Glory to Jesus Christ!

Our Parish

Laying of the cornerstone in 1916

From its 1916 start as a Russian immigrant parish, drawn from the many families who came to work in Albion’s foundries, Holy Ascension has ebbed and flowed over the past century, growing today to a vibrant community with over 150 worshippers each Sunday.

Over the past two decades, the parish has undertaken multiple projects to improve our church’s beauty—particularly through extensive iconography additions—and provide the necessary structural repairs and maintenance needed for the wear and tear on a building with multiple weekly services, along with an abundance of baptisms, weddings, and social activities.

Current building, 2022

The Problem

But, we are reaching the limits of what this building can provide.

For some time, our Sunday morning crowd has outgrown available parking and the space in our basement fellowship hall, driving some people—including, unfortunately, some newcomers—away.  Larger services, such as Pascha (Easter) and weddings are proving very challenging.

The limits of the current property as well as building codes and city regulations make it impossible for us to make the building handicap accessible, which has already driven some potential parishioners from our church. Our building is also aging, and though we continue to maintain it as best as we can, major unresolvable issues remain.

A New Property

In 2020, a 10-acre wooded property became available just two miles from our current lot for a good price, so we purchased it. It already has a building on it that is the ideal size to serve as a future church hall, with space for a classroom, bookstore, and office. Its main hall can comfortably fit 250 people.  The new property is at 13526 29 Mile Rd, Albion Michigan.

Renovating this building and the property has been and continues to be a project of the whole parish. We are also currently renting it as an event space, the Ascension Event Center, to start to bring in revenue for our future plans.

Already, the hall has become the home for parish occasions like our Paschal feast, wedding receptions, and other gatherings.  We have already improved it substantially, but It still needs some beautification, especially on the outside.

Go BACK to the main Holy Ascension Church Building Project Page.