Tour of the Church

Welcome to the Church of the Ascension online tour. We are pleased to share the beauty and symbolism of our wonderful church building with you.

The Church of the Ascension parish was established in February 1890 at what was then the northernmost part of the rapidly growing city of Minneapolis. After outgrowing the original wooden church building, Fr. Jeremiah Harrington turned his attention to building a new church structure. The current church building was built in 1901 and 1902. When the building was dedicated on May 24, 1903, Archbishop John Ireland proclaimed, “you have built a Cathedral in the wilderness!” This beautiful church building has been a mainstay of the near North Side of Minneapolis for almost a century.

The front façade of the church is dominated by two unsymmetrical towers. Although both have polygonal spire roofs, the north (right) tower is higher and surmounted with a cross. Both have gothic arched louvered belfries. The church bells in the north tower may still be rung by pulling on an interior rope.

After passing through a front narthex or foyer, the main body or nave of the church is observable. The nave features __ rows of pews to seat __ people.

At the far end (west end) of the church is a main altar made of white Carrarra marble and Mexican onyx. The altar was made by Conbradi of St Louis, Missouri, and was installed in 1902.

The center panel in at the top of the altar features a bas relief of Jesus’ Ascension into heaven forty days after his resurrection. Below this panel is a golden crucifix and tabernacle flanked by statues of two angels and the four evangelists—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The lower center of the alter features a bas relief of a lamb with a victory flag symbolizing Jesus, the Lamb of God who sacrificed His life for our sins to win our salvation. On either side of the lamb are the letters A (alpha) and O (omega), which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet signifying our God, the beginning and the end.

Moving counter-clockwise, on the left side of the main altar is the pulpit, where the scriptures are read and then related to our daily lives. On the wall behind the pulpit is a rendering of Christ and the children, which was added by Fr. Monsour to recognize and welcome the varying ethnic backgrounds in the Ascension community.

Past the pulpit on the left side is a side altar dedicated to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. The statue represents a Greek icon of the Virgin Mary. The gold, crown and jewels on the stature represent her queenship and love. The Greek letters translate to “Mother of God,” and the Archangels Gabriel and Michael carry instruments of Jesus’ passion. The base of the altar has a painting of the Annunciaiton, when Mary is told she is to be the mother of Jesus.

On the south wall in the southwest corner is a stained glass window of Saint Anthony, and Italian monk and great preacher.

The next window on the south wall on the left side of the church is a beautiful large transept showing Saint Patrick freeing Ireland of snakes. A large portion of the original Ascension parishioners were of Irish descent.

Continuing counter-clockwise down the south wall, the next window features Jesus as the Good Shepard looking for the lost members of his flock.

Next on the south wall are the Reconciliation Rooms or confessionals and then the final window on the south wall in the southeast corner is of a child with a Guardian Angel.

Interspersed on the wall amongst the stained glass windows are fourteen Stations of the Cross which remind us of Jesus’ last suffering steps before his execution.

The rear wall of the church on the east side is dominated by a wooden choir loft and a beautiful triple stained glass window. This window is that of Mary giving the rosary to Saint Dominic. The figure on the left window is most likely Pope Leo XIII, pope in 1902 when the church building was built.

The ceiling features three circles which follow the path of the center aisle. The represent the Trinity—that there are three persons in one God. The circle toward the rear of the church by the choir loft depicts a hand, reminding us that God the Father is the creator of life. The middle circle is of wheat and bread, representing Jesus and His presence in the Eucharist. The third circle closest to the altar shows a dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit sent to be with each of us always.

On the right side in the northeast corner is a stained glass window of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the 17th century, Jesus asked Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque to be honored under the emblem of His human heart.

On the north wall where a confessional was once located is a shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe. In 1531 near Mexico City, Our Lady appeared to an Aztec peasant named Juan Diego. To prove her identity, she made roses bloom in the cold, arid hillside and impressed a picture of herself on his roughly woven cape. Many in Mexico and throughout Central and South America have a great devotion to her.

The next window moving counter-clockwise up the right (north) wall is dedicated to Mary’s Immaculate Conception. It honors the Catholic belief that Mary was born without original sin in preparation to bear the son of God.

The large stained glass window in right transept on the north wall shows the Ascension of the Lord into heaven. The window also illustrates Mary and the disciples.

The last stained glass window on the north wall shows Saint Peter. Peter was one the original twelve disciples and was given the key to the church by Jesus before is crucifixion. Peter was our first Pope.

The last element of our tour is the other side altar, to the right (north) of the main altar. This altar is dedicated to Saint Joseph, Mary’s husband. He holds a carpenter’s rule and a staff of ever-blooming lilies, symbols of his vocation and his purity.

Thank you for participating in the virtual tour of the Church of the Ascension in Minneapolis. We invite you see our beautiful church in person for a visit or to join us in worship.