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:
CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION
1133 N. LASALLE BOULEVARD
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60610-2601
(312) 664-1271
http://www.ascensionchicago.org/
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
4 Familia November 2011
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!
November 2011 Familia 5
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
6 Familia November 2011
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 2011 Familia 7
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