107th Street Fire Relief Fund

Begin the new year with eGiving to help sustain and build ministries throughout 2026 that reflect the steadfast promise of God’s love. The need is great in our community, and your generous online gifts will help people all around us.

We prayerfully request that you consider signing up for eGiving from your computer, smartphone or tablet. You can set up a recurring donation or make a one-time gift. Sign up today by visiting faith.direct/NY588, or text ‘Enroll’ to (Text-to-Give Number). Thank you for your continued support of our parish family.

God Bless You,   
Fr. Kearney

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Ascension:

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!”
Today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, the final day of the Octave of Easter. This beautiful feast was established for the universal Church by Pope John Paul II in the year 2000, the same day he canonized Saint Faustina Kowalska. Through her visions and writings, St. Faustina helped the Church rediscover the depth of God’s mercy, especially through the image of the Divine Mercy and the devotion of
the Chaplet. Placed fittingly on the Octave of Easter, this feast reminds us that the Risen Christ’s first gift to His disciples was mercy—“Peace be with you.” That same mercy
is offered to each of us without measure. Today invites us not only to receive that mercy, but also to extend it generously to others. Today, after the 12:30 PM Mass, there will be a special celebration in Spanish for Divine Mercy. This celebration, coordinated by the parish prayer group, will take place in the church and will conclude with the praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3:00 PM. All are invited to attend.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to all who helped make our Holy Week and Easter Triduum celebrations so prayerful and beautiful. In a special way, I thank our dedicated altar servers, whose reverence, precision, and familiarity with the liturgy are always evident. I am also deeply grateful to Mery Madera and her assistants for the care and attention given to decorating our church so beautifully for these sacred days.
My sincere thanks as well to Deacon Nelson, Deacon Corniel, Peter Steinfels, and Merideth Lisagor, along with all who worked so faithfully with OCIA. Their efforts have helped guide many into a deeper life in Christ. I also extend my gratitude to our ushers and to all who worked so diligently to organize and carry out the Good Friday Procession. A very special word of thanks to Jan Dugan, who, each year,
prepares a wonderful reception for those who have received the Easter Sacraments at the Vigil. Thank you Jan! All are so appreciative!
Music is such an essential part of our liturgical life, and we have been richly blessed. I thank Jose Baez and the Walkirios for their inspiring music during our Lenten Mission, Palm Sunday, and especially Good Friday. I am equally grateful to Preston Smith and the Ascension choir for their beautifully prepared and reverently sung liturgies. The addition of the brass quintet, timpani, and cymbals brought a special richness to our Easter celebrations. Thank you to all our musicians, and in a special way to Preston for coordinating these efforts so seamlessly.
I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to Mrs. Irene Bogoni for her extraordinary generosity in making the
music and Easter flowers possible. We are truly grateful.
I offer thanks to the many individuals who quietly and generously gave of their time and talent, often behind the scenes. Though unnamed, your contributions are deeply appreciated and known to God.
Finally, I would also like to congratulate the six newly baptized—Alexander Charles Breau, Julian Anderson Dufault, Andrew Marmol, Dean Joseph Rizzo, Leslie Simmons-Minoso, and Teresa Yakelin Vazquez Gonzalez—
as well as all the candidates of the parish who received their sacraments at the Easter Vigil. Be assured of our continued prayers for you. Congratulations!
A very blessed Easter season to you all. As we continue to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection, let us remember in our prayers all those affected by war and violence, especially in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, and throughout the world. May the Risen Christ, rich in mercy, bring peace to every heart.

Peace, Father Kearney

We are reminded as Christians to pray, fast, and give alms to the less fortunate. St. Paul tells us that we must, “Bear [our] share of hardship for the gospel.” In living a Christian life, we are asked to make sacrifices for the good of others and for the good of the Church. 

Many parishes will experience financial hardship in the near future, and most will struggle to meet critical needs. We understand that the financial circumstances of many of our families are uncertain, but please know of our deep gratitude for whatever you can contribute to support our Church during this challenging time.

If you would like to make a gift to the Cardinal’s Appeal to support the broader needs of our archdiocese, you can do so at

https://cardinalsappeal.org/donate.

We are truly grateful for your generosity. Please know that we will continue to pray for those caring for the sick, and those that are the

most vulnerable among us.