From the Little Church to the Main Church: A Century on Santa Maria Drive
Ascension Catholic Church has served the Catholics of Chesterfield, Missouri for more than a century. The parish's roots reach back to the early 1920s, when what is still called the Little Church was built in 1923 and 1924 as a mission parish serving immigrant workers in Chesterfield Valley. There was no permanent pastor at the time; the lone Catholic parish covering what was then a vast swath of western St. Louis County, including small communities called Bonhomme, Orville, Centaur, Hilltop, Hog Hollow, and Chesterfield, was St. Anthony's on Centaur Road, west of where Spirit of St. Louis Airport now stands, and its pastor, Father V. J. McCartney, would travel to Ascension for a Sunday liturgy after celebrating Mass at St. Anthony's in the early morning.
Father John Godfrey was assigned as the first resident pastor by the archbishop shortly after World War II. The simple but beautiful interior of the Little Church came together later, in 1966, when four carpenters from the parish, Ted Jansen, Leonard Ruby, Fred Ruby, and Joseph Ruby, donated their time and skill to install the arches over the pews, the arches over the statues of the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, the detailed window frames, the surrounding mini-arches, and all of the interior carpentry trim. After Vatican II, the communion rail was removed and the original altar against the back wall was replaced with the simple table-style altar that still stands about ten feet from the rear wall. A parishioner named Stan Porzienski upgraded the church's entire electrical system.
Before the new Ascension Church was completed in 1977, the parish had to double the number of liturgies to accommodate a growing Catholic population. Catholics who lived in Chesterfield in the late 1960s through the late 1970s may remember concurrent Masses being held in the upper level of the Parish Hall, directly behind the Little Church. The Maryknoll Fathers, who ran an active high school seminary in Chesterfield from 1958 to 1970, often assisted at Ascension after Father Godfrey's death in late 1965 and until they sold their seminary and grounds in 1973, and some Benedictine priests from a local priory helped celebrate Mass when Ascension was short of priests. Eventually the Archdiocese discontinued St. Anthony parish and made Ascension the designated Catholic Church for the territory bordered by St. Monica in Creve Coeur, St. Joseph in Manchester, and Sacred Heart in Eureka. As West County grew, the Archdiocese added new parishes, Incarnate Word, Holy Infant, St. Anselm, and St. Clare, and eventually Ascension itself was split into two parishes, with St. Albans created to the south.
Two Churches, One Campus
Ascension sits on a single campus at 230 Santa Maria Drive in Chesterfield, and the campus holds two distinct churches. The Main Church, completed in 1977, is where every Sunday Mass and the Saturday Vigil are celebrated. The Little Church, the original 1923-24 mission chapel, now serves as the home for the 6:30 a.m. weekday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the daily Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Spanish-language Rosary, and quiet prayer in the presence of the reserved Blessed Sacrament. The Little Church is open around the clock for anyone who wishes to come and pray.
That two-church arrangement shapes nearly everything about the rhythm of the parish. Weekday Mass at 6:30 a.m. is offered in the Little Church for early risers, while the 8:00 a.m. and noon Masses are celebrated in the Main Church. Confessions are heard in the Main Church before Mass and on Saturday afternoons.
Mass Times, Confession, and Livestream
Mass is offered throughout the week. Saturday opens with an 8:00 a.m. Mass in the Main Church, followed by the Saturday Vigil at 5:00 p.m. Six Sunday Masses are celebrated in the Main Church at 7:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. On weekdays, Mass is offered three times each day from Monday through Friday: 6:30 a.m. in the Little Church, 8:00 a.m. in the Main Church, and noon in the Main Church.
Holy Days of Obligation bring a five-Mass schedule, with 6:30 a.m., 8:00 a.m., noon, 5:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m., all in the Main Church, on January 1 (Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God), August 15 (Assumption of Mary), November 1 (All Saints), December 8 (Immaculate Conception), and December 25 (Christmas). When the Solemnity of Mary, the Assumption, All Saints, or the Immaculate Conception falls on a Saturday or a Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is removed.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. and on Saturday afternoons from 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., and by appointment through the parish office.
Ascension livestreams Mass every day. The Sunday 9:15 a.m. Mass is broadcast live, as is the 8:00 a.m. Mass Monday through Saturday, on the church's YouTube channel and Facebook page. Recent homilies are collected in a YouTube playlist, and the parish bulletin is published online each week.
Adoration in the Little Church
Eucharistic Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is held in the Little Church on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar during those hours, and Ascension schedules adorers through the We Adore Him online platform so that Jesus is never left alone. The Adoration Apostolate welcomes regular weekly, monthly, or substitute adorers and is supported by adoration@asc.church and an Adoration line at (636) 736-6769.
The Little Church also hosts the daily 3:33 p.m. Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Our Lady of Perpetual Help devotions are held on Tuesdays after the 8:00 a.m. Mass in the Main Church, and on Sundays after Mass in the Little Church. The Rosary is prayed Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. in the Main Church before the 8:00 a.m. Mass. The Vocations Committee hosts a Rosary on Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m., the Legion of Mary hosts a Healing Rosary on Thursdays at 11:30 a.m., and a Rosary in Spanish is offered on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the Little Church.
Four Commissions, Seventy Ministries
Ascension organizes its parish life around four Commissions, each responsible for a major area of parish ministry. The parish's stated mission is Love God, Love Others, Make Disciples, and its vision is making church matter by growing Ascension parishioners into disciples who in turn invite others to the Catholic Church in Chesterfield, while assisting other Catholic churches to do the same.
The Engagement Commission welcomes and accompanies parishioners at every stage of their faith journey. It coordinates greeter teams, mentors and connects new members with ministries, reaches out to estranged parishioners in need, and runs events such as Donut Sundays, Faith in Action, Bunco for Birthright, Parish Movie Nights, Ask the Padre, grilling at Fair Ascension, the Pet Blessing, and the Christmas Tree Lighting and Bonfire. Its ministries include the Ambassadors social group for parishioners over 50, the Ascension Ladies Bridge Group, the Athletic Association, Get 'er Done Guys and Gals, the Greeters, the Knights of Columbus, the Ladies Auxiliary, Parish Partners, Prayer Line Warriors, Scouts (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Venturing), and the Young Adults group for those ages 18 to 39.
The New Evangelization Commission fosters a strong personal devotion to Christ and supports conversion to a life with Jesus. Its ministries include the Ascension Bereavement Community (ABC), Creating Catholic Experiences in Motherhood, the Legion of Mary (with both a Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning praesidium), Martha's Guild, which provides and serves funeral lunches, Men's 55 (a fifty-five-minute Scripture study), Men's Awakening (a video-based study of Catholic teaching), the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults and Teens (OCIA and OCIT, formerly RCIA and RCIT), the Padre Pio Prayer Group, the Prayer Shawl Ministry, Small Faith Groups, Regular Joe's (a small faith group for men drawing inspiration from St. Joseph), Women of the Word, and Youth Ministry for both middle school and high school.
The Liturgical Life Commission fosters a greater sense of community through the Church's sacramental life. Its ministries include Adoration, Altar Servers (typically fifth through eighth graders, trained by Father Hambrough), the Altar Society (cleaning the church and laundering altar linens), Children's Liturgy of the Word, the Divine Mercy chaplet, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, the Little Church Flower Ministry, Little Lambs Sunday School, Live Stream Operators, the Music Department, the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, PSR, the Quilting and Sewing Group, the Senior Living Ministry, Ushers, and the Young Family Holy Hour.
The Social Justice Commission promotes the family and community, builds appreciation for personal and social responsibilities, nurtures a commitment to caring for the poor and vulnerable, and embraces stewardship of creation. Its ministries include the Casserole Bakers, Foodbank Volunteers, the Green Team, the Mental Health Awareness Committee, Reach Out, the Respect Life Committee (which supports 40 Days for Life), and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The Commission also serves as the primary resource and catalyst for the work of social justice and social outreach at Ascension, educating parishioners on the seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching.
Children, Little Lambs, and Children's Liturgy of the Word
Ascension makes room for its youngest parishioners during Sunday Mass and beyond. Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered at both the 9:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Masses on most Sundays, typically not on Christmas or Easter. Children from preschool through second grade, before First Communion, are invited to gather immediately after the priest's welcome. They go with adult volunteers to a room at the back of the church, hear the Gospel at their own level, and return during the offertory. No prior sign-up is needed. Leaders and assistant volunteers are always needed and can serve whenever their schedule allows; Suzanne Foeldi and Dianne Donahue coordinate the program.
Little Lambs Sunday School meets Sunday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. in the Pre-K classroom of the Ascension school building. It is open to preschool-age children and is designed so that parents can attend the 10:45 a.m. Mass at the same time. Students must be potty trained. The program introduces little ones to the teachings of the Catholic faith with age-appropriate activities that enrich their understanding and love of the faith.
Ascension School and the Little School
Ascension Catholic School, the parish's K-8 elementary school, and the Ascension Little School, the parish preschool, are part of the same campus. Ascension Catholic School serves Kindergarten through eighth grade and is led by Principal Kelley Fullmer and Assistant Principal Leigh Ann Parker. The Little School serves children ages 2, 3, 4, and 5 and is led by Director Liz Talerico. Together the schools offer Catholic education across the early childhood and elementary years.
PSR: Parish School of Religion
The Parish School of Religion, or PSR, is the religious-education program for children in Kindergarten through eighth grade whose families are registered at Ascension but who do not attend a Catholic school. Two sessions are offered each week: Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and Mondays from 5:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Sacramental preparation follows the parish's standard schedule: First Reconciliation is celebrated in second grade, First Holy Communion in second grade, and Confirmation in eighth grade. Robin Seiler serves as the PSR Director. The parish also hosts Totus Tuus in the summer.
Becoming Catholic: OCIA and OCIT
Adults interested in becoming Catholic are welcomed through the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA), and the parish also offers OCIT for teens. Led by the parish priests, deacons, and a dedicated team of presenters, OCIA meets weekly from September through the Easter season and explores the unity and truth of the One Church founded by Christ, the call to holiness through grace, prayer, and the sacraments, the universality of the Catholic faith, Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, the Eucharist, the meaning of forgiveness and divine mercy, and the hope of resurrection and eternal life. The journey welcomes the unbaptized, those baptized in another Christian tradition, and anyone simply searching for where God may be calling them.
Adult Faith: Bible Studies, Men's and Women's Groups
Ascension's Adult Faith Ministry cultivates opportunities for adults to embrace their baptismal call to evangelize. Small Faith Groups, typically under ten people and running eight to ten weeks, develop a deeper relationship with Christ alongside Christian friendship. Men's 55 is a fifty-five-minute Scripture study of the day's Mass readings that meets Thursdays in the Parish Hall from 7:00 a.m. to 7:55 a.m., right after the 6:30 a.m. Mass, with a Zoom option. Men's Awakening is a video-based study of Catholic teaching, meeting Saturday mornings in the Parish Hall from 7:00 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. with doors opening at 6:30 a.m. and a light breakfast before the video. Regular Joe's is a small faith group for men drawing inspiration from St. Joseph.
Women of the Word meets Wednesday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Parish Offices and Thursday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall. The Thursday morning program uses Symbolon from FORMED, walking through the big picture of the Catholic faith, and includes a study guide and small-group discussion. The Wednesday Morning Faith Group gathers from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall. The Moms Transmit the Faith program meets one Tuesday each month with morning and evening sessions, and babysitting is available for the morning session.
Music Across Six Sunday Masses
The Music Department supports all six Sunday Masses as well as the Saturday Vigil. The 5:00 p.m. Saturday Mass and the 9:15 a.m. Sunday Mass use traditional liturgical music; the 9:15 a.m. choir rehearses Wednesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., September through May. The 10:45 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday Masses feature a Contemporary Choir that welcomes singers and instrumentalists. The 8:00 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Sunday Masses use cantors singing more traditional hymns. Liturgical Music Director Ralph Winn coordinates the cantors, choirs, and instrumentalists across all the Masses, with support from Connor Stinehart for the Contemporary Choir and Cynthia Millangue for the organ and piano needs.
Youth Ministry
Ascension's Youth Ministry forms middle school and high school teens as disciples of Jesus in the life of His Body, the Church. Lara Piszar leads the High School program, which holds Open Office on Wednesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Youth Group on Sundays from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Catherine Wessel leads the Middle School program; Club Middle is open to all sixth through eighth graders and meets from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the first Friday of each month. Adult volunteers are needed for the middle school core team and must complete the Protecting God's Children program. The youth ministry office can be reached at youthministry@asc.church or (314) 960-4125.
Social Justice: Food, Respect Life, and Mental Health
Ascension's Social Justice Commission extends the parish beyond its walls. Casserole Bakers prepare casseroles that are delivered to food pantries and soup kitchens. Foodbank Volunteers pack food at the St. Louis Area Foodbank in Earth City one weekday morning each month, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Reach Out collects food, clothing, and monetary donations for the less fortunate in St. Louis. The Respect Life Committee stands up for the pre-born and their mothers, and Ascension participates in 40 Days for Life. The St. Vincent de Paul Society operates the Ascension Food Pantry, where bilingual volunteers are especially needed, supports the St. Nicholas Food Pantry, and provides meals for the homeless at Saints Peter and Paul.
The Mental Health Awareness Committee works to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health and provides parishioners with information and resources on stress, anxiety, depression, suicide prevention, substance use, maternal mental health, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, PTSD, seasonal affective disorder, and self-harm. The committee curates a long list of crisis hotlines, including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, RAINN, Postpartum Support International, SAMHSA, and the Catholic Upper Room Crisis Hotline, and links to Catholic-specific resources through the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers and Catholic Charities St. Louis. Prayer Line Warriors also pray for parishioners who request prayer, and the Little Church is open 24 hours a day as a place to come and pray.
The Green Team promotes environmental awareness and the parish's call to care for God's creation, providing recycling information for Chesterfield and St. Louis County, partnering with PACT to recycle beauty and wellness packaging, and supporting local recycling initiatives.
Stewardship, Giving, and Safe Environment
Ascension frames stewardship as an invitation to develop a relationship with God through a deepening of prayer, joyful participation in the life of the Church, and generous sharing of all gifts. The Annual Catholic Appeal supports ministries, parishes, and schools across the Archdiocese, and online giving is available through OSV and Givebutter, where recurring or one-time offertory donations can be set up by credit card, debit card, ACH transfer, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal. Monthly envelopes are also available through the parish office for those who wish to give by cash or check.
Anyone wishing to volunteer with children, youth, or vulnerable adults at Ascension must complete the Archdiocese of St. Louis Safe Environment Program known as Prevent and Protect STL. This includes a live Protecting God's Children workshop, an updated background screening, two online training modules on abuse reporting and the Code of Ethical Conduct, and an agreement to the updated Code of Ethical Conduct. Teen volunteers complete a separate Code of Ethical Conduct for Youth form.
Becoming a Member
Newcomers are invited to register as parishioners through the parish registration form, available online in English and Spanish or in paper copy from the Parish Office at 230 Santa Maria Drive. Completed forms can be returned in the collection basket or to the parish office. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the office phone is (636) 532-3304. The parish also publishes a weekly bulletin, an online calendar of events, and weekly newsletters through Flocknote, all of which are linked from the parish's online channels.