The Church of The Ascension has been the Episcopal presence in the Village of Rockville Centre since 1885. As a parish of the Diocese of Long Island, we are part of the world-wide Anglican Communion, a faith which combines elements of both the Catholic and Reformed traditions. The Anglican ethos is summed up in the phrase: in matters essential, unity; in matters non-essential, diversity; in all things, charity.

The focus of our worship is The Holy Eucharist. Also called The Mass, Holy Communion, or The Divine Liturgy, it is at the Altar of God where all Christians are invited to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, regardless of denominational affiliation. Our 5:00 PM Saturday service is brief and contemporary, and celebrated outside in the garden, weather permitting. 8:00 on Sunday morning is a quiet, spoken liturgy with brief homily, and the 10:30 choral celebration features a professional-caliber choir performing music that ranges from Gregorian Chant to rousing spirituals. On Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist is celebrated according to Rite Two in the Chancel area of the Sanctuary. In place of a sermon, the priest engages the congregation in conversation about the scriptures for the day. Often the day is the feast of one of the saints of the church and something about that person's life is read and reflected upon.

The Church of The Ascension is renowned throughout the diocese for the excellence of our liturgy and music. Our choir ranks among the premier choirs of the diocese. Twenty plus voices grace every 10:30 Sunday

Eucharist from September through June, also liturgies for Christmas Eve, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, holy days, Choral Evensong and numerous other church functions. We welcome you to join us.

And not only for worship. We offer an active Christian Formation program for adults and children that takes place on Sundays and weekdays. Our children's program is under the direction of Kristin Ochtera , a professionally-trained Christian educator, and begins at 10:15 on Sunday morning. A dedicated team of teachers present lessons and stories, conduct chapel services, and engage the children in outreach projects, such as the Christmas gifts for the BOCES Teen-aged Parenting Program, and, for the year 2004, our year-long commitment to Heifer Project International, which raised over $5,000. A combination acolyte training/youth group has been started by several of our young adults, and meets on Sunday afternoons.