Welcome toChurch of the Ascension
The Ascension ProjectChurch of the Ascension
Jay Phillips Center for Jewish-Christian LearningJewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest
University of Saint Thomas
February 13 & 14, 2003
Ascension Highlights• Ascension Parish was
established in 1890• This area was then the
northern-most edge of the city of Minneapolis
• At it’s peak, the parish had 1,500 families and 1,200 students
• Today Ascension is one of the most ethnically diverse parishes in the Upper Midwest.
Where is Ascension?
Around Ascension
Ascension’s Original Church
• Original church was a wooden structure
• The church and the land cost $19,000
• The building was later used as the first Ascension Club building
Ascension’s First Pastor1890-1894
• Ascension’s first Pastor was Fr. Alexander Christie
• Archbishop Ireland declared, “You have built a cathedral in the wilderness!”
• He later became the fourth Archbishop of Portland, Oregon
Ascension’s Second Pastor1894-1924
• Ascension’s second Pastor was Fr. Jeremiah Harrington
• He was the first of three 30 year pastors at Ascension
• Harrington’s era was a time of building and construction
Photos from the Harrington Era
Ascension’s Third Pastor1924-1955
• Ascension’s third Pastor was Rev. John Dunphy from St Thomas
• Believed in faith, education, & athletics
• Led parish during Ascension’s peak
• Was known as‘The King’
Athletics at Ascension
The Ascension Block
The Ascension Block
The Ascension Club
The Old Neighborhood
Ascension’s Fourth Pastor1956-1985
• Ascension’s fourth Pastor, Rev. P. William Coates, was assigned in 1940
• Served as a Chaplain in WWII and Korea
• Saw neighborhood change, parishioners move, 1960’s unrest, and building of I-94
Sports and Activities
Song and Dance Man
The Sixties
• The 1960s brought change to North Mpls an to Ascension
• Houses were bought to make room for I-94
• Families moved away to the suburbs
• Plymouth Ave rioting, burning, and looting
Ascension’s Fifth and Sixth Pastors
Rev. Bob Hazel1993-1999
Rev. Ray Monsour1981-1993
Ascension Today
• Rev. Michael O’Connell assigned to Ascension in 1999
• He is also Rector at the Basilica of Saint Mary
• His Jeremiah vision ‘seeks the well-being of the city’ and offers ‘a future full of hope’
Ascension School
• “Center of Success” in North Minneapolis
• 95% are not Catholic, 90% are not white, and most are from are lower-income or single-parent home
• Exceptional 8th grade standardized test scores
Ascension ParishParishioners of Hispanic, African-American, and African immigrant backgrounds along with many long time members of European descent
The Neighborhood Today
• West Broadway was a vital shopping area for decades• Most north side residents are low- income people of
color with young children • One of the few areas in the metro area with no
economic revitalization
Why is this Important?
• We need to experience, and ultimately improve, the forgotten areas of our city
• Learning… …doesn’t happen only in a
classroom, and…isn’t just for learning’s sake
• We all have the power to make a difference for others
Ascension Contact Info
Church of the Ascension1723 Bryant Ave NMinneapolis, MN 55411
ph 612.529.9684fax 612-529.7618
Melissa [email protected]
