Latest News – The Church of the Ascension in the City of New York

In this week’s newsletter, Mother Liz shares how a historian’s request about Pete and Toshi Seeger’s 1943 wedding led to a discovery: the couple married in Ascension’s All Saints Chapel. The marriage register also revealed the officiant, Edward George Harris, a former assistant priest here who later became a distinguished Episcopal leader. As we celebrate our bicentennial, the parish is collecting stories of its saints and its place in New York and Episcopal history, sharing these findings in the weekly newsletter.

In this week’s newsletter, the rector invites us to consider Ascension’s columbarium as a resting place for ashes, a dignified space where loved ones can be remembered and visited. Prices rise at the start of 2027, so current rates apply through the end of this year. She notes that planning ahead can bring peace to us and those who love us, and offers to talk through these decisions with those who may wish to.

In this week’s newsletter, Mother Liz reflects on the thin veil between worlds during Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls, when we remember our beloved dead and give thanks for the saints who inspire us. Drawing on 1 John, she reminds us that we are God’s children now, even as what we will become remains unrevealed, and invites us to open our hearts with thanksgiving on this journey together.

This week, Vin Knight and Derek Baker of the 200th Anniversary Committee invite us to remember the Ascension faithful who have gone before us. As part of our bicentennial celebration, the committee is gathering remembrances of parishioners and friends buried from our parish over the past 25 years, to be shared throughout the year. Read this week’s newsletter to learn how you can contribute a remembrance of someone you knew and loved.