Services Noonday Prayer, Tuesday 12:00 pm Bible Study, Thursday 9:30 am We currently offer Services at 8:00 & 10:15 am We are glad to offer in-person services each Sunday 10:15 am, and 8:00 am. Since March 2020, we have provided Sunday morning live-streamed services on YouTube and Facebook. We also offer a Noonday Prayer service on Tuesdays an 12:00 pm and Bible Study on Thursdays at 9:30 am, both on Zoom. Online Services are premiered Sunday at 10:15 am on both YouTube and Facebook. Passcode: 420173 Music Our services include music lead by Mitchell Miller. Our Choral Scholars allow us to hear hymns in church every week. Church of the Ascension is the home to one of Rochester's best organs--a Skinner organ donated by a parishioner who purchased it from the Rochester Auditorium more than 50 years ago. The organ has more than 3,500 pipes and attracts many talented musicians. Children's Programs Special programs are offered for Children and teens and nursery services are provided for our youngest children. Home Visitation For those who are temporarily or long-term unable to attend in-church services and receive the Holy Eucharist, home visitations can be arranged through the church office (585) 458-5423 Eucharist, Sunday 10:15 am Eucharist, Sunday 10:15 am

Care Closet The Care Closet provides personal care items, cleaning supplies, and other household items on a rotating schedule to our neighbors in need of assistance. The Care Closet is run by volunteers from the parish and serves the Maplewood-Edgerton area. We are once again serving the community on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, from 9:00am to 11:00am. Please call (585) 458-4682 to make an appointment.

June 7th, 2020 June 21st, 2020 July 5th, 2020 July 19th, 2020 August 2nd, 2020 August 16th, 2020 August 30th, 2020 September 13th, 2020 September 27th, 2020 October 11th, 2020 October 25th, 2020 November 8th, 2020 November 22nd, 2020 December 6th, 2020 Advent Lessons and Carols Christmas Concert December 24th, 2020 June 14th, 2020 June 28th, 2020 July 12th, 2020 July 26th, 2020 August 9th, 2020 August 23rd, 2020 September 6th, 2020 September 20th, 2020 October 4th, 2020 October 18th, 2020 November 1st, 2020 November 15th, 2020 November 29th, 2020 December 13th, 2020 December 20th, 2020 Virtual Pageant December 27th, 2020

Support Ascension Church of the Ascension is passionate about the community it serves and the people who make it a beacon of hope and love for those around us. Giving to the Church answers the need that we all have to make a difference in the world through our generosity and makes it possible for the Church to be that beacon, through food, clothing and other ministries. Yearly Pledge Each year in October we prepare our budget for the following year and we ask each parishioner to fill out a pledge card to let us know how much they anticipate giving in the following year. This pledged income is used for the running of the parish--it pays for outreach ministries and our support to the diocese, salaries, programmatic initiatives, insurance, and required property investments and maintenance. Capital Projects As our parish grows and changes, our needs change and our building needs to be upgraded and repaired on a regular basis. In 2016-2017 we completed the lift from the Church to the Great Hall, which makes our facility even more accessible by allowing those who are in wheel chairs or have difficulty navigating the stairs from our worship space down to the Great Hall. The E. M. Skinner Organ Fund The E. M. Skinner Organ Fund is dedicated to the ongoing restoration of Skinner Op. 711. Op. 711 is an amazing instrument that is almost 100 years old, and has been installed at Church of the Ascension since 1967. As with all musical instruments, this pipe organ requires regular maintenance. In the future, we plan to have the entire organ restored which will entail dismantling each of the 3,500+ pipes, cleaning each pipe, cleaning the chambers where the pipes live, rebuilding all the wind chests and mechanisms, and then putting it all back together. The organ will have a much cleaner and more transparent sound after this work is completed. One estimate for this project is $1,550,000. Clergy Discretionary Fund On the first Sunday of each month, all undesignated income from the Offerings is deposited to the Clergy Discretionary Fund. The Priest uses these funds to provide emergency help to those in need, to pay for youth to go to diocesan activities, to support the Care Closet, to help parishioners attend workshops, and to help pay for unfunded neighborhood initiatives that they believe are important to support. Give online through Donorbox

Ministries Church of the Ascension is a proud member of the community it serves. Our ministries focus on the health and well-being of every person. In Matthew 25: 35-36, Christ shared the measure of a true disciple saying, I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me into your home. I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me. As disciples of Christ, we seek to offer Godly love, provide for, and share compassion with all people. Care Closet MEEK Food Ministry Prison Ministries Home Visitation

Location Church of the Ascension is located at 2 Riverside St., Rochester, NY 14613 in the Maplewood Historic District. It is a short walk from beautiful attractions such as Lower Falls Park, Maplewood Park, and the Maplewood Rose Garden. Please click and follow the "directions" link on the map below for Google Maps directions. Driving Ascension is located near the intersection of Lake Avenue and Ridge Road. From downtown Rochester, head north on State Street, continuing to follow it as it becomes Lake Avenue. Turn right into the upper parking lot just past Riverside Street. From the Greece area, follow Ridge Road headed East, turn right at the intersection with Lake Avenue, drive 2.5 blocks south and then turn left into the church lot. From Irondequoit, follow Route 104 headed West, turn left at the intersection with Lake Avenue, drive 2.5 blocks South and turn left into the church lot. Bus Ascension is conveniently located along the 22 bus route from downtown, with the most convenient stop being Lake & Riverside. The church is also less than half a mile from the Ridge & Lake stop on the 40 bus. Parking Ascension has two parking lots. The Upper Lot is directly off Lake Avenue, by the ramp/accessible entrance to the Sanctuary and is the most convenient for attending Sunday Services. The Lower Lot is off Riverside St. and is particularly convenient for events in the Great Hall and accessing many of the important ministries in the Church's lower level (church dinners, MEEK, Care Closet, NA/AA etc.).

Church Calendar Be the first to learn about Ascension news and events by subscribing to our Newsletter

Change Ringing on Our Tower Bells Welcome to our website entry. As a potential visitor to our tower, whether to ring (welcome!) or to watch us ringing and learn what it’s about, we will greet you warmly, take you upstairs to see the bells, show you how we raise and ring the bells, and answer all your questions. The sound of church bells has become an iconic symbol of worship in the Christian Church, informing hearers that a service is about to start, and inviting worshipers. That is particularly true in England, where the art of change ringing was developed in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (every second village in England has a bell tower, and towns and cities have several). The custom has spread around the world, mostly to places where the British had colonies. Rochester’s Church of the Ascension is pleased and proud to have such a set of bells, installed in its tower in 2015. There are many things that make these bells a unique feature in the Rochester community. They are beautifully tuned, but because of the manner in which they hang, they do not ring tunes, they ring changes on the order of the bells. When the bells are well rung by experienced ringers, the result for listeners is a beautiful musical experience, although change ringing is not usually considered a performance art. Unlike a carillon or a chime, at which a lone person pulls or pushes or otherwise manipulates a large keyboard to ring a tune, a peal of change-ringing bells requires one person per bell. Each person pulls on a rope that hangs down from the bell chamber, on a floor above the ringing chamber. In Ascension's tower, the ringing chamber is at ground level, so it is easy to watch the ringers. There are ten bells at Ascension hung for change ringing (defined as the ringing of sets of church bells or handbells in a constantly varying order; see Wikipedia for basic and general information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change_ringing .) Because of considerations of safety and volume , people cannot see the bells as they actually ring, but here is a brief clip of Ascension's ten bells swinging and sounding forth: "Bristol Royal" rung on Ascension's Tower Bells From here in western New York, the nearest similar change-ringing bell tower is in Toronto, Canada (175 miles away); and if we stay in this country, the nearest are in Pittsburgh (300 miles), Kent School, Kent, CT (also about 300 miles), New York City (340 miles), and Philadelphia (350 miles). For more information about change ringing at other bell towers in North America, see www.nagcr.org . For more information about ringing and bells worldwide, see www.cccbr.org.uk . Chris and Helen Haller, the major donors of the bells, selected the persons to be honored by having a bell named after them. Some are very personal choices, some are notable Rochester names, and some are notable national, international, or bell-ringing people. Our lightest bell, “Trudy”, weighs 375 pounds, and the heaviest, “Martin”, weighs 1267 pounds. That may sound intimidating to non-ringers, but the fact is that they are well counter-balanced and swing on modern bearings, so that it does not take unusual effort to ring them. Anyone weighing over about a hundred pounds can ring most bells. Each of our bells is inscribed with the name of the person honored, and one or two appropriate lines from Stanza 106 of “In Memoriam” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Chris Haller reading “In Memoriam” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson The expert workers at Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, England (a firm with centuries of experience) drew up the plans, cast and tuned the bells, and made the frame and fittings that enable them to swing. Everything was shipped to Church of the Ascension, and installed in the waiting church tower. The Ceremony of Blessing and Dedication took place on November 21, 2015, with The Right Reverend Prince G. Singh, Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Rochester, presiding, and our Rector at the time, The Rev. Dahn Gandell, welcoming those attending. Here is a video showing highlights of some of those events: The arrival, installation, and dedication of the ten bells at Church of the Ascension When at least three ringers are available, we ring the bells before and after the 10:15 AM Sunday service. We are fortunate to have a computer-actuated chiming mechanism also in place, that can chime changes before the service if fewer ringers are available. We have practices twice a week, for an hour and a half after the service on Sundays, and on Friday evenings between 6:30 and 8 PM. Yes, it takes plenty of practice to learn to ring and to improve and advance our skills. This is what change ringing looks like: C hris Haller, Helen Haller and the English bell hanger, Neil Thomas, ringing on the first day the bells were rung If you are considering a visit to ring or to watch the ringing, please check with Chris Haller (585-203-7457; ringer2@mac.com ) to confirm that ringing will take place on your proposed date. Also call Chris if you think you are interested in learning to ring; a series of one-on-one lessons can be arranged at mutual convenience, to make you ready to ring with our band in the regular practices.

Location Church of the Ascension is located at 2 Riverside St., Rochester, NY 14613 in the Maplewood Historic District. It is a short walk from beautiful attractions such as Lower Falls Park, Maplewood Park, and the Maplewood Rose Garden. Driving Ascension is located near the intersection of Lake Avenue and Ridge Road. From downtown Rochester, head north on State Street, continuing to follow it as it becomes Lake Avenue. Turn right into the upper parking lot just past Riverside Street. From the Greece area, follow Ridge Road headed East, turn right at the intersection with Ridge Road and then turn left into the church lot. From Irondequoit, follow Ridge Road headed West, turn left at the intersection with Ridge Road and turn left into the church lot. Bus Ascension is conveniently located along the 22 bus route from downtown, with the most convenient stop being Lake & Riverside. The church is also less than half a mile from the Ridge & Lake stop on the 40 bus. Parking Ascension has two parking lots. The Upper Lot is directly off Lake Avenue, by the ramp/accessible entrance to the Sanctuary and is the most convenient for attending Sunday Services. The Lower Lot is off Riverside St. and is particularly convenient for events in the Great Hall and accessing many of the important ministries in the Church's lower level (church dinners, MEEK, Care Closet, NA/AA etc.).

History of Op. 711 Church of the Ascension is the proud owner of notable organ builder E.M. Skinner's Op. 711, built in 1928 in Skinner's Boston workshop. Op. 711 is a large 4 manual instrument in an orchestral style, originally installed in the Masonic Temple of the Auditorium Theater in Rochester. The previous Warren organ at Ascension was rapidly failing, and it was decided in the early 1960's to replace this instrument. Op. 711 conveniently became available, and was purchased by Church of the Ascension in 1966 for $3,000. It was removed from the Auditorium Theater by Roberts Organ Company during that summer. There was insufficient room in the existing chambers, and a second level was built within them to house the greater number of pipes as the organ waited disassembled in semi-trailers. New swell boxes were prepared and installed, and can still be seen protruding from the top of the organ case. The organ was thoroughly cleaned before installation, and was first played in a dedicatory service on June 18th, 1967. A major dedicatory recital was held at 3:00 pm on Sunday November 12, 1967 performed by Charles Brown, then organist and choirmaster. All of this work, encompassing more than $20,000, was generously underwritten by Mrs. Wilhelmina Beach who had been an active member since 1923, in memory of her husband Harry A. Beach. A full list of stops and assists is given below, and a more comprehensive history is available in the church office upon request. Since its installation, Op. 711 has needed very little work besides regular maintenance. Its 3,500 pipes have sounded out joyfully each Sunday, bringing beauty to worship and joy to many. After nearly 100 years of service to the Auditorium Theater and to Ascension, it is in need of restoration in order to safeguard its future with the church. This restoration will entail removing and cleaning each pipe, cleaning the chambers where the pipes are housed, re-leathering all the wind chests to make them airtight, rebuilding mechanisms related to the key and stop action, and finally putting all of the pieces back together. One estimate for this project is $1,550,000. After this work the organ will have a much cleaner, more transparent sound, and it will be more reliable. This restoration would make Ascension a more desirable location for concerts, and indeed a destination instrument for organ recitals. Already the organ is appreciated by the local community including Eastman students, and was recently featured in the national convention of the Organ Historical Society in 2018. For more information on supporting the organ fund please visit our page or contact the church office. Giving Stoplist Skinner Organ Company Opus 711 1928 4 manuals, 50 stops, 56 ranks Moved in 1967 from Masonic Temple, Rochester, New York GREAT ORGAN 16' Double Diapason 61 8' First Diapason 61 8' Second Diapason 61 8' Flute Harmonique 61 * 8' Gemshorn 61 * 4' Octave 61 4' Flute 61 * 2 2/3' Twelfth 61 2' Fifteenth 61 1' Harmonics III 183 8' Tromba 61 * 4' Octave Tromba 61 * Chimes 25 tubes * enclosed in Choir 8' PEDAL ORGAN 32' Resultant -- 16' Diapason 56 16' Diapason (Gt) -- 16' Bourdon 44 16' Salicional (Sw) -- 16' Gedeckt (Ch) -- 8' Octave (Diap) -- 8' Flute (Bdn) -- 8' Cello (So) -- 8' Still Gedeckt (Ch) -- 5 1/3' Octave Quint -- 4' Super Octave (Diap) -- 16' Ophicleide 56 16' Waldhorn (Sw) -- 8' Tromba (Ophic) -- 4' Clarion (Ophic) -- Chimes (Gt) SOLO ORGAN 8' Flauto Mirabilis 73 8' Gamba 73 8' Gamba Celeste 73 4' Concert Flute 73 8' French Horn 73 8' Orchestral Oboe 73 Tremolo 8' Tuba Mirabilis 73 4' Tuba Clarion 73 COUPLERS Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Choir to Pedal Solo to Pedal Swell to Pedal 4 Choir to Pedal 4 Solo to Pedal 4 Swell to Great Choir to Great Solo to Great Swell to Great 16 Swell to Great 4 Choir to Great 16 Choir to Great 4 Solo to Great 16 Solo to Great 4 Solo to Swell Swell to Choir Solo to Choir Swell to Choir 16 Swell to Choir 4 Solo to Choir 16 Solo to Choir 4 Great to Solo Swell 16 Swell 4 Choir 16 Choir 4 Solo 16 Solo 4 SWELL ORGAN 16' Contra Salicional 73 8' Diapason 73 8' Rohrflöte 73 8' Salicional 73 8' Voix Celeste 73 8' Aeoline 73 4' Principal 73 4' Flute Triangulaire 73 2' Flautino 61 2' Mixture V 305 (17-19-22) (15-19-22-26-29) 16' Waldhorn 73 8' Trumpet 73 8' Oboe 73 Vox Humana 73 4' Clarion 73 Tremolo CHOIR ORGAN 16' Bourdon 73 8' Geigen Principal 73 8' Cor de Nuit 73 8' Viole d'Orchestre 73 8' Dulciana 73 8' Unda Maris (TC) 61 4' Flute d'Amour 73 2 2/3' Nazard 61 2' Piccolo 61 1 3/5' Tierce 61 8' English Horn 73 8' Clarinet 73 Tremolo 8' Harp (TC) pf 4' Celesta pf A DJUSTABLE COMBINATIONS Solo 6 (thumb) Swell 8 (thumb) Great 8 (thumb) Choir 6 (thumb) Pedal 8 (toe) General 6 (thumb & toe) Coupler Cancel (thumb) General Cancel (thumb) Set (thumb) Pedal Combs on Solo pistons On/Off Pedal Combs on Swell pistons On/Off Pedal Combs on Great pistons On/Off Pedal Combs on Choir pistons On/Off REVERSIBLES Solo to Pedal (thumb & toe) Swell to Pedal (thumb & toe) Great to Pedal (thumb & toe) Choir to Pedal (thumb & toe) Great to Solo (thumb) Solo to Swell (thumb) Swell to Great (thumb) Choir to Great (thumb) Solo to Great (thumb) Swell to Choir (thumb) Solo to Choir (thumb) Sforzando (thumb & toe) INDICATOR LIGHTS Choir Swell Shoe - 6 Swell Swell Shoe - 6 Solo Swell Shoe - 6 Crescendo Pedal - 6 Sforzando EXPRESSION Balanced Pedal - Choir Balanced Pedal - Swell Balanced Pedal - Solo Crescendo Pedal

MEEK MEEK, the Maplewood Edgerton Emergency Kupboard, serves our regional community at least two days per week, and in keeping with current realities is redefining and restating its mission to meet these changing conditions. Church of the Ascension, in partnership with other faith communities, continues to offer to neighborhood residents food to tide them over as there are, in these days, food emergencies for individuals and families. MEEK has been responsible for distributing more than 800,000 meals to 95,000 people over the last few decades. Additional volunteers are always welcome. Please call (585) 944-3093 for inquiries.

The Rev. Abidhananthar John Rev. Father Abidhananthar John, Abi John, has been an ordained priest since 2004 under The Church of South India and currently serves at the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, New York at The Church of the Ascension. He has pastored to both rural and urban congregations in the Madras Diocese and served among the grassroots level for Dalit Christian Communities. For a decade, he has served as the Director of Dalit and Adivasi concerns in the Diocese of Madras for a four- year term. He writes sermons in Tamil to equip the lay leadership towards a bold theological vision. Abi served in nearly 78 parishes in 8 different Pastorates which gave him ample opportunities to have team time with leadership. As the associate director for the lay department in the diocese of Madras, Father served in Saint George’s Cathedral as its associate priest. Under the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, Abi was called as Rector at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church during 2017 – 2018. Here, the issues of poverty, unemployment and drug addiction prevail. He was actively engaged with the local community and paved a way for building hopes to make the American Dream possible for his parishioners. His association with the fire department made some remarkable avenues in the growth of the church, also. Eventually, he was called to be the Priest-in-Charge at Saint James’ Episcopal Church, Watkins Glen and Saint John's Episcopal Church, Catharine, New York. He envisioned many programs during the covid pandemic, especially calling women from both churches to align together with the International Women’s Conference which has been continued since 2017. The last conference was held on Zoom. Abi and Angeline coached the people of God for a meaningful ministry in Schuyler County… Christmas Caroling, Summer School of Love for all children, and sharing Pongal and the feast. Abi wrote the curriculum for the Summer School of Love, involving laity and the public to carry on the vision. The Pongal Festival enhances the plural design of God. Barnie Parker Sharing Shed was begun allowing for food items for poor and needy people to be available, anytime. The International Women's Forum Seminars led to “Women Helping Women” a training for unemployed women sponsored by a grant from the S E District. There have been rural migrant ministries at local dairy farms, Valentine’s Day programs with the elders and widows, a Children's Scripture Program, Portable Gardens for the young children in collaboration with Girl Scouts to bring awareness about our planet and its eco systems. The Learning Pod Program sponsored by the Lions Club helped students during the worst of Covid-19. Community gardens, at both the churches, helped to stock the shed. Free coffee in the winter was handed out during February before school or work. These are some of his initiatives during Abi’s ministry at St. James’ and St. John’s. During his service at Watkins Glen, Abi also helped a youth to discern his calling to do ministry by enrolling at CRCDS. After a two-year contact at Watkins Glen, Abi had an invitation from the Church of the Ascension, and the vestry called him as a priest in-charge on September 13, 2021. Eventually he was installed as the Rector of the Parish on November 12, 2022 after being called in March. He is deeply engaged in the refugee ministry and joyfully works with the people of Ascension in doing effective ministries. Since 2019, Father Abi has been a member of COM and his passion for mission, prayerful and diligent ideas and his experience in the Church do complement the discernment engagement to COM towards a powerful ministerial engagement. He engages with a diocesan team in equipping young people to discern their ministerial call for a passionate ministry grounded with the philosophy of love. He studied under the late Dr. James H Cone, the Father of Black theology, at Union Theological College (Sacred Theology-STM 2014-2016) New York, which envisaged him to do a comparative study between three religious philosophies grounding three great personalities, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X and Ambedkar. He also did his research on Dalit Christian Reservation, Dalit Politics in Tamil Nadu as well as about the Dalit Religion. In India, he has organized many seminars, rallies, and workshops to educate and empower Dalits to assert their rights. He had his schooling at Dharma Murthy Rao Bahadur Kalevala Cunnane Chetty Hindu Higher Secondary School, Tiruvallur, TamilNadu, India. He is a political science graduate (B.A., M.A., M.Phil.,) from Madras Christian College, Chennai, and completed His Bachelor of Divinity (M.Div.,) at Gurukul Theological College, Chennai. He was an active member of the Student Christian Movement of India and represented it in a political camp held in Italy at Agape Ecumenical Center, Prelim, in the year 2002 as an exchange student. He was a resource person at New York SCM- WSCF team in March of 2014. He achieved the highest level as resource person at the College in the year 2003 and was honored with eight awards in the class. Father Abi John was also awarded the “Derick Prize for Regions” by the Senate of Seram pore in the year 2004. Currently, he is doing his part time doctoral program at CRCDS while Church of the Ascension continues to grow in numbers, programs, and spiritual services which are open to all people of all genders. Beyond his work in the church, he is pursuing a Doctorate at Colgate-Rochester Divinity School, where he studies part-time on his day off. Church of the Ascension is proud to support his endeavors and leadership through loving team wo rk. To be in touch with Father Abi please email him at ascpriest@aol.com .