Familia The Newsletter of the Ascension Parish Family
IN THIS ISSUE Ascension Book Group Page 2
Celebrating the Feast of St. Anne Page 3
Ascension Family Spotlight Page 4
Volunteers Needed! Page 4
Ice Cream Social in the Garden
July 2011
Summertime at the Ascension ‚He must increase, but I must decrease.‛ – John 3:30
T
hose are St. John the Baptist’s prophetic words to his own disciples concerning his role and Christ’s. His work done and the way prepared, the Forerunner spoke of the martyr’s fate that awaited him at Herod’s palace and the greater work of salvation Our Lord would later complete on Calvary. The Church Fathers, with their love of symbolism, were reminded of this prophesy when they noted the position of St. John the Baptist’s feast day in the church year. June 24, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, falls only a few days after the summer solstice (just as Our Lord’s Nativity falls a few days after the beginning of winter). Every day between St. John’s nativity and Christmas gets shorter and shorter; every day between Christmas and St. John the Baptist’s feast gets longer and longer. ‚I must decrease; he must increase‛—see? In some places, St. John’s Day is still observed in the traditional way—with late-
night bonfires and picnics. Here in the United States, that’s less common. At Ascension, we made do with two Masses and no bonfires. But there’s another, less quaint, church tradition associated with summer that is certainly observed in many parishes. It also can be summed up with the phrase ‚I must decrease‛—namely, the widespread shut-down of church activities for the summer. For many, the summer break marks a well-deserved rest. That’s certainly true for our dedicated Sunday School staff and volunteer teachers, and for our superb choir, which has been singing regularly and beautifully at the 11:00 a.m. Solemn High Mass through an extremely long season between Michaelmas and the Solemnity of Corpus Christi this year. But, it is a pleasure to note that, here at Ascension, this summer will in no way mark a ‚vacation‛ from church. Quite the contrary— there are several events lined up for the summer months. For example: See SUMMERTIME, Page 3
Page 5
Birthdays & Anniversaries Page 5
July Ordo Kalendar
Celebrate summer in the garden! The Evangelism Committee and the Activities Committee are planning a series of evening parties in the Our Lady of Victory Garden. First up: an ice cream social! See Page 5 for more details.
Page 6 Thursday, July 28, at 6:30 p.m. (following Evening Prayer) Ice cream, pie, iced tea, coffee, and other treats