00 a.m.)

20 THE LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST: THE FEAST OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, UNIVERSAL KING

(Proper 29)

21 The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

22 Cecilia, Martyr at Rome, c. 230

23 Clement, Bishop of Rome, c. 100 (Wednesday Low Mass at 6:20 p.m.)

24 THANKSGIVING DAY (Sung Mass, 10:00 a.m. Parish office closed; no public recitation of Evening Prayer)

25 James Otis Sargent Huntington, Priest and Monk, 1935

26 Votive of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Saturday Public Mass of Healing, 10:00 a.m.)

27 THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (The Great Litany in Procession and Solemn High Mass at 11:00 a.m., Advent

Festival of Lessons and Carols, 4:00 p.m.; Beginning of Mass Lectionary Year B, Office Lectionary Year 2)

28 Kamehameha and Emma, King and Queen of Hawaii, 1864 and 1885

29 Advent Feria

30 ST. ANDREW, APOSTLE (Low Masses at 7:00 a.m. and 6:20 p.m.)

“Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.” —Mark 13:35-36

The First Sunday of Advent Sunday, November 27 The Great Litany in Procession and Solemn High Mass, 11:00 a.m. Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols, 4:00 p.m. with music of Palestrina, Ravenscroft, Lassus, Sowerby, Howells, Praetorius, and others Reception to follow


November Lectionary November 2 — THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL FAITHFUL DEPARTED: ALL SOULS’ DAY Wisdom 3:1-9 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 John 5:24-27 November 6 — THE SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS Ecclesiasticus 2:1-11 Ephesians 1:11-23 Luke 6:20-36 November 13 — THE TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (Proper 28) Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10 Matthew 25:14-15, 19-29 November 20 — THE LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST: THE FEAST OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, UNIVERSAL KING (Proper 29) Ezekiel 34:11-17 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 Matthew 25:31-46 November 24 — THANKSGIVING DAY Deuteronomy 8:1-3, 6-10, 17-20 James 1:17-18, 21-27 Matthew 6:25-33 November 27 — THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Beginning of Mass Lectionary Year B) Isaiah 65:1-9a 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 Mark 13:24-37 November 30 — ST. ANDREW, APOSTLE Deuteronomy 30:11-14 Romans 10:8b-18 Matthew 4:18-22

ADVENT & CHRISTMAS at the Church of the Ascension

Experience the beauty and mystery of the season

through the richness of traditional music and prayer.

All are welcome! ADVENT SUNDAY, NOV. 27 Masses at 8, 9, and 11 a.m. 11:00 a.m. Solemn High Mass Plainsong Mass

4:00 p.m. Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols

THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT, DEC. 4 Masses at 8, 9, and 11 a.m.

11:00 a.m. Solemn High Mass G.P. da Palestrina Missa Brevis

4:00 p.m. Solemn Evensong and Benediction

CHRISTMAS EVE 11:30 p.m. Christmas Midnight Mass: (Prelude at 11 a.m.) Solemn Procession to the Crèche and the First Mass of Christmas Mozart Missa Solemnis in C, K. 337

Reception to Follow

CHRISTMAS DAY Morning Prayer at 9:30 a.m., Sung Mass at 10 a.m.

CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION AUTUMN WORSHIP SCHEDULE

Sundays

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer

8:00 a.m. Low Mass

9:00 a.m. Sung Mass

11:00 a.m. Solemn High Mass

4:00 p.m Solemn Evensong & Benediction

(First Sundays, October through May)

Evening Prayer (Other Sundays)

Weekdays

6:40 a.m. Morning Prayer (M-F)

7:00 a.m. Low Mass (M-F)

6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer (M-F)

6:20 p.m. Low Mass (W and Holy Days)

Saturdays

9:40 a.m. Morning Prayer

10:00 a.m. Public Mass of Healing

6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer

ALL ARE WELCOME.

CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION 1133 N. LA SALLE BOULEVARD

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60610-2601

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Familia 2011 November