As noted, early in the first decade of this century Mr. Henry Collins Ranney, parish historian, hand copied an extensive collection of newspaper articles concerning the Church of the Ascension which had been published since 1857. Consulting this source, Mr. Phillip Kieffer, current parishioner, wrote and had published in successive issues of Familia, the parish magazine, an account of the Ascension during the 1800s. Chapters one, two and three are based on Mr. Kieffer's preliminary work.

Monthly parish magazines published regularly from the turn of the century until the concluding years of Fr. Orrick's rectorate (with the exception of the year 1921) provided the primary source of information concerning this period. In addition, the following persons were interviewed:

The Rev. Edwin A. Norris, Jr., rector

Sr. Mary Margaret, superior of the Chicago community of the sisters of the Order of St. Anne

Mrs. Geraldine Ruhling, parishioner

Mrs. Bernice Wilbur, parishioner

Miss Grace DeLand, former parishioner

Mr. David Schrader, parishioner and organist

Mr. Robert Long, parishioner

The Rev. Canon Charles Osborn, executive director, the Evangelical and Catholic Mission

The Rev. Dr. William Haugaard, professor of Church history, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary

The Rt. Rev. Albert W. Hillestad kindly reviewed the chapter dealing with his rectorate at the Ascension.

Seminarians at Seabury-Western (Mr. John Bassett and the Rev. Richard Nelson, currently curate at the Ascension) and Nashotah House (the Rev. John McCausland) provided secondary source materials from the seminary libraries. Mr. Rob Knight, parishioner, offered valuable editorial assistance. Other parishioners, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Carnes, made helpful suggestions concerning the publication of this work. In addition to those mentioned above, I particularly wish to thank the Rev. Canon Chester LaRue, historiographer of the diocese of Chicago, for his contributions and encouragement.

Project Canterbury