Our Leadership

The Reverend Carlos de la Torre, Rector

​Fr. de la Torre arrived at the Church of the Ascension after serving for four years as Rector of Saint John's, Bellefonte in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. Previously,  he served as curate of Christ Church, New Haven, a historic downtown Anglo-Catholic parish in the Diocese of Connecticut, and as director of Saint Hilda’s House, a residential service year program for young adults. During his tenure in Connecticut, he also served as a Region Missioner, a Diocesan position aimed to encourage greater collaboration among parishes.
 
Fr. de la Torre has held several diocesan and church-wide appointments. He has served on the Commission on Ministry in the Diocese of Connecticut and Central Pennsylvania, he was elected as a clergy deputy to General Convention, and he was subsequently appointed to the House of Deputies Committee on the State of the Church. He is a member of various Catholic devotional societies and a priest associate at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.
 
Fr. de la Torre was born in Lima, Peru, and was raised in a New York City suburb. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, and a Bachelor of Arts from Manhattanville College, Purchase, New York. 

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​The Reverend Gary E. A. Lawler, Assisting Priest

Fr. Lawler has been a priest for nearly thirty years and served parishes in New York City, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Morrison, Illinois, and is now retired and living happily in Edgewater, a neighborhood along Chicago’s lakefront.  These days, upon request, he gladly helps-out/fills-in where and when he can. He fills his spare time with cultural activities, concerts, 12-step meetings and travel.

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​The Reverend Robert Petite, Assisting Priest

​​Fr. Petite is a graduate of The University of King’s College, Halifax, Nova Scotia (B.A.), Trinity College, University of Toronto, (M.Div.) and Chicago Theological Seminary (D.Min.).  He was ordained a priest in 1972 in the Diocese of Nova Scotia, Canada, where he served for twenty years as a parish priest, university, hospital, and military chaplain. Fr. Petite arrived in the Diocese of Chicago in 1989 for training in Clinical Pastoral Education at Rush University Medical Center.  He is a retired Certified Pastoral Educator with The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, and a Marriage and Family Therapist (IL).  Fr. Petite retired as Chaplain and Executive Director of Church Home at Montgomery Place in 2014 where he served for twenty-two years. He continues to practice as a ACPE Consultant, Marriage and Family Therapist, and Spiritual Director. Fr. Petite and his spouse, The Rev. Mark Tabbut, live in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago.

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The Reverend Christopher Poore, Assisting Priest

​Fr. Poore was ordained to the priesthood in 2024 and is currently a doctoral student in theology at the University of Chicago Divinity School. In 2021, he founded Seminary Street Press in order to republish important Anglican theological works, including Tracts for the Times, Jeremy Taylor's The Worthy Communicant, and Vida Dutton Scudder's Social Teachings of the Christian Year. He also serves as editor for Virginia Theological Seminary's VTS Press. In addition to his work at Ascension, Fr. Poore supports parishes throughout the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago that cannot afford full-time clergy. He has an MA in theology from the University of Chicago Divinity School (2020) and an MDiv from Virginia Theological Seminary (2023).

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David Alan Robertson, Senior Warden

David Robertson serves as the Senior Warden. He has been a member of Ascension for 24 years. While a member of the vestry, David chaired the Buildings and Grounds Committee, spearheading the planning for the former Convent of St. Anne. He also served on the Outreach Committee. In addition to serving at the altar,  he is a regular participant in the monthly food pantry and St Chrysostom’s Refugee Clothing Mission. He also worked on Open House Chicago and co-Chaired the 2019 Community Thanksgiving Dinner. David is an academic museum consultant and is the President Emeritus of the  Association of Academic Museums and Galleries. Prior to his retirement, he was Museum Director/Faculty Member at Northwestern University.

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Vicki Dvonch, Junior Warden

Vicki Dvonch serves as the Junior Warden. She is a retired physician, high school teacher and university professor. She was a member of Ascension during the 1980s and was married here in 1983. She returned in March 2022. She serves as an acolyte, a coffee hour host, and a volunteer for the food pantry. In addition to her prior vestry service, Vicki is a member of the Outreach Committee and serves on a Discernment Committee. Outside of the parish, Vicki is a volunteer for a reading program in the Chicago Public schools, Friends in Need and the Greater Chicago Food Bank.

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Vestry

The Vestry, or parish council is responsible for all budgetary and property issues as well as collaborating with the Rector on strategic planning for parish growth and programming.  It is comprised of members of the parish who are elected at the annual meeting to three-year terms.   In addition to the two wardens listed above,  the 2025 Vestry includes:  Ken Cozette, James Drury, Nancy Pardee, Jay H. Peterson, Elizabeth (Ellie) Karin Simpson-Falck, Alexis Sarkisian, Andrew Smith, Samuel 'Sam' Sommers, DiAnne Walsh.

​Benjamin Rivera, Choirmaster

Chicago native Benjamin Rivera has dedicated his career to the inspiring and wonderfully varied art of ensemble singing. He began as a professional singer, and performed as a member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus for over twenty seasons. He also sang with Chicago a cappella, the Grant Park Chorus, and several other ensembles, appearing as a soloist on numerous programs, and singing on dozens of recordings. He gradually transitioned to full-time conducting, and now holds positions in three states. Rivera’s current titles include Chorus Director and regular conductor of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Chorus Master of the Florentine Opera, Choirmaster of the Church of the Ascension, High Holidays Choir Director of Temple Sholom, and Assistant Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. He recently prepared the Chicago Symphony Chorus for a performance at the Ravinia Festival under the direction of Marin Alsop. Prior to his appointment to the conducting staff of the Chicago Symphony, Rivera was the Associate Conductor of The Washington Chorus, preparing the Chorus for performances with the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center and Wolf Trap. He also works regularly as a guest chorus director, appearing multiple times with the Grant Park Chorus, Chicago a cappella, Music of the Baroque, and others. Especially adept with languages, Rivera frequently coaches German, Spanish, and Latin, among others. He holds degrees in voice and music theory from North Park University and Roosevelt University, respectively, and a DMA in conducting from Northwestern University. Dr. Rivera lives with his family in Beverly, a neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago.

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David White, Organist

Before being appointed in 2016 to succeed legendary Ascension organist David Schrader, David White served as Organist/Choirmaster at several prestigious congregations, including St. Thomas, Medina (WA) and St. James Cathedral, Chicago.  He shares parish music leadership with Choirmaster Benjamin Rivera and is primary organist for all liturgies, monthly organ recitals, and special concerts.  White has performed internationally as organist and pianist, and is a prolific composer of choral music for the Episcopal Church, among many.

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Susan Schlough, Treasurer

​The Treasurer is an officer of the parish appointed by the Vestry. The Treasurer monitors the financial health of the church by tracking income and disbursements, reconciling bank statements, and analyzing Investment performance; an analysis is provided monthly to the Vestry. The Treasurer ensures that salaries and bills are paid on time and that parishioner contributions are recorded in a timely manner.

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MB Hwang, Verger

MB Hwang serves as Verger, facilitating the worship offered by the people of Ascension in conjunction with the clergy, vestry, and staff.  This often involves traditional duties such as training and scheduling acolytes and lay leaders, helping in the sacristy, and planning or preparing for liturgies. Enabling beautiful and reverent worship in our times can also require technological knowledge and creativity, online liturgical leadership, and a willingness to learn, experiment, or troubleshoot. 

​After completing undergraduate studies with an interdisciplinary focus on liturgical theology, MB studied at Nashotah House for several terms before completing an M. Div at the University of Chicago Divinity School.  She spent a number of years as an educator in a makerspace, encouraging people to discover and cultivate hands-on creativity, and has worked independently in diverse fields including digital design and fabrication.  MB has considered Ascension a spiritual home since 2012.

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Gary Alexander, Minister of Communications

Gary Alexander serves as the Minister of Communications. He is responsible for managing the parish's website and social media platforms and produces marketing videos, banners, signs, and other printed material to promote the parish's services and special events. He also oversees the parish's live-streaming and manages the tech team. Since returning to Ascension in 2014 from another parish, Gary, a life-long Episcopalian, has served on the vestry, as warden, as lector, and at the altar. He is a professional actor and director. He is also a certified yoga instructor and has been teaching since 2010. He began the yoga program at St. James Cathedral and currently has a full schedule of group, individual, and online classes. 

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​George Panice, Sexton

As sexton, George Panice manages nearly all aspects of church maintenance, cleaning and repairs. He is skilled in numerous trades and, when unable himself to perform repairs or make needed improvements, George finds, schedules and collaborates with other professional contractors. George is also the guy who clears the sidewalks when it snows and who is called when the security alarm goes off in the middle of the night.

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Brother Nathanael Deward Rahm, BSG, Parish Office

Br. ​Nathanael provides general office support to the rector, staff, and congregation, supporting the ministries and mission of Church of the Ascension. Among other things, his work includes bulletin and e-newsletter preparation, phone and email support, management of church space use by parishioners and outside groups, supporting the church and collaborating with volunteers. While being a resource person for both members and non-members, Nathanael is a welcoming and responsive presence in the Ascension’s office.

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