Posted in Local Catholic News, on September 25th, 2012

Once a thriving Kensington parish, Ascension to close Oct. 1

By Lou Baldwin

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced Sept. 25 that Archbishop Charles Chaput has approved the recommendation of the Archdiocesan Strategic Planning Committee the closing of Ascension of Our Lord Parish in the Kensington section of the city.

The parish, once among the largest in the Archdiocese, has experienced a dwindling population, with only seven infant baptisms, two marriages and average weekly Mass attendance of 188. The figures are less than half of what they were just four years ago.

Remaining parishioners are invited to attend either Holy Innocents (approximately 1.7 miles away) or Visitation B.V.M. (approximately 0.9 miles away).

Holy Innocents and Visitation will divide responsibility for the debts and assets of the former parish as well as maintain its spiritual records.

Due to serious issues of physical deterioration, the church itself has been closed for safety reasons for quite some time, and Masses have been celebrated in the rectory or the former school.

Estimated costs for necessary repairs of the church approach $3 million, which the parish does not have, so it will not be maintained as a worship site.

Ascension of Our Lord Parish was founded in 1899, and the cathedral-like 1,300-seat church was completed in 1924. A parish school opened in 1900 with 460 students taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph, led by Mother Ignatius. Enrollment peaked in 1963 with approximately 1,800 students, but was under 200 when it closed two years ago.

There were many bright spots in the parish’s long history, not the least of them the day that the great Babe Ruth played for the parish semi-pro baseball team. That was Sept. 4, 1923, when the Yankees were in town to play the Athletics.

Father William Casey prevailed upon the Babe to come and play on the team at a fundraiser that day against a team from Lit Brothers Department Store. Ascension lost, but Ruth hit what normally would have been a long home run but only counted as a ground rule double because of the short fence.

For all of its more than a century existence Ascension was a working class parish, which saw many of its children grow to achieve some success and move on.

The parish and school took rightful pride in its alumni, perhaps none more so than in John McVeigh, who like many of his classmates was drafted in World War II. In August 1944, somewhere in France he lost his life, but in doing so saved his squad, for which he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The life blood of the parish was the thriving industry in the neighborhood, mostly textile mills, but they are long gone.

The parishioners generally knew this day was coming, “but they didn’t realize it would happen so quickly,” said parish secretary Joe McNamara, a member of Ascension his whole life and a 1978 school graduate. “It was a good parish and a good school.”

Although the formal announcement was made Sept. 25, parishioners were told in advance at last weekend’s Masses.

This most recent closure is part of the ongoing archdiocesan strategic planning, which involves all 257 parishes within the Archdiocese to gauge their viability and assess whether they possess the resources to accomplish their role in the mission of the Church and remain sustainable and vibrant faith communities.

Additional parish announcements are expected in the spring of 2013 and 2014.

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Lou Baldwin is a freelance writer and member of St. Leo Parish, Philadelphia.

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5 Responses

1. I’m guessing the legal fees to pay for what the priest throughout the Catholic world have done . Was the proverbial straw

   By: brian brill on September 26, 2012 at 6:54 am

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2. I’m guessing that changing demographics was the proverbial straw.

   By: Robert on September 26, 2012 at 10:51 am

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3. I FEEL IT IS SUCH A SHAME THAT THE PARISHES ARE CLOSING. I FEEL IF IT GOES ON WE WILL DO JUST FINE PRAYING AND WORSHIPPING GOD IN OUR OWN WAY , IN OUR HOME , OR OUT IN THE BEAUTIFUL NATURE GOD HAS GIVEN US………..BECAUSE OF THE SINS OF “” OTHER;S “” THE BODY OF THE CHURCH IS BEING PUNISHED.. PAT

   By: PatricGia McGregor on September 26, 2012 at 4:49 pm

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4. * CORRECTION OF THE LETTERING OF MY FIRST NAME:: PATRICIA

   By: Patricia McGregor on September 26, 2012 at 4:51 pm

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5. My grandfather was at the game on September 4, 1923…..he was the manager of the Philadelphia Gas Works team that played in the same Philadelphia Industrial League. He was there to scout the Lit Brothers team and to see the Babe play for Ascension was an added plus. His PGW office was at Broad & Susquehanna and he got there in plenty of time to get a good seat off of first base. He was quite surprised that Ruth played first that day and not the outfield. Ascension lost the game 2 -1 with the Babe scoring their only run.
   Can you imagine one of today’s baseball prima donnas during something today as elegant as what Ruth did.

   By: Tom Kearney on October 5, 2012 at 5:07 pm

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