Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28: 16-20. In the first reading, Jesus tells his Apostles that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them, and then he ascends into heaven. In his Letter to the Ephesians, Saint Paul affirms the hope enjoyed by all who believe in the promise and power of Christ. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus commissions the Apostles to make disciples of all nations, and assures them that he will be with them, always, until the end of the age.

Ascensione del Signore 

L’Ascensione inaugural la missione della Chiesa. Il Signore Gesù, accolto nella Gloria del padre, ma nascosto alla nostra vista sensibile, abita in noi spiritualmente e continua con noi l’opera di salvezza, dichiarando che siamo destinati all vita eterna

耶穌升天節 

今天是耶穌升天節，可是今天的福音（瑪竇28：16-20）並沒有提及穌升天的事。但由於其他福音說記述了耶穌被接升天，可以知道祂的確升天了。耶穌復活後四十天和門徒們吃喝談話，祂的光榮隱藏在人性的形象中。直到祂升天之時，祂的光榮才完全顯示出來。現在耶穌再不與自己的信徒以形體同在，卻以精神的方式時常與祂的教會結合，不斷教化指引她，直到世界終窮之日。 

臨別之時，他們交給了門徒治理教會的權柄，給他們施洗和赦罪的權柄。祂說：「天上地下的一切權柄都交給了我，所以你們要去使萬民成為門徒，因父、及子及聖神之名給他們授洗。」這一句話說明了天主三位一體的道理，也說明天教會是由宗徒一脈相承地傳下來的。領了洗的人是屬於天主的，和天主有特殊關係。 

天主聖父是一切救恩之本，聖子把領了洗的人加入在祂的教會裏，聖神默導教友，使他們明白並有恆地做到耶穌所要求的。 

耶穌既然把治理教會的權交給宗徒和他們繼承人，當然也默導他們，使他們代表祂善盡職青，我們服從教會的訓導，就是服從天主。

From the Pastor’s Desk 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, 

Today we celebrate Jesus ascending into heaven. This is not a moment of abandonment, but one of empowerment. Think about when someone close to us dies; we often feel that person is still with us, continuing to inspire and guide us. This is the same feeling Jesus’ disciples had. Jesus leaves his disciples and returns to the glory of heaven. Although he is no longer physically present with them, he becomes more than just a memory of a great person who has passed. The Ascension, rather than leaving them helpless, points directly to the coming of the Holy Spirit, the very source of their future strength and guidance. 

In today’s readings, we heard that Jesus’ disciples witnessed his final moments on earth as he blessed them and departed into the heavens. Imagine the disciples’ reaction. They had walked with Jesus, seen his miracles, heard his teachings, witnessed his crucifixion, and rejoiced in his resurrection. Now, he stands before them, speaks of the coming Holy Spirit, and then, before their very eyes, he is lifted up and a cloud takes him from their sight. 

It is not an ending; it is a new beginning; a profound reorientation of God’s saving work in the world. Jesus is gone, yet he stays with his disciples and us through his Spirit of strength, wisdom, and love; in this way, he remains our companion in life. Every time we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, Jesus still speaks his word to us as we listen to the scriptures. He still gives himself to us as our food and drink, and he is alive in each of us and our church community when we receive Holy Communion. 

Jesus tells his disciples in the Gospel of Matthew: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit ..., I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20). The disciples are no longer merely followers; they are now witnesses. Their mission is clear: to baptize people, to proclaim the Good News, beginning in Jerusalem and extending to the ends of the earth. Jesus’ disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy because they understood that his departure was not an absence, but a new kind of Christ presence through the Holy Spirit. 

Just as the disciples were commissioned, so are we. We live our lives, our words, and our actions not by our own strength, but by the power of the Spirit. We are called to witness the Good News through daily acts of love, justice, forgiveness, and perseverance. Through the resurrection of Jesus, we have the power to overcome sin. We are actively living out our mission, empowered by the Spirit to love our enemies, serve the marginalized, and witness the Gospel until Christ comes again. 

Have a blessed week! 

Fr. Tho Bui

Mass Intentions For The Week 

Sunday              May 17, 2026
8:45     Salvatore Gumina + – Deven Dewan +
10:15  Soul of Ken Ngow +
12:00  Lorenzo Simi + – Eda Morelli Bologna +
5:00     For the People of Saints Peter and Paul 

Monday             May 18, 2026
7:00     Thomas Amato + – Edward & Ernest Sabini +
9:00     Maria Russo & Luigi Cirelli  + – Nina Ngoc Duong + 

Tuesday            May 19, 2026
7:00     Frank Sanguinetti + – Robert Figone +
9:00     Joseph Leo Torre & Family + 

Wednesday    May 20, 2026
7:00     Anniversary of the Death of Solomon Bugayong +
9:00     Francesco, Antoinette, & Frank Germano + ‑ Dominick Angelo Lore +                    

Thursday          May 21, 2026
7:00     Lorraine DeNicolai +
9:00     Giosue & Clementina Bresolin + ‑ For the Soul of Thelma F. Correa + 

Friday                 May 22, 2026
7:00     Marco & Sabina Zolezzi + ‑ Bernard Quinteros +
9:00     Intention of the Wildland Firefighters                            

Saturday          May 23, 2026
7:30     The Giurlani Family +
9:00     Pietro, Adele, & Elena Domenici +
5:00     For the People of Saints Peter and Paul– Anniversary of the Death of Enes Greco +

Baptisms
Stella Davis 

Particular Items 

Santa Gemma: Today at the 12:00 noon Italian Mass, we will celebrate the feast of Santa Gemma, dear to the hearts of Italians and the Lucchesi worldwide. Santa Gemma, pray for us! 

Catholic Communications Campaign: Today throughout the United States, we have a second collection for the Catholic Communications campaign. 

Organ Concert tomorrow! On May 18 a number of musicians from the American Guild of Organists will present a concert of Sacred & Classical music in the Church at 7:00 PM. No charge, but donations grateful accepted. The parking lot will be open. 

Bible Study! Deacon Khoa leads Bible Study every Thursday at 7:00 PM. Come join us in exploring the word of God! 

Eucharistic Adoration & Confession/ Anointing of the Sick: We have Adoration & Confession every Friday, following the 7:00 AM Mass. And on the first Friday of the month (this Friday) we have the Anointing following the 7:00 AM Mass. 

Corpus Christi Procession!  Mark your calendars for June 7, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. We will have our annual Corpus Christi Procession from Saints Peter and Paul over to our friends at the  National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, on Columbus and Vallejo Streets, following the noon Mass.  

玫瑰經 Chinese Apostolate First Sunday Rosary: The Apostolate meets every first Sunday of the month, following the 10:15 AM Mass, to pray the Rosary in the Don Bosco Room. 

Archdiocesan Annual Appeal: This year, our Archdiocesan Annual Assessment is $74,903. So far 31 families/parishioners have given or pledged $18,434, leaving us with a balance of $56,469. If you are able, consider joining the 1% club—give $749. If you do that monthly over the next 10 months it’s $75 a month—just $2.50 a day—less than a cup of coffee!  

Eucharistic Pilgrimage Arrives Here March 30! Pilgrims on Day Two of the Camino de California will arrive at Saints Peter and Paul on May 30 for a 10:30 AM Holy Hour. This is open to everyone and all parishioners are invited to join in an hour of Eucharistic Adoration! 

More Italian Marian Feasts! On Saturday, June 27, we celebrate La Festa della Madonna della Grazie. Mass is at 11:00 AM, followed by a luncheon at the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club. Deadline for luncheon tickets is June 15. For more information or tickets, go here. And the next day, Sunday, June 28, we celebrate San Calogero, patron of Sciacca, Sicily at the 12 noon Italian Mass. Madonna delle Grazie and San Calogero, pray for us.

Want fun, friends, service and faith? Our Salesian Young Adults invite you to share all of the above as we serve our Church and get to know one another! We have Bible studies, board games, monthly Mass, volunteering, movie nights, excursions and so much more. Events will be posted weekly on the Grapevine, the website for young Bay Area Catholics, and you can learn more here: yag.salesians.sspp@gmail.com 

Want to go deeper in Salesian Spirituality? Founded by Don Bosco himself, the Salesian Cooperators are an association of Christians living in the world according to the Chrism of Don Bosco. There are monthly formation meeting for those interested. For the Zoom link,  contact Frank Lavin at (415.310.8551, or email franklavin@comcast.net).

Saints Peter and Paul Salesian School & Pre-K Accepting Applications: Our K-8 Salesian school is accepting applications for this year and next. Please email Dr. Lisa Harris at the school at lharris@sspeterpaulsf.org, or Jessyca Ng at the Pre-K at jng@sspeterpaulsf.org to learn more. 

Sponsor a Student! The Salesians started by educating the children of the poor and we are not about to stop now—but like Don Bosco before us we need your help! We invite financially able parishioners to help with this ministry. Please call Fr. Tho at 415-421-0809 or Dr. Lisa Harris at 415-421-5219.

Catholic Medical Care right in our Parish! Bella Primary Care offers primary & pediatric healthcare in accordance with Catholic principles. They are located at 2000 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 304, in San Francisco. Now scheduling appointments for:
PEDIATRICS: Wellness visits for ages 6 months to 18 years with our pro-life pediatrician Dr. Tammy Mahaney.
WOMEN and MEN: Comprehensive annual exam.
EXPECTANT MOMS: Pregnancy verification, initial ultrasound and blood work.
FERTILITY: Initial and follow-up appointments using natural fertility assessment methods.

For appointments, call 415-775-1500 or email our office at info@bellaprimarycare.org. We look forward to

Liturgical Calendar
Sunday               17          The Ascension of the Lord
Monday             18          Easter Weekday. John I; Pope, Martyr
Tuesday             19          Easter Weekday
Wednesday     20          Easter Weekday. Bernardine of Siena; Priest
Thursday           21          Easter Weekday. Christopher Magallanes, Priest & Companions; Martyrs
Friday                 22          Easter Weekday. Rita of Cascia; Religious
Saturday            23          Easter Weekday
Sunday               24          Pentecost Sunday 

Your gifts of May 9 & 10:          $3,884.
Weekly Goal:                                  $8,670.
Shortfall:                                           $4,786.
Second Collection (Catholic Charities):      $1,342. 

We are always in shortfall. Fr. Tho asks for your help Please consider donating an amount equal to a breakfast or lunch or movie ticket. Your parish needs & appreciates your support!