Church of the Ascension Roman Catholic

What Church of the Ascension Roman Catholic does

The Church of the Ascension is a Roman Catholic parish church operating under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 221 West 107th Street in the Manhattan Valley section of Manhattan's Upper West Side. Founded in 1895, the parish serves residents of the Upper West Side, Manhattan Valley, and Morningside Heights through Catholic worship, sacraments, faith formation, and community outreach. The organization is staffed by 38 employees and is led by Rev. Daniel S. Kearney as Pastor.

Core operations center on weekly Mass services delivered in English and Spanish, the seven Catholic sacraments (Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, Confirmation, etc.), and faith formation programs spanning children (ages 3-18), youth (Culinary Institute ages 10-21), and adults (OCIA/RICA). Supporting ministries include a teen-run Food Pantry, the St. Vincent de Paul Society outreach, music programs (Ascension Choir, Jazz Mass, Los Walkirios), and an annual mission trip to San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic, where medical clinics serve 400-500 people per day. Distribution channels combine in-person services with digital touchpoints (website, YouTube livestreams, Instagram @ascension107, email newsletters, and weekly bulletins archived since 2015).

The parish's revenue model is entirely donation-based, with weekly Sunday collections, recurring electronic giving through the third-party Faith Direct platform (parish code NY588), the archdiocesan Cardinal's Appeal, and a multi-year Renew & Rebuild capital campaign (parish goal $1M, retaining 74% of funds raised). A secondary rental income stream comes from leasing the former Ascension School building to the New York City Department of Education. No formal pricing structure exists; revenue is generated entirely through voluntary charitable giving and tithing. Collections grew approximately 2% year-over-year and stand 3% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels, with the parish projecting an operating surplus for fiscal year ending August 31, 2026.

Name

Church of the Ascension Roman Catholic

Legal name

Church of the Ascension

Website

https://ascensionchurchnyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Church of the Ascension is a Roman Catholic parish church on Manhattan's Upper West Side, founded in 1895 and operating under the Archdiocese of New York. It serves Upper West Side, Manhattan Valley, and Morningside Heights residents with bilingual Mass, sacraments, faith formation, food pantry, and Dominican Republic medical missions, funded by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catholic Parish Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAA

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAE

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAB

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

Keywords

• Catholic parish services
• Religious worship services
• Faith formation programs
• Sacramental preparation
• Charitable community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Weekly Parish Collections: Weekly Sunday Mass collections from parishioners contributing to operational expenses and ministry programs.
2. Faith Direct Electronic Giving: Electronic funds transfer through Faith Direct platform allowing recurring or one-time donations via credit/debit card or bank account. Parish code NY588.
3. Renew & Rebuild Capital Campaign: Diocesan-wide $200 million capital campaign with parish goal of $1,000,000 to fund stained glass preservation, church doors, and organ repairs. Five-year pledge payment period. Parish retains 74% of funds raised.
4. Cardinal's Appeal: Annual archdiocesan appeal supporting broader diocese needs including care for sick and vulnerable populations.
5. Property Lease Revenue: Former Ascension School building leased to New York City Department of Education generates rental income.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Church of the Ascension is a Roman Catholic parish church providing weekly Mass services in English and Spanish, Catholic sacraments (Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick), faith formation programs for children, youth, and adults, and a portfolio of community ministries including a food pantry, music programs, youth culinary institute, and annual mission trips to the Dominican Republic. It is funded almost entirely through voluntary parish donations, electronic giving, and an archdiocesan capital campaign.

Product overview

The Church of the Ascension offers a comprehensive portfolio of Catholic parish services centered around weekly Mass celebrations in English and Spanish, sacramental preparation programs (Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick), and faith formation initiatives spanning all ages from children (ages 3-18) to adults. The church operates distinctive programs including the Ascension Culinary Institute for youth, a food pantry serving the community, and annual mission trips to the Dominican Republic. Additional offerings include music and liturgy programs (traditional choir, jazz mass, Spanish-language ensembles), the St. Vincent de Paul Society for community outreach, and electronic giving options through Faith Direct. The parish also conducts capital campaigns for facility preservation and participates in the Archdiocesan Renew & Rebuild initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ascension Food Pantry: Student-run food pantry offering canned goods, fresh produce, and frozen proteins on the third Saturday of each month.
• Ascension Culinary Institute (ACI)
• Ascension Parish Groups
• Ascension Choir
• Jazz Mass
• Los Walkirios

Products and services

• Weekly Mass Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 3% higher collections than pre-pandemic 2019 levels
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Catholic Charities NYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic Charities NY is referenced as a trusted community resource for social services. The church directs parishioners with urgent social service needs including housing assistance, immigration services, food access, and other support to Catholic Charities NY hotline (888-744-7900) or website (catholiccharitiesny.org).
• NYC Department of EducationminorOthersThe former Ascension School building is now leased to the New York City Department of Education. Significant parish investments were made to prepare the building for DOE occupancy, and the lease arrangement now generates rental income for the parish.
• Holy Name/St. Gregory's ParishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAscension collaborates with Holy Name/St. Gregory's Parish (207 West 96th Street) for children's faith formation. Children ages 5-17 participate in a family retreat model program held at the partner location once every two months.
• Harvest JourneysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChurch partnered with Harvest Journeys to offer a Marian Pilgrimage from Fatima to Lourdes, a 9-day spiritual retreat. Fr. Kearney and Fr. Emmerson lead the pilgrimage.
• St. Jane House (Minneapolis)minorOthersSister parish relationship with Ascension Minneapolis. New York parishioners stay at St. Jane House, sponsored by the Visitation Sisters, when visiting. Shared experiences around social justice and immigrant support.
• Visitation Sisters MonasteryminorOthersThe Visitation Sisters sponsor St. Jane House in Minneapolis and have a monastery near Ascension Minneapolis. They support healing ministries and community activities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York: Parent ecclesiastical body overseeing Ascension. Comparable as the broader institutional Catholic organization within which Ascension operates and through which it raises capital campaigns (e.g., Renew & Rebuild, Cardinal's Appeal).
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York: Larger nonprofit social services arm of the Archdiocese, formally partnered with Ascension for referral of parishioners needing housing, immigration, and food assistance. Comparable as a faith-based nonprofit within the same archdiocese ecosystem delivering community programs dependent on donations.

Direct peers

• St. Patrick's Cathedral: Flagship Catholic cathedral in Midtown Manhattan under the Archdiocese of New York. Comparable as a high-visibility Archdiocese-of-NY Catholic parish offering Mass, sacraments, music ministries, livestreams, and donation fundraising in the same city and diocese.
• Church of St. Paul the Apostle: Roman Catholic parish on the Upper West Side of Manhattan offering Mass, sacraments, and community outreach. Directly comparable as a Catholic parish in the same neighborhood serving overlapping congregants with similar ministry portfolios.
• Ascension Catholic Church (Minneapolis): Sister parish of Church of the Ascension NYC, sharing titular feast day celebrations. Comparable as a same-name Catholic parish operating bilingual Masses and social justice/immigrant support ministries under similar parish models.
• St. Ignatius Loyola Church: Manhattan Roman Catholic parish known for music ministry and broad programming. Comparable as another well-established, musically-distinct NYC Jesuit parish running extensive community and liturgical programs supported by donations.
• Our Lady of Pompeii Church: Greenwich Village Catholic parish famous for its Italian-American heritage and Italian-language Mass. Comparable as a Manhattan Catholic parish with strong ethnic/cultural identity, multi-generational programming, and donation-funded operations.
• Holy Name of Jesus / St. Gregory the Great Parish: NYC Roman Catholic parish on the Upper West Side that collaborates with Ascension on children's faith formation (family retreat model). Directly comparable as a neighboring Catholic parish serving a similar Manhattan demographic with similar sacramental and formation programs.
• St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (Manhattan): Historic Manhattan Catholic parish offering Mass, formation programs, and community services. Comparable as another NYC Catholic parish of similar scale running sacramental, faith formation, and charitable programs funded by donations.

Others

• St. Vincent de Paul Society (NYC): Catholic lay charitable organization running parish-based food, clothing, and shelter ministries - Ascension hosts a local chapter. Comparable as a faith-aligned charitable program model operating at the parish level with donation funding and volunteer labor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/ChurchoftheAscensionUWS/streams
• Instagraminstagram.com/ascension107
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/church-of-the-ascension-roman-catholic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Church of the Ascension Roman Catholic