Serving the Ascension Cathedral since 1989
The Ascension Historical Society (AHS) is a ministry of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension in Oakland, CA. The Historical Society was created in 1989 by Mary K. Mousalimas as a means of preserving the history of the church since its beginning in 1917.
AHS is quite unique as there are very few historical societies associated with churches. AHS has been instrumental in highlighting the preservation of Greek Orthodox church communities and Hellenic pride.
Ascension Members over the years
Ascension Historical Society 2007
AHS Dedicating a bench at Lake Merritt, Oakland CA
Wednesday Work Group
Ascension Historical Society 2017
AHS meeting
Wednesday Work Group
Historical Publications & Highlights about AHS (a sampling)
Saving The Brush Street Church
Before founding AHS, Mary Kumarelas Mousalimas and her daughter Eugenia Mousalimas Ahlas single-handedly saved the beloved Brush Street Church from demolition and helped it become a National Landmark.
Read about their work here
Preserving and Sharing Local Church History
Mary Mousalimas wrote this article for Praxis Magazine (Spring 2008 edition). The Praxis Magazine is published by the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
You can find the article here.
Historical Preservation Symposiums
In 1998, Ascension Historical Committee (as we were known at the time), held the first ever multi-day symposium to highlight the need and problems confronting the communities who wished to preserve their culture, history, traditions, and artifacts. These symposiums were the first of their kind and rose out of seeing an urgent need to preserve the history for future generations. These conferences were co-hosted with The Hellenic Cultural Association, The National Association of Hellenic Cultural Museums, and the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute.
More to come - Page still under Construction
Events of AHS
Since its inception in 1989, AHS and its members have held many events and meetings over the years. Below are some examples.
The Annual Hellenic Run
Established in 1995 and held annually on the shores of Oakland’s Lake Merritt until 2016. The Hellenic Run was done as an annual fundraising and was a tribute to the anniversary of Greece’s Independence.
30th Anniversary Celebration
Preservation of Parish History Symposium
Workshop Presentation by Mary K. Mousalimas “Preservation of our Community Histories: Past, Present, and Future” can be read here. During this 2002 talk, the achievements of AHS were detailed.
Honoring the Legacy of Senator Nick Petris
An Evening with Author Nick Gage
Ascension Cathedral’s 100th Anniversary
AHS created a beautiful historical museum giving tribute to our Cathedral’s long history. The museum tribute included an altar made from iconostasis and parts of the original Brush Street Church altar.