The Church of the Ascension is an eclectic mix of people. We are young and old, male and female, gay and straight, black and white, Democrats and Republicans. We are a mix and we like it that way. What unites us is our love for Jesus Christ and an affection for this quirky parish that we call home. We are all sinners that have received God’s grace.

What sets us apart? Well, we are a Rite I parish, which means that most of our services use traditional language. We have a large and very skilled choir that is capable of singing everything from Latin mass settings to contemporary praise songs. We also have a fair amount of children present and we are very intentional about including our youth in the life (including the worship life) of our parish.

What is the Episcopal Church?

The Episcopal Church is a Christian denomination that traces its roots to the Church of England. When Europeans first began settling in the New World, they invariably brought their church with them. In Portuguese, Spanish, and French colonies this would have been the Roman Catholic Church. The English, however, brought the Church of England. This church spread throughout the world partly due to missionary efforts, and partly due to the growth of the British Empire itself. Today this network of churches that trace their roots to the Church of England is called the Anglican Communion. We often refer to ourselves as Episcopalians or Anglicans interchangeably.

The Episcopal Church, the Church of England, and the Anglican Communion, all ultimately derive from the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church that Jesus himself founded. Many of our traditions, beliefs and practices are a part of the Western Catholic tradition, and therefore will seem very familiar to Roman Catholics. The Episcopal Church is also a reformed tradition, however, so individuals from more Protestant Churches often feel right at home here as well.