Spirit and Light Shared Event - Religious Education Registration 2026-2027 is NOW OPEN! - We are excited to begin another year of faith formation and spiritual growth! Whether you are returning or joining us for the first time, we look forward to guiding your child on their journey of faith. We offer a variety of different religious education programs. Sessions begin the week of September 6. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Beginning in October and going through May, on the second Saturday of each of those months our Saturday evening 5:00 PM Mass will be celebrated at our Ascension Church site... Accommodating this is simply a gesture of goodwill and a bridge builder to honor many who have made the transition to St. Edmund but who also have a desire to worship now and then on a Saturday night at Ascension Church, which before unification was their Mass preference... CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

During October, Ascension and St. Edmund Parish will be supporting Sarah's Inn in Forest Park. We will be collecting full-sized soap, shampoo, lotion, deodorant, and feminine products for the women and children living at Sarah’s Inn. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Non-Parish Event of Interest - Stop. Pause. Pray. - For justice and understanding in the world! - Project Prayer at Noon was founded to address growing social division, fear, and injustice by harnessing one of humanity's oldest, most universal tools for change: unified, collective prayer. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

October is Respect Life month, and our parish is again participating in The Baby Bottle Project benefiting The Women’s Centers of Greater Chicagoland. Please take a Baby Bottle home with you this weekend, fill it with your spare change, and return it on the weekend of October 31 and November 1. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Community Shared Event - Order your Luminaria Kit NOW for “Light Up the Night” or for Christmas Eve - Cost is $10.00 per Kit and includes 6 candles, 6 bags, and sand. Pay by card, cash, or check at pick-up dates on December 19 or December 20. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Troop 20 Scouts are selling fresh, fragrant Christmas wreaths and ropes of balsam garland again. Orders can also be placed online. Final orders are due by Monday, November 3. All proceeds support Ascension Troop 20 Scouts and their activities. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Community Shared Event - Join The Neighborhood Bridge on Sunday, November 8 at 6:30 PM as the Bears take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Robert’s Westside in Forest Park. Come enjoy the excitement of Bears football on a big screen, while supporting the final fundraiser of the year of The Neighborhood Bridge. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

We have celebrated the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning for over forty years. Now is the time to get ready for the FORTY-FOURTH (XLIV) running of the Turkeys to celebrate and gather again on Thanksgiving morning - Thursday, November 26. We need 60-65 to pull this off each year. We will be sending requests to last year’s volunteers, but we are also looking for more younger participation. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

To keep the parish buildings warm, in the winter there 8 large boilers and 9 rooftop heat/AC units - Total boiler repairs to start the heating season $74,417.00 - If you would be able to assist in covering the unexpected repairs, please reach Matt Brophy at the parish office - CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Community Shared Event - All are welcome to join us for the All Soul’s Day Masses on Monday, November 2 at 7:00 PM at Ascension and St. Giles Churches - There will be also a Morning Mass at 8:30 AM at St. Edmund Church - During November, we invite everyone to bring pictures of our loved ones who have died and display them around the different shrine altars in both Churches and for the Day of the Dead altar at St. Edmund Church - CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

TRIP DATES - JULY 17-24, 2027 - ASP is more than a trip to Appalachia to repair buildings - it is a service project built on relationships - Registration for ASP 2027 is now open for teens and adults seeking to inspire hope and service through volunteer home repair and replacement in Central Appalachia. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

The Christmas cards we send mean so much to people in custody who receive them. A simple card lets them know they are not forgotten. All donations are due by October 31. Please place the donations in the box at the Ascension Church courtyard door. CLICK ON THE EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

It's time to clean out your closets for the Ascension Knights of Columbus Annual Coat Drive! Donations can be left in the bin in the Ascension Church vestibule at any time from October 1 through November 1, or in person before Sunday Masses at Ascension on October 25. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Registration is now open for the Ascension and St. Edmund Appalachia Service Trip on July 17-24, 2027, to the Appalachian region. Teens (with adult supervision) learn to repair houses of families who live in poverty. We stay in local schools or gyms, and after spending 7-8 hours working on the homes, we come together for meals and other activities. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Non-Parish Event of Interest - This series introduces Empowering Communication offering practical tools for healthy relationships, respectful dialogue, and staying connected through conflict, while strengthening relationships and exploring paths toward reconciliation. February - November, Eight 3 hour sessions, on the 3rd Sunday of the month at the First Congregational Church in Western Springs. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Now Accepting Applications for the 2027-2028 School Year - Once you’ve decided that Saint Giles School is the right fit for your family, we warmly invite you to complete an application for enrollment - CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Event Date on November 14 - Sponsor, purchase tickets, or donate to our annual Thanks-for-Giving Event. Purchase tickets by October 14 and receive $15 off the ticket price. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Archdiocesan Shared Event - A federal tax credit scholarship program for K-12 Education - Letter from Cardinal Blase Cupich - Please send a message to the Governor and ask him to opt-in to the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit. You can also call the Governor’s office directly at (217) 782-6830. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION! 

The Housing Forward Shelter is asking the Women of St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy and St. Giles to help by providing a continental breakfast for Housing Forward clients on the first Monday of each month (next on November 2, 2026). This is a great service opportunity for teens and families, and can be shared between households. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Consider sharing your musical gifts with the music ministry of our parish! All adult choirs are open to singers, high school age and older. We have three adult choirs and one children’s choir in the parish. We also are in need of cantors and other musicians. All new potential adult members are asked to contact David Anderson at the Music Office or Robert Valle for St. Edmund Choir. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Ascension offers PK3 - 8th Grade students and families rigorous academics, faith formation, readiness for higher education and a love of learning. Call our Admissions office or book your personal tour today! CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Ascension and St. Edmund Parish has signed on to host and provide dinner on the second and fourth Fridays of each month (November 13 and 27). We are also asked to deliver 36 bag lunches and breakfast for 30 on those evenings for guests to eat the next day. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Ongoing Invitation to Support - Since the installation of the LISTEN WIFI assistive listening system in the Churches, more and more parishioners have begun using the app and are finding it helpful... We completed an evaluation of our overall sound systems at both Churches... If you are interested in lending your support to the Sound System Project, please contact David Anderson in the coming weeks. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

The Knights of Columbus and the St. Edmund Diaper Ministry collect diapers and other items on the first weekend of the month for The Neighborhood Bridge, Housing Forward, and Beyond Hunger. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!