The Church of the Ascension is an Anglo-Catholic parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago located in the Near North Side of the city on North La Salle Drive. It was founded in 1857 as a mission of the then St. James Church, now the diocesan cathedral.

The first church was wooden and was built in 1858 on a rented lot on Oak Street. In November 1864, the church lot was sold by its owners so the church needed to be moved to a new site at the northwest corner of LaSalle Avenue and Maple Street. The following September, the vestry purchased the lots at the corner of LaSalle Avenue and Elm Street for $8,640 where the church now stands. The church was then closed in early spring so it could be moved to this new site.

This church was completely destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire on 10th October, 1871. All that was saved was the stone baptismal font and the communion service. Ground was broken for St. Faith’s Chapel in 1873 and on Ascension Day 1896, the present church was consecrated.