Whenever the feast of the Ascension is celebrated, I always think of the church of the same name in my childhood Philadelphia neighborhood. Raised in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, I always thought my home parish of Nativity BVM was beautiful. It was a large, Greek-style building that many visitors compared to a cathedral.
However, just a mile away was another large parish that was even more magnificent: The Ascension of Our Lord Church. With high columns, wide steps, and a beautiful bell tower, parishioners saw it as a glimpse of God’s kingdom here on earth. Neighbors recognized it as the real jewel in a section of the city that seemed to have a Catholic church on every corner. Many simply called the Church of the Ascension the “Cathedral of Kensington.”
The Ascension of Our Lord Parish was founded in 1899 in a temporary chapel inside a former candy store in the working-class Kensington neighborhood. Dedicated in 1900, the church could hold over 1,300 worshippers. The parish thrived and, within twenty years, was the third largest parish in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
As the parish flourished, so did vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Many Oblates grew up in the parish and some Oblates believe it was the parish that produced the most vocations of priests and brothers for our community. Over the years, many Oblates ministered at Ascension as it was less than a mile away from the Northeast Catholic High School Oblate community.
The social and economic issues of the 1960s and 70s led to decreasing church attendance and the Catholic community in Kensington did not have the financial resources to maintain the parish. The buildings began to crumble and weekend masses were moved into the school auditorium and even the rectory. After many years of decline, the church finally closed in 2012.
Almost ten years later the church is abandoned and crumbling. For many people, the former church has become a symbol of urban decay and abandonment. However, the spirit of the Ascension still permeates the lives of the people who grew up in the parish and made it their home.
Former parishioners share memories and keep connected through social media sites, reunions, and community events. “The Ascension” – as many people refer to the parish – is always with them.
The memories, mission, and spirit they experienced at that “Cathedral in Kensington” will never leave them. The building may fall apart and fade but their ties to each other remain strong. The people of “the Ascension” remind us that the Church is not simply structures and stained-glass, but rather relationships and remaining connected.
As the Church celebrates the solemn Feast of the Ascension, we are reminded that Jesus always stays connected to us. Even when he is no longer physically with us, he will never abandon us. The mission and spirit that he gave to his first followers did not leave them when he ascended into heaven. He promised he would remain with them always and gave them instructions to go and spread the good news to all nations.
The story of “the Ascension” parish can help us to appreciate the feast of the Ascension event in our lives today. Wherever we worship, we know that the building, no matter how beautiful or majestic, is the outward sign of the inner life of the community. Buildings expand and grow; they flourish and inspire. They also struggle, crumble, and eventually decline. Yet the spirit of the people who built them, the mission of the members of the parish and the life of the community continues on – even when the bricks and mortar are no more.
The land at “F” Street and Westmoreland Street in Kensington has seen many changes over the last century. There is hope that out of the ruins of a once awe-inspiring edifice new life will come and the whole neighborhood will be transformed.
The mystery of the Ascension promises that loss will be changed into life and a new reality will be open to those who see only decay and despair. Jesus remains even when parishes are closed, when buildings are torn down.
St. Francis de Sales tells us: “Let the world turn upside down, let everything be in darkness, in smoke, in uproar—God is still with us.”
The Church of the Ascension was a sign that we can catch a glimpse of God’s kingdom in this world. The feast of the Ascension is a sign that God’s kingdom is already within us, calling us to be a sign of his life at work in the world.
Fr. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS
