St. Stephen ParishSaintStephenSF.org | 451 Eucalyptus Dr., San Francisco CA 94132 | Church 415 681-2444 StStephenSchoolSF.org | 401 Eucalyptus Dr., San Francisco 94132 | School 415 664-8331

Weekday Mass: 8:00 a.m. Reconciliation: Saturday 3:30 p.m. or by appt. Vigil Mass Saturday 4:30 p.m., Sunday Mass 8:00, 9:30, 11:30 a.m. & 6:45 p.m.

Prayer Against Coronavirus

Lord Jesus, our Divine Physician, we ask you to guard and protect us from Coronavirus COVID-19

and all serious illness.

For all that have died from it, have mercy, for those that are

ill now, bring healing.

For those searching for a remedy, enlighten them; for medical caregivers helping the sick, strengthen and shield them.

For those working to contain the spread, grant them success; for those afraid, grant peace.

May your precious blood be our defense and salvation.

By your grace, may you turn the evil of disease into moments

of consolation and hope.

May we always fear the contagion of sin more than any illness.

We abandon ourselves to your infinite mercy.

Amen.

Archdiocesan Annual Appeal Please continue to pray over your participation in the Annual Appeal, which is in progress. We do need, and hope for, the participation of each household, to make this a parish-wide success. Our required tax is: $99,663.00. As of this date, we have received: $ 37,889.00 (Thank you!) If you did not receive a donor brochure or would like another, these are available in the vestibule or call the office and we will gladly send you another.

Our Mission Statement We are a Catholic Community that is called by God to follow Jesus Christ. We believe that we are called to worship God together, to lead God's people along the path of hope laid down by Jesus, to share his message through preaching, through the education and formation of our people, young and old, and through caring ser-vice and sensitive outreach to those in need Rev. Tony P. LaTorre, Pastor

The Ascension of the Lord

Jesus promises his disciples that he will be with them as they become his witnesses to the ends of the earth.

In the first reading from Acts today, two men dressed in white ask the disciples, Why are you standing there looking at the sky? It might be safe to assume that the Apostles were overwhelmed by what they had just heard and seen. In a few short weeks, they had witnessed the torture and death of their beloved friend, who they believed was the promised Messiah. They were trying to compre-

hend – and believe – that he was no longer dead after seeing him, touching him, and eating with him. And in today’s Scripture, he tells them that he will send the Holy Spirit and that they will be his witnesses, not only to the Jews in Jerusalem, but to the ends of the earth. And then, he is lifted up, on a cloud, and disappears from their sight. Standing motionless, staring up at the sky – proba-bly with mouths gaping – seems understandable! It is reasonable to think that the Apostles were still reeling from their thoughts and feelings about recent events. Mat-thew’s Gospel confirms this. When they met Jesus in Galilee as he instructed them, they worshiped him, but they doubt-ed. Yet Jesus has confidence in them. His response to the doubting Apostles is firm and immediate: All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Ho-ly Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded. He has total trust in the Father and in his plan for the world, and he commends that plan to the Apostles. He entrusts his power to them to be his witnesses to all the world – to go and make disciples, to baptize them, and to teach all that he commanded. But he doesn’t leave them – or us – alone, staring up at the sky to question and doubt whether we can accomplish this great task. He remains with us as we accept and embrace his mission, guiding and empowering us through the Holy Spirit. He remains with us, nourishing and sustaining us for his mission with his body and blood each time we receive him in the Eucharist. He remains with us, teaching, and encouraging us in the community he established, his Church, the Body of Christ. And as he trusted the doubting Apostles, he trusts us to believe in him and his mission. He trusts us to believe that he is the way, the truth and the life that leads and guides us until his return. And he trusts us to believe that he is with us – always – until the end of the age. May the blessings of our heavenly Father be with each and every one of you. Father Tony LaTorre, Pastor

Liturgy and Life • The phrase the “eyes of your hearts” is in the second reading. How might you see through your heart? • How do you envision a land where Christ reigns? • As a follower of Jesus, how can you take to heart Christ’s mandate to “make disciples”?

On May 29th our Eighth-Grade students will officially graduate from the 8th grade and move on to high school. We will miss you all and wish you continued success. Good luck to you as you begin a new adventure in high school. (The “formal” ceremony will take place on August 14th at 5:30 in the church).

Catherine Alcantara, St. Ignatius Niamh Fullerton, Sacred Heart Cathedral Madison Alves, Mercy Burlingame Finnbarr Harrington, Archbishop Riordan Beckett Andersen, Sacred Heart Cathedral Trey Kelly, St. Ignatius Tessa Bankovitch, Sacred Heart Cathedral Salome Kharadze, St. Ignatius Daniel Barrett, Archbishop Riordan Kylie Landers, St. Ignatius Ian Bird, Sacred Heart Cathedral Grace Miller, St. Ignatius Ava Boilard, Sacred Heart Cathedral Aine Mullan, Sacred Heart Cathedral Lola Brown, St. Ignatius Evan O’Driscoll, St. Ignatius Paolo Caracciolo, Archbishop Riordan Kristen Patricio, St. Ignatius Ryder Cayabyab, Sacred Heart Cathedral Sarah Penny, St. Ignatius Anna Cheishvili, St. Ignatius Giuliana Rovetti, Sacred Heart Cathedral Carson Chiang, Archbishop Riordan Bryn Scheg, St. Igantius Niamh Concannon, St. Ignatius Patrick Schmitt, Lake Travis High School Matthew Cormican, St. Ignatius Colum Slattery, Archbishop Riordan Colm Cox, Summit Shasta Thomas Slattery, Archbishop Riordan Arianna Danfoura, St. Ignatius Megan Stecher, St. Ignatius Jonathan Fields, Stuart Hall Nils Wallace, Stuart Hall Mark Fields, Archbishop Riordan Mason Woytek, Sacred Heart Cathedral

Delaine Frandy, Mercy Burlingame

In 1991, Marxist guerillas in the mountain village of Huasahuasi Peru, executed Irene McCormack, Josephite sister and missionary. Her “crime” was feeding the poor with food donated by overseas aid organizations. The violent activities of these terrorists were a daily reality but, despite warnings, Irene chose to stay in the village with its impoverished people. After thirty years of teaching in Australian schools, Sister Irene found her purpose in life teaching the children of Huasahuasi to read and write. One evening armed guerillas arrested her and took her to the village plaza where five vil-lagers were already face-down on the ground. The captors conducted a mock trial. Sister Irene was denounced as a “Yankee imperialist” – even though villagers protested that she was Australian – pronounced guilty, then shot in the back of the head by a girl soldier. The example of Sister Irene and the villagers who died with her has been remarkable, resulting in an annual human rights activities week, community clean-up, and at least one new Peruvian vocation to the Josephites. Sister Irene also left something just as important – a description of the spirit that called her to go to Peru. Back in Australia in 1987, she explained to family and friends the revelation she received at the age of forty. The call to be a missionary came to her through reflection and prayer. She described it as an overwhelming experience of the un-conditional love of God and not simply an intellectual conviction. She recognized God beckoning her through an inner voice. If she were to be true to herself as a woman, a Christian, a Josephite, and a world citizen, she felt she had to re-spond to the Spirit within. If she did not yield, she believed that she risked spiritual death.

Pray for missionaries, especially those in areas of political instability, terrorist activity, and natural disaster.

Write to a missionary. Contribute to a mission organiza on.

Living Stewardship Now

“Go and Make Disciples”

Congratulations, Class of 2020 !

Pope Francis’ Prayer to Mary O Mary, you always shine on our path as a sign Of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, health of the sick, who at the cross took part in Jesus’ pain, keeping your faith firm. You, Salvation of the Roman People, know what we need, and we are sure you will provide so that, as in Cana of Galilee, we may return to joy and to feasting after this time of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform to the will of the father and to do as we are told by Jesus, Who has taken upon himself our sufferings and carried our sorrows to lead us, through the cross, to the joy of the resurrection. Amen

An Invitation to Join Fr. Tony‘s Celebration of the Eu-charist

We need to be proclaimers and evangelizers: In today's Gospel, Jesus gives his mission to all the believers: "Go out to the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” This mission is not given to a select few but to all believers. To be a Christian is to be a proclaimer and an evangelizer. There is a difference between preaching and proclaiming. “We preach with words but we proclaim with our lives.” As we celebrate the Lord’s return to His Father in heaven – His As-cension – we are being commissioned to go forth and proclaim the Gospel of life and love, of hope and peace, by the witness of our lives. On this day of hope, encouragement and commissioning, let us renew our commitment to be true disciples everywhere we go, beginning with our family and our parish, "living in a manner worthy of the call [we] have received.” We need to live a life of Christian joy in the presence of the ascended Lord. According to Luke, the disciples "returned to Jerusalem with great joy." Apparently Jesus' exaltation and final blessing gave them, as it gives us, the assur-ance that, though absent, he is still present, present even in the pain and sorrow we undergo. That is why St. Augustine assures us, “Christ is now exalted above the heavens, but he still suffers on earth all the pain that we, the members of his body, have to bear. He showed this when he cried out from above: 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?' and when he said: 'I was hungry and you gave me food.' While in heaven he is also with us; and while on earth we are with him. He is here with us by his divinity, his power and his love. We cannot be in heaven, as he is on earth, by divinity, but in him, we can be there by love." We have a teaching mission: Jesus taught us lessons of Faith, Hope, Love, forgiveness, mercy and redemption. We cannot put these lessons on a shelf and ignore them. They stand before us in the person of Jesus. Although no longer visibly present in the world, He is present in his words. We must make his words real in our lives and in the lives of oth-ers. Christianity was meant to be a Faith in which Jesus’ followers would help and care for others just as Jesus had done. But the spreading of the Good News to all nations is not a goal that can be attained by human might and craft. This is why Jesus promises to empower his messengers with His abiding presence and that of the Holy Spir-it. The challenge of sharing the Good News with all mankind should, therefore, begin with our admission that we have often been arrogant and overbearing. We must learn to be humble and let the Holy Spirit lead the way. The ascended Jesus is our source of strength and encouragement: Perhaps some of the nagging doubts which inevitably accompany the journey of Faith could be lessened by our meditating on the Ascension and its implications. When we are too far from Faith to pray on our own, let us remember that we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the right-eous, praying for us. When the trials of life feel too heavy to bear, we must remember that Christ will come again in glo-ry, the same glory in which he arose from the tomb, the same glory in which he ascended, and the same glory in which he currently abides. Though our limited perception might find him absent, he is fully present, participating in every mo-ment of our lives. By His Ascension, Christ has not deserted us but has made it possible for the Holy Spirit to enter all times and places. In this way it is possible for us to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit into agents or instru-ments of Christ. We become enlivened with the Holy Spirit. Our actions become animated in a new way by the Holy Spirit – the God we love and serve. We have become Christs in the world.

Additional “food for thought”

Join Fr. Tony‘s Celebration of the Eucharist

Every Sunday, at 9:30 am, we will be going live from our St. Stephen Parish Facebook page. - If you have a Facebook account please make sure to like St. Stephen Catholic Church. (https://www.facebook.com/saintstephensf/)

If you do not have a Facebook, either create a new ac-count (free) or log-in with a friend or family member. - When we go live it will show up on your news feed.

Please make sure to click on the live feed and you will be part of our virtual community. (Your device needs to be connected to WIFI or an internet connection in order to stream the mass.)

The following “Private” Masses were offered to fulfill Mass requests:

Intention for: Gifted by:

+ Nenita Sangalang May 11, 2020 8:00 a.m. Emma Sagala + Nenita Bebiano May 12, 2020 8:00 a.m. Freddy & Thelma Ramos + Teresita Abad May 13, 2020 8:00 a.m. Ed & Ruby Quan + Pauline Cantin May 14, 2020 8:00 a.m. Judy Frates + Indalecio Lachica May 15, 2020 8:00 a.m. Adelle Caunan + Richard & Marygrace Dunn May 16, 2020 8:00 a.m. Marianne Daly + Dr. Albert Frietzsche May 17, 2020 9:30 a.m. Frietzsche Family

As we go our daily life within the state and city-wide man-date of “Stay-at-Home” for the next few weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, please remember that we continue to look forward to your regular weekly donations to sustain our church’s basic operation needs. You may continue to do so through the following: 1) via your weekly envelope which can either be:

a. Mailed to the Parish Office; b. Dropped off at our parish office/mailbox slot.

2) If at this time, you are strictly confined in your home, please consider setting up an online account through the parish website: www.saintstephensf.org by: a. Click the $ Giving button b. Click on Donation link c. Set up your account online

3) If neither of the above works for you, please give us a

call at the office, and we will gladly pick up your donation envelope for the parish. 4) For our elderly parishioners who live alone, we also of-fer our services in making a grocery run for you once a week. Please make a listing of your grocery needs, call us at the office and we will arrange for our volunteer parish-ioners to do the errand for you. For more information, please give us a call at 415-681-2444 between 9am to 3pm Mondays thru Fridays or check our website www.saintstephensf.org

St Stephen Church provides Online Giving -- a convenient and safe way to make a one-time or recurring donation. Getting started is easy. Visit www.s aintstephensf.org, click on Donation link. When you participate, your gift will be securely transferred directly into the parish.

Ways and Means to Help and Support Our Church

Some “Ascension” Humor! The Ascension mission to preach the Gospel: After attending a convention led by Billy Graham a woman wrote to him. “Dear Sir, I feel that God is calling me to preach the Gospel. But the trouble is that I have twelve children. What shall I do?” The televangelist replied: “Dear Madam, I am delighted to hear that God has called you to preach the Gospel. I am even more delighted to hear that He has already pro-vided you with a congregation in your own home.”

The Ascension walk-out: There was a long-winded pastor who preached salvation history from Genesis to Revelation in every sermon. On the feast of Ascension as he reached Isaiah, he remarked that the prophet said nothing about the Ascension of Our Lord. He asked his audience, “What shall we do with him?” One old man in the front seat said, “He can have my seat, Father, I am leaving.”

And after death ascend or descend? At the end of school what do you want to do? I want to do my Senior Certificate. After your Senior Certificate what do you want to do? - I want to go to college. After college what do you want to do? - I want to get a job. Then what do you want to do? - I want to make big money. What do you want to do after making money? - I want to build a big house. After that what do you intend to do? - I want to get married. What will you do after getting married? - I will have a family. What will you do after having a family? - I will retire. What do you want to do after you retire? - I want to take a rest. What will you do after tak-ing a rest? - I don’t know. Will you die? - Oh yes, I will die too. What will happen after death? I am not sure!

2020 ARCHDIOCESAN ANNUAL APPEAL

The 2020 Annual Appeal is in progress. It is our hope that each household/parishioner will assist us by sharing their treasure as we move forward to reach our required tax of $99,663.00. Donor brochures were mailed home several weeks ago. If you didn’t re-ceive one or would like another, they are available on the tables in the vestibule. As we all make-up the “Church,” it is important that we come together and work on reaching this goal. Know that no amount is too small and all gifts are received with great thanksgiving. Fr. Tony

Our current “outstanding” balance is: $ 61,774.00.

PARISH GOAL : $ 99,663.00

Anonymous (Various) M/M Manuel Abad Ms. Phyllis Abad M/M Dale & Sharon Allen Mr. Kevin Allen M/M Michael Alves Mrs. Dorothy Arata M/M Roberto Arguello Ms. Sheila Asfaha Anne Berry & Paul Schrage M/M Eugene Birsinger Mr. Clemence Blondo M/M John Bruno Ms. Nancy Buckley M/M Sherwin Cabatic M.M Marvin Cabuntala M/M Ding Cagalingan Jr M/M Carlos Cajilig Jr. M/M Peter Cardozo M/M Gerald Carillo Mrs. Gayle Carpentier Ms. Adelaida Caunan M/M Douglas Cayabyab M/M Graziano Cerchai M/M Joseph Champagne Piera Cheng Chaz & Arthur Chui M/M Howard Chen M/M Marcellus Chow M/M Thomas Cleary M/M Ronan Concanon M/M Arturo Cuevas-Arenas

M/M Jacob Danfoura Helga D’Arcy & Matthew Quane M/M Arthur Datangel Mr. Joseph D’Aura Ms. Alicia De Jesus Ms. Debby Diaz M/M Mark Dickson Mr. Michael Duffy Ms. Elena Duggan M/M David Dulany M/M James Dyer Jr. M/M Kenneth Fambrini M/M Ben Ferdon M/M Gerard Fernandez M/M Michael Flocchini M/M Liam Frost M/M Joseph Gandolfo Ms. Elinor Gatto M/M Ryan Gille Ms. Avelina A. Gomez M/M Mark Gottas Mrs. Diane Gragnani M/M Roberto Guzman M/M James Hargarten M/M Sean Harrington Mr. Daniel Ho Haryasyah M/M Lawrence Hayes Mrs. Patricia Hayes Ms. Joanne Hayes-White M/M Thomas Hazard M/M Viet Quoc Ho

Ms. Joan Holsten M/M Cris Houghton M/M Claudio Hrvatin Ms. Patricia Ignacio Ms. Cynthia G. Kelly Mr. Robert Kensic M/M Douglas Kilroy M/M Paul Knaus Mrs. Beatriz Lacson Rev. Tony P. LaTorre M/M Jim Landers Mr. Paul Laveroni M/M Daniel Leehane M/M Michael Levy Ms. Diane Linehan M/M James Martin M/M Lawrence Mazzola Daniel McGarry & Courtney Cassinelli Ms. Gayle Montalbano M/M Joseph Morello M/M Martin Murphy Mr. Michael O’Connor Ms. Rose O’Connor M/M James O’Driscoll Ms. Myrna Orais Ms. Anne O’Shea M/M Meyvelyn Patricio Mr. Robert Reidy Mr. John Regalia Ms. Jan Reilly Mr. Domenico Renteria

M/M Cris Rillo M/M John Ritchie M/M Rich Rovetti Salesforce.com Foundation M/M Daniel Salvemini M/M Emmanuel Santos Donovan Schneider & Deborah Lobo Rev. David Schunk M/M Christian Sequeira Mr. Kevin Sequeira Mrs. Margarita Solis-Tucker Ms. Lutzie E. Sotto M/M Matthew Stecher Ms. Virginia Stefanelli M/M Peter Stephans Ms. Nancy Tam M/M Paul & Louise Tina Ms. Wendy Uthman M/M George Vella Mr. Gregory Von Holt Mrs. Maria Xavier Ms. Eileen Wagner Ms. Patricia Woytek Mr. Seth White M/M Reynaldo Ysip

Thank You!

Week Amount Received No. of Households BALANCE DUE

12 (as of May 12) $1,325.00 12 $ 61,774.00

Our warmest welcome to all who celebrate with us!

You can sign up or update your information by completing this form & placing it in the collection basket, by mailing it to the Parish Office, by phone at 681-2444 or online at www.saintstephensf.org

Name _______________________________________ Phone ____________ Email ____________________

Complete Mailing Address _____________________________________________

City/Zip ______________________

Weekly Sunday envelopes , circle one: Yes No, but commit to participate thru Online Giving

PASTORAL STAFF

Rev. Tony P. LaTorre Pastor, ext.1

fathertony@SaintStephenSF.org

Mrs. Sharon McCarthy Allen School Principal

Carol P Cagalingan

Parish Manager, ext. 3 carol@SaintStephenSF.org

Rev. Mr. Olet Abad Permanent Deacon

Mary Molly Mullaney

Faith Formation Coordinator, ext. 4 faithformation@SaintStephenSF.org

Shay Ingelfinger

Event Center Coordinator, ext.7 donworthevents@SaintStephenSF.org

Rev. Tony P. LaTorre Liturgy Director (Temp). ext. 1 fathertony@SaintStephenSF.org

Teresa Devincenzi Bookkeeper, ext.5

teresa@SaintStephenSF.org

Ed Prete Bulletin Editor, ext. 6

e.prete@SaintStephenSF.org

ST STEPHEN PARISH 2019-2020

ORGANIZATION/MINISTRY CONTACT PERSON

• Altar Servers Giovanna Hrvatin • Altar Society Joan Leehane • Bridge Group Helen Perlite • Caritas Nellie Hizon • Church Hospitality Mary Molly Mullaney • Communion Ministers Mary Molly Mullaney • Faith Formation Mary Molly Mullaney • Fifty Plus Club Helga D’Arcy • Finance Council Laura Birsinger • Grief Support Clergy • Lectors Mary Molly Mullaney • Liturgy Committee Fr. Tony • Marriage Preparation Clergy • Men’s Club Andrew Hazard • Parish Council Vicky Francisco • RCIA Mary Molly Mullaney • St. Stephen Book Club Mary Molly Mullaney • St. Vincent de Paul Julie O’Callaghan • Ushers Bob Anthony • Women’s Guild Courtney Kilroy Rose O’Driscoll

lease pray for the sick and homebound of our community and for all those written in our book of the sick. May they know the healing touch of Jesus.

Sue Fichera, Melody & Robert Liam, Zaida Ysip, Larry Teshara, Leanna Mossi, Peter Dalton,

Elena Amaya, Eden Finn, Edileide Jose Barbosa, Kenneth Fambrini, Larry Barbiere, Carol Dominguez, Marc Gutierres, Kevin King,

Marla Moso, Betty Rodriguez, Joel Rivera, Joseph Tren, Anna M Thompson,

Gwendolyn Walsh, Jovita & Richard Thompson

Please call the office to add or remove names of people that we should pray for this month,

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