Our History

The New Sudbury Mission — 1954

The ‘New Sudbury Mission’ – now the Church of the Ascension – was initiated in 1954 by the Church of the Epiphany located in downtown Sudbury. The goal was to plant an Anglican Christian outreach in the newly growing neighbourhoods around Sudbury. At 1:45 PM on January 24th, 29 people gathered for a service of Evensong at Charles McRae Public School led by Frank Nock, later a bishop. $5.71 was given at the offering — approximately $65 in today’s value. The mission met again for Evensong at the same time the following Sunday. The first Holy Communion was celebrated on the next Sunday at 8:30 AM.

The Early Years — Schools & Homes

For the first several years, services of Morning and Evening Prayer were held every Sunday, with Lay Reader Cyril Varney, a well-known Sudburian, frequently leading the 11:00 AM Mattins (i.e. sung Morning Prayer). In 1957, Rev. Harry Morrow became the first incumbent presbyter.  The first funeral service was conducted in September of that year for 3-month-old Edward Gilbank. Several months later, on January 5th, 1958, five people were baptised into Christ. The first Confirmation service was held several weeks later on January 14th with 6 individuals publicly confessing faith in Christ and two being received from the Roman Catholic Church. In 1957-1958, attendance at Mattins averaged 60-90 people, with services held at Charles McRae and Carl Nesbitt Public Schools, while Communion services were hosted in homes of at least 13 different families — “breaking bread from house to house.” (Acts of the Apostles 2:46, KJV)

A (Flexibly) Permanent Home

A ground-breaking ceremony for a new church building on Sparks Street was held on the Sunday closest to Ascension Day, May 15th, 1958, at 1:00 PM, with 52 people in attendance. Outdoor church services were held on the lawn of the new property that summer, with 103 people in attendance at the first outdoor service on June 28th, 1958, followed by games. The cornerstone of the Parish Hall was laid on Monday, October 5th, 1958, with Bishop William Wright as officiant and preacher. This Parish Hall was meant to be a temporary space for worship until a larger sanctuary could be built. The first service in the new Church of the Ascension was held on November 9th, 1958, with 158 people in attendance. The final Sunday in November was recorded as a ‘very cold day’ with 140 people present at church.

Bishop Wright returned on Palm Sunday, 1959 to dedicate the church building. $118.62 was offered by worshippers that day – over $1000 in today’s money.

Though the Parish Hall had been intended to be a temporary space for worship, the dream of building an extension never materialised. Church members regularly moved chairs for social activities before returning them to the arrangement necessary for Sunday worship. In 2004, a Fellowship Hall was built on the northwest side of the building, allowing the former Parish Hall to function primarily as a space for worship.

In the 21st Century

In the early 2000s, Mattins as the principal Sunday service was replaced by the celebration of the Eucharist at 9:00 and 11:00 AM. In 2013, the church adopted the Godly Play programme, based on the Montessori philosophy of education, to teach children the stories of the faith. In 2014, Morning and Evening Prayer, led by members of the church, were re-instated using the Book of Common Prayer. In 2020, due to Covid-related restrictions, the 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM services were replaced with a service of Ante-Communion at 10:00 AM — the first worship service at the church to be live-streamed. This new time for Sunday morning Eucharist was continued after Covid restrictions were lifted.

Our Future

While navigating the ever-evolving economic, cultural, and demographic realities of Sudbury, our community continues to affirm its role as a ‘mission’ to New Sudbury. Our name — Church of the Ascension — recalls Jesus’ final mandates and promises to his followers before he ascended to heaven, encapsulating our role: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28.18b-20, NRSVA).