Church of the Ascension Celebrates 50th Jubilee with Special Palm Sunday Mass in the Park

Church of the Ascension Celebrates 50th Jubilee with Special Palm Sunday Mass in the Park
FOUNTAIN HILLS — As part of its landmark 50th anniversary Jubilee celebration, the Church of the Ascension invites the entire Fountain Hills community to a special outdoor Palm Sunday Mass on March 29, 2026.
The service will take place at 10:00 a.m. in the Fountain Hills Amphitheater at Fountain Park. This unique open-air liturgy will mark the beginning of Holy Week in a setting that recalls the community’s early roots, bringing faith into the public square just as the parish celebrates five decades of service to the region.
The Mass will be celebrated by the Most Reverend Eduardo A. Nevares, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix. Concelebrating the liturgy alongside the Bishop will be Father Jilson Panakkal, Pastor of the Church of the Ascension.
A ceremonial procession will open the liturgy, featuring a touching visual representation of the church’s longevity: some of the parish’s oldest founding members will walk alongside the children of the parish. This intergenerational procession symbolizes the passing of the faith from the “living stones” who built the church 50 years ago to the future generation who will carry it forward.
Attendees can also expect a robust musical program, taking advantage of the amphitheater’s acoustics to uplift the solemnity and joy of the occasion.