About Ascension of Our Lord · Williamsburg, Virginia
Ascension of Our Lord is a Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic parish in Williamsburg, Virginia, canonically erected in 1988 by the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic. The community traces its roots to the ethnic Byzantine (Ruthenian/Slavic) Catholics of the Tidewater region and, over more than three decades, has grown into a parish home for anyone drawn to the spiritual and liturgical traditions of the Christian East while in full union with the Bishop of Rome. Today the parish is shepherded by Very Reverend Father Alex Shuter and is twinned with its sister mission, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Catholic Church in Virginia Beach. Divine Liturgy is celebrated in English and live-streamed on Facebook.
- Established
- 1988
- Patron
- The Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ
- Rector
- Very Reverend Father Alex Shuter
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic (geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond)
Why belong here
Ascension of Our Lord offers something distinctive in greater Williamsburg: a Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic parish in full communion with Rome that celebrates the Divine Liturgy entirely in English with the ancient spiritual traditions of the Christian East — including the liturgical use of icons, the Third Hour, and Mirovanja (blessing with holy oil). A small, family-sized community gathers for Sunday Divine Liturgy at 11:00 a.m. (preceded by the Third Hour at 10:40 a.m.), stays for coffee and fellowship afterwards, and is actively forming the next generation through Eastern Catholic Formation (ECF) classes, a young adults' Philokalia study, an adult Bible study, an icon guild, a men's club, and a lay-led choir. The church is also a quiet witness to Eastern Catholic life in Virginia, live-streaming its liturgy on Facebook so that homebound and far-flung Byzantine Catholics can pray along.
Mass times at Ascension of Our Lord
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before Divine Liturgy on Sunday (around 10:00 AM) per the bulletin
- Half an hour before weekday Divine Liturgy (around 8:00 AM)
- By appointment with Fr. Alex
About Ascension of Our Lord
Ascension of Our Lord is a Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic Church located at 114 Palace Lane in Williamsburg, Virginia. The parish's ancestral roots are in Eastern (Slavic) Europe, and the community follows the Holy Traditions of the Byzantine East — rooted in Constantinople — while in full union with the Catholic Church of Rome. All liturgical services are conducted in English, and Roman Catholics in good standing are free to receive the Holy Sacraments here.
- Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic parish in union with Rome
- Located at 114 Palace Lane, Williamsburg, VA 23185
- All services in English
- Geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond
A Brief Parish History
The Eparchy of Passaic granted canonical status to Ascension of Our Lord in 1988. Father Edward G. Cimbala, recently ordained in 1988 by Bishop Michael J. Dudick, was assigned as the parish's first resident pastor on October 25, 1988. From this base he founded the sister parish Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Virginia Beach in October 1989. The parish celebrated its 25th anniversary on September 28, 2014, with a concelebrated Divine Liturgy, Bishop Kurt Burnette, and the return of founding pastor Father Cimbala.
- Canonically established 1988 by the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic
- First resident pastor: Father Edward G. Cimbala (assigned October 25, 1988)
- Founded sister parish Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Virginia Beach, October 1989
- 25th anniversary concelebrated with Bishop Kurt Burnette on September 28, 2014
- Anniversary icon of the Protection of the Theotokos blessed by the Bishop
The Icon of the Ascension
The icon on the parish's website depicts the Ascension of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, into heaven as told in the Acts of the Apostles. In the image, Jesus' right hand is raised in blessing and His left hand holds a scroll — a reminder of His role as teacher and the ultimate source of knowledge. Icons like this are a hallmark of Eastern Christian worship: each icon tells a story from Scripture or Church history and is treated as a window into heaven.
- Icon of the Ascension (parish patron image)
- Jesus shown blessing with right hand, holding a scroll in the left
- Eastern Christian tradition of iconography emphasized on the parish's liturgy page
Live-Stream and Video Archive
Ascension of Our Lord live-streams its Sunday Divine Liturgy on Facebook, allowing homebound parishioners and Byzantine Catholics elsewhere to participate in real time. The parish also maintains a YouTube channel of current and past Divine Liturgy videos, linked from the parish website's video page. This is a distinctive feature for a parish of its size and a ministry to the wider Byzantine Catholic community in the region.
- Sunday Divine Liturgy live-streamed on Facebook
- Current and archived Divine Liturgies posted to the parish's YouTube channel
Faith Formation and Education
The parish runs an Eastern Catholic Formation (ECF) program for children, resuming each fall (typically early October) before Sunday Liturgy. The parish also offers an adult Bible study meeting the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings in St. John Hall (5:15–6:30 p.m., led by Dr. Michael Lechman) and a Liturgical Bible Study surveying the weekly readings (led by Michael Bracelin). On Sunday afternoons, the Young Adults group gathers at 12:30 p.m. for Byzantine spiritual study drawn from the Philokalia.
- Eastern Catholic Formation (ECF) — children's religious education
- Adult Bible Study — 2nd & 4th Tuesday, 5:15–6:30 PM, St. John Hall (Dr. Michael Lechman)
- Liturgical Bible Study — weekly (Michael Bracelin)
- Young Adults Philokalia study — Sundays at 12:30 PM
Parish Ministries and Committees
The parish life of Ascension of Our Lord is sustained by a deep bench of lay-led committees and ministries. A dedicated Director of Youth Religious Education (Patty Duttry) coordinates formation, and lay committees guide Bible study, special events, retreats, the parish choir, the Icon Guild, the Men's Club, the parish security team, hospitality and coffee hour, outreach, property, finance, financial audit, publicity, and the liturgical committee.
- Director of Youth Religious Education: Patty Duttry
- Choir Director: Lisa Edwards
- Young Adults / Children / Adult Bible Study Committee: Subdeacon Adithia Kusno, Dr. Michael Lechman, Lisa Edwards
- Special Event & Retreat Speakers Committee: David Efimetz, Don Merkley, Dr. Mary Jean Sotack
- Icon Guild
- Men's Club
- Security Team / Greeters (training offered monthly after Liturgy)
- Trustees: Mike Olson, David Efimetz
- Finance / Financial Audit / Publicity / Property / Liturgical committees
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by Very Reverend Father Alex Shuter as pastor, with the assistance of Subdeacon Adithia Kusno. Subdeacon Kusno was advanced to the Order of Subdeacon by Bishop Kurt Burnette on August 13, 2023, at the annual Saint Nicholas pilgrimage at Carpathian Village, after completing the deacon program at the Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Pittsburgh. He now serves the parish liturgically and assists with young-adult formation.
- Pastor: Very Reverend Father Alex Shuter (Rectory 757-585-2787; [email protected])
- Subdeacon: Adithia Kusno (ordained August 13, 2023)
- Director of Youth Religious Education: Patty Duttry
- Webmaster: Don Merkley
The Little Shop at Ascension
The parish operates 'The Little Shop at Ascension,' a small gift shop offering spiritual books, music, icons, and religious articles for special occasions. Special orders are welcome. The shop is open on Sundays after Divine Liturgy and is a popular stop for visitors and parishioners alike — it also serves as a contact point for those who wish to learn more about the Byzantine Catholic faith.
- Icons, spiritual books, music, and religious articles
- Special orders welcome
- Open Sundays after Divine Liturgy
Contact, Directions, and Visitor Information
The church office can be reached at (757) 220-8098 and the rectory at (757) 585-2787. Father Alex can be emailed at [email protected]. The mailing address is PO Box 5096, Williamsburg, VA 23188, with the church itself at 114 Palace Lane, Williamsburg, VA 23185. Visitors curious about Eastern or Byzantine Catholic traditions are invited to ask questions after Divine Liturgy in the vicinity of the icon corner at the front of the sanctuary. The parish is part of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic; its sister mission, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Catholic Church, is at 216 S Parliament Dr, Virginia Beach, VA 23462.
- Church Office: (757) 220-8098
- Rectory: (757) 585-2787
- Email: [email protected]
- Church: 114 Palace Lane, Williamsburg, VA 23185
- Mailing: PO Box 5096, Williamsburg, VA 23188
- Sister parish: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 216 S Parliament Dr, Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Edward G. Cimbala, D.Min.1988–c.1992
Founding pastor; first resident priest assigned October 25, 1988. Ordained May 8, 1988. In October 1989 he also founded Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Virginia Beach. He later became Pastor of St. Therese in St. Petersburg, FL, and eventually Administrator of the Eparchy of Passaic in 2012. Returned to concelebrate the parish's 25th anniversary on September 28, 2014.
- Very Reverend Father Alex Shuter2009–present
Current pastor. Previously served at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Virginia Beach before being named pastor of Ascension of Our Lord; per the Eparchy of Passaic parish list he is listed as Pastor of Ascension of Our Lord and Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.