Tell Us About It: A Lenten Creative Writing Project
Ascension Youth are invited to participate in a Lenten creative writing project to share their reflections on our Faith and the Lenten season with the wider community. Contributions are due Friday, April 16th (the 5th Friday of Lent) so that we can prepare a booklet for Holy Week. Please send all contributions to Fr. Nick Mueller (frnickm@groca.org). Contributions can be submitted at any time before the deadline. Thank you for your participation and please find the prompts below! If you have an idea for a different creative project please contact Fr. Nick. If you would like to workshop your idea with Fr. Nick you can schedule a time to meet with him, or talk with him on Wednesday, April 7th at 4 PM.
Ascension Youth are invited to participate in a Lenten creative writing project to share their reflections on our Faith and the Lenten season with the wider community. Contributions are due Friday, April 16th (the 5th Friday of Lent) so that we can prepare a booklet for Holy Week. Please send all contributions to Fr. Nick Mueller (frnickm@groca.org). Contributions can be submitted at any time before the deadline. Thank you for your participation and please find the prompts below! If you have an idea for a different creative project please contact Fr. Nick. If you would like to workshop your idea with Fr. Nick you can schedule a time to meet with him, or talk with him on Wednesday, April 7th at 4 PM.
Any age level can respond to these prompts:
Service and good works are a key part of our spiritual life, and important theme in Great Lent. What do you think the role of the youth is in the Church? How do you serve Christ, and how can you be an example to your peers and our community? Share an example from the life of a saint that sets an example of service for you.
Attend a Lenten Service (Great Compline, the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts, and Akathist) and offer a reflection on your experience. Why are these services important during Great Lent? What theme from the service stood out to you and impacted your experience of Great Lent?
Discuss a spiritual practice you or your family has taken on during Great Lent (prayer, fasting or almsgiving). Tell us how you or your family does this practice and describe how it is has impacted you. Tell us about a saint who is an example to you in this practice.
Spiritual poetry is everywhere in our Church. It makes up our services, our hymns, and prayers. Often their themes are repentance, thanksgiving or praising God. Think about what you would like to express to God. Look at examples of spiritual poetry and use them as a model for your own poem or write your own!
Stories may be fiction or non-fiction, you can use the prompts below as inspiration.
Tell us a short story that discusses one of the virtues: faith, hope, wisdom, honesty, humility, obedience, patience, courage, faithfulness, self-control, kindness or gratitude. You can read more about the virtues here.
In your own words, tell us the story of a saint.
First Meeting for the Ascension Prayer Team
Our Ascension Prayer Team will have their first meeting to discuss how you can get involved in praying for our community.
We will meet next Thursday, February 25th at 7 PM on Zoom, and we hope that you can join us!
Our Ascension Prayer Team will have their first meeting to discuss how you can get involved in praying for our community.
We will meet next Thursday, February 25th at 7 PM on Zoom, and we hope that you can join us!
Join on Zoom here:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84640602811
Meeting ID: 846 4060 2811
Ascension Cathedral Now Open for Indoor Services
Wonderful news! We are excited to announce the re-opening of the Cathedral for indoor liturgy!!
On Friday, February 5, 2021 the U.S. Supreme Court entered an emergency order prohibiting California from enforcing its ban on indoor worship in “purple” tier counties. Instead, the Court found a limit of 25% capacity to be appropriate. This order is effective immediately and applies throughout the State of California. Metropolitan Gerasimos set an encyclical (linked below) informing the parishes of the Metropolis of San Francisco in California as to this announcement. We were so excited to hear this that we opened the Cathedral immediately, this past Sunday, February 7th. Fr. Tom instructed the Parish Council members and ushers to allow those who had made reservations for the outdoor liturgy to come into the Cathedral. All the appropriate guidelines, including social distancing and wearing of masks were followed as we had done earlier in the Summer and Fall of 2020.
Dear Ascension Community,
Wonderful news! We are excited to announce the re-opening of the Cathedral for indoor liturgy!!
On Friday, February 5, 2021 the U.S. Supreme Court entered an emergency order prohibiting California from enforcing its ban on indoor worship in “purple” tier counties. Instead, the Court found a limit of 25% capacity to be appropriate. This order is effective immediately and applies throughout the State of California. Metropolitan Gerasimos set an encyclical (linked below) informing the parishes of the Metropolis of San Francisco in California as to this announcement. We were so excited to hear this that we opened the Cathedral immediately, this past Sunday, February 7th. Fr. Tom instructed the Parish Council members and ushers to allow those who had made reservations for the outdoor liturgy to come into the Cathedral. All the appropriate guidelines, including social distancing and wearing of masks were followed as we had done earlier in the Summer and Fall of 2020.
The Parish Council met Wednesday, February 10th to discuss the re-opening of the Cathedral. At this time the configuration of the seating in the Cathedral will accommodate 140 people following the social distance guidelines. It was decided by the Parish Council that this Sunday, February 14th 100 congregants will be allowed in the Cathedral. Sunday, February 21st and 28th we will increase to 140 people. This will give the Parish Council time to assess the seating arrangements, and to increase the number to as close to the 25% as is safe. We will continue to follow the guidelines as explained below. To ensure everyone's safety, at the very end of the service after announcements, Holy Communion will be distributed. Antidoron will be pre-bagged and available as parishioners are exiting the Cathedral.
We will also continue to do Memorials and other services at the end of the divine liturgy. The Koliva (boiled wheat) will not be shared due to safety issues. However if there is an Artoklasia, it will be placed in bags like the antidoron.
We will continue to comply with the county guidelines practicing social distancing, and wearing face coverings. Also, as per the Metropolitan’s request, attendance is reserved for our Ascension parishioners only at this time. This number does not include clergy, cantor and ushers. In order to attend you must reserve your spot using the link that is emailed weekly.
We are very excited to welcome you back into the Cathedral! We have missed you and are looking forward to seeing you in person. Your physical health and safety as well as your spiritual health is our top priority, all the steps we are taking are in consideration of your well being. If you are not feeling well or have health conditions that make you more vulnerable, we ask you to continue to enjoy services from home via the live streaming.
We ask for your patience during this time and encourage you to take a moment and review the FAQs (attached). If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out.
We will continue to update you as information and guidance becomes available. We appreciate your patience and understanding at this time and look forward to seeing each of you soon!
In Christ’s service and yours,
The Ascension Parish Council