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Ambassadors for Christ
"So, whoever is in Christ is a
new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new
things have come. And all this is from God, who has
reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the
ministry of reconciliation...and entrusting to us the
message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.” The Holy Father has declared
2008-2009 to be the Commemoration of the Anniversary of the
birth of St. Paul, the co-patron of our parish. As we all
know, Paul was the “Apostle to the
Gentiles.” In keeping with this, throughout the
year we will highlight members of our parish family who are
“Ambassadors for Christ.” June 22, 2008: Fr. Austin Conterno, SDB. Everybody
knows Father “Count.” At age 92, (93 next month!)
he is the eldest of our priests, and is still working hard.
It will be his 60th Anniversary of Priesthood next Sunday,
on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. He will celebrate the
11:45 AM Italian Mass. Fr. Count was born in Italy and began seminary there
before finishing in the United States. He has served as
Priest, teacher, principal, and parish administrator
throughout the Western province. He was the principal of Don Bosco High School back in the
early 1960’s and did so much to modernize the campus
that, to this day, he is always invited down to L.A.
whenever the school has a special celebration. Fr. Count celebrates daily & Sunday Mass for the
parishioners, as well as funerals & baptisms. He is also
the Chaplain of our parish Holy Name Society.
June 29, 2008: Bertha
Bedoni “Miss Bee”: A Saints Peter and Paul
girl through and through, Miss Bee was baptized here, and
has been a fixture in the parish for as long as anyone can
remember. Part of her career began when she was asked to
referee a game at Presentation High School and ended up
being a physical education teacher there for the next 46
years! Upon the construction of the new
Salesian Girls’ Club in 1952, Ms. Bee was appointed by
Fr. Larry Byrne as the first girls’ club director.
Miss Bee attends Mass daily (she is
usually the lector at the 9:00 AM weekday Mass) and she is a
Eucharistic Minister and a longtime Salesian
Cooperator There is almost nothing in the
parish that Bea is not willing to help with. She’s one
of the volunteers who tabulate the weekly collection every
Monday, one of the volunteers who work on parish and
boys’ and girls’ club mailings, and is an aide for
our school’s third grade class.
July 6, 2008: John and Marie
Harrington: John and Marie were married at
SS. Peter and Paul back in 1945 (and they're still rookies,
says John!) They have four children, all of whom attended
SS. Peter and Paul School. They’re both
retired...Salesian retired! That means you’ll always
see John as an usher at the 5:00 PM Saturday Vigil Mass, or
at Holy Name Society events, or cleaning up around the
Boys’ and Girls’ Club, or otherwise stirring
things up! John always has a joke for you. Marie is always helping the parish.
She is a Eucharistic Minister, one of the volunteers who
tabulates the collection, helps with parish and Boys’
and Girls’ Club mailings, makes sandwiches for the
poor, and volunteers after school in the cafeteria. Since
that’s not enough, she also helps out at St.
Anthony’s dining room.
July 13, 2008: Nadine
Calliguri. Nadine was born in Minnesota, and
came to California at age 3. She made her first Holy
Communion and Confirmation at SS. Peter and Paul, as well as
attending Saints Peter and Paul school. Nadine was born with cerebral palsy,
but that never slowed her down. In 1965, Nadine founded the
famous Handicapables, right here at Saints Peter and Paul,
and Fr. Armand Oliveri was the first chaplain. (That’s
Father and Nadine, at left, back in 1965.) Nadine also
served for four years on our parish council and the deanery.
She was also active with our St. Vincent de Paul Society,
back when it was founded during the pastorate of Fr. David
Purdy. The Handicapables is an organization
that helps disabled people. They come together for
friendship and prayer. The Handicapables have a Mass and
luncheon on the third Saturday of every month at Saint
Mary’s Cathedral. They also have an annual Mass
celebrated by the Archbishop. There are now 22 chapters of
the Handicapables in California and throughout the
world.
July 20, 2008: Joe & Maria
Leung. Joe and Maria came to the United States from
Hong Kong in 1989. They became members of the parish around
the 1991. Joe and Maria are extremely active in bringing
communion to the sick and to the elderly who are unable to
come to Mass. They have been involved in this apostolate
every week for at least the last seven years. In addition to
the joy of bringing Our Lord to those in need, they are
often able to tell a priest when it is time to anoint a
person. The Leungs have two daughters:
Carole and Christine. Both young women were very involved
with the heavily involved with the Chinese Salesian Young
Adults. Carole was married here at SSPP in 2006 and now Joe
& Maria have a grandson, Ethan! Christine will be
married at SSPP later in 2008.
July 27, 2008:
Barbara Reiner. Barbara was born in Saranac
Lake, NY, and came to San Francisco after WWII. She went to
work at the great old City of Paris department store.
She’s one of the parishioners who came to us when St.
Bridgit was closed. Barbara is one of our loyal crew of
sandwich makers, who have been feeding the hungry here at
Saints Peter & Paul every single day since the
1930’s. She’s here like clockwork twice weekly,
and she always makes sure everything runs on time. We
figured it out one time—Barbara has made well over
85,000 (eighty five THOUSAND!) sandwiches! Needless to say, Barbara never misses Sunday Mass,
(usually 7:30 AM), and she contributes to every parish
campaign. Back when Fr. David was the pastor, she donated a
brand new beautiful Wolf stove to the rectory. God Bless
her!
August 3, 2008: Paul and
Maggie Ko. Paul & Maggie joined the parish in
1973. Paul was born and raised in Hong Kong and then came to
the U.S. for his college education. Maggie immigrated from
Macau during her childhood. Paul and Maggie are very active
parishioners: Paul has been leading the Liturgical Team for
the Chinese Apostolate since the days when Fr. Mario Rosso
was the directer of the Apostolate. He’s also a
Eucharistic Minister; was a member of Fr. Purdy’s
building repair committee; is the current vice president of
the parish council; and is vice-president of the Chinese
Home Fellowship. Maggie is a lector at the Chinese Mass; and
a member of the Home Fellowship. She also always helps out
whenever needed—once we had a big dinner in the rectory
and even though she was an invited guest, half the time she
was helping out in the kitchen. Ever year you’ll see
Paul & Maggie volunteering at the bazaar: Paul has also
been in charge of the blackjack tables at the bazaar since
the early 80’s, and Maggie volunteers every year as a
cashier. Paul and Maggie have two daughters,
Vivian and Stephanie. Vivian is now a psychotherapeutist for
San Mateo County dealing with teenagers. Stephanie is an
inpatient pharmacist for Kaiser Hospital in Redwood City.
God Bless them!
August 10, 2008: Rose Azzolino. Rose was
born in raised in North Beach. She married Richard Azzolino
right here at SS. Peter and Paul in May of 1950. Rich, who
passed away in 2003, was from “over the
hill”—in those days, that meant west of Hyde
Street! Rosie has been involved in every part of our parish
family: School Mothers club , Salesian Boys' and Girls' Club
Mothers Club, Salesian Cooperators, Salesian Centennial
Committee, Bazaar Committee. Rich was very active, too. He
was a lifelong member of the Holy Name Society, and he would
cook every night (he was a pro) during the Centennial
celebrations. Rose and Rich raised three children: Rich, Jr., Laurie,
and Steve. All 3 went to SSPP School, and Rich and Laurie
were both married here. Rosie still helping the church:
every Tuesday she makes sandwiches for the poor. God Bless
her!
August 17, 2008: Kimchen
Chan-Lai. Kim was born in Hong Kong and has been
attending Mass daily at Saints Peter and Paul since 1977.
She has one son (who has gone home to the Lord) and one
daughter, who lives in San Francisco. If you attend the 7:30 AM Masses,
you know Kim. She has attended that Mass for many years. Kim
is another Salesian retiree—that means she always
works! She helps get the church ready every morning and
helps to take care of the candles, keeps things clean, and
always helps with the collection. Kim is very active in the
Chinese Apostolate as well: she is a Salesian Cooperator and
visits the elderly when necessary. God Bless her!
August 24, 2008: Al Fontes. Parishioners at
the Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses will be quite familiar
with Al. He serves the parish nearly every week as a Lector
or Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. Al comes from an
old North Beach family--his grandparents were married at
Sts. Peter and Paul in 1939 and his grandmother sang in the
Italian Choir for years back in the 1940’s and
50’s. Al takes his responsibilities as Lector and EM
very seriously—he’s always there and on time. We
count on Al for the extra duty at Holy Week as well. Left: Al with his mother, Vivian. God
Bless them!
August 31, 2008: Guido “Gig”
Ghiglieri. (Nobody ever calls him Guido!). Gig has
lived right up the hill on Genoa Place since he was an
infant. He was baptized, had his First Holy Communion,
Confirmation, and married his dear wife Jeanne right her at
SS. Peter and Paul back in 1953. (We’d include Jeanne
in this, but she’s just as active as Gig, so she needs
a column to herself ) Everybody in the parish knows Gig—there is hardly an
activity that he is not involved in. Gig is secretary of the
Holy Name Society: a Lector, a Eucharistic Minister, an
usher, a Salesian Cooperator, a Parish Council Member and an
annual volunteer at the Columbus Day Bazaar. On top of all
that, Gig makes sandwiches for the poor every Wednesday and
Friday. A WWII veteran, Gig is also currently the Commander
of the American Legion Post #599. God Bless him!
September 7, 2008: Mrs. Elizabeth Diaz. Liz
joined the parish in 1998. She was elected PTO President in
2006, and she has been a real ball of fire. Under her
leadership we have added gardens (she is pictured here in
our garbage alley, now filled with plants and known as
“Lower Jurassic Park”) painted the lower
playground in kid-friendly colors, made major improvements
to the stage, and planted the Fr. Malloy commemorative olive
trees in front of the rectory. Liz’s energy makes
things happen. Liz is married to Benedict (Ben) Diaz, and the have one
son, Orlando, a sixth-grader, who is in Mrs. Wayne’s
class. God Bless them! Left: Liz in "Lower Jurassic
Park."
September 14, 2008. Cosmo
& Mara Amato. Cosmo and Mara were married here
at SSPP back in 1956. They have three children, Michael,
Angela, and Yvonne, who teaches in our school, and eight
grandchildren. Cosmo is very active: he’s an usher and
greeter at the weekend Masses, he’s the Treasurer of
our Young Men’s Institute, a member of the Holy Name
Society, a past Salesian Boys’ and Girls’ Club
“Man of the Year” and a Salesian Cooperator. On
top of all that, three times a week he guards the children
(sometimes from each other!) as they play at
lunchtime. Mara was born Mara Balanesi. She is
also a Salesian Cooperator, a member of the Salesian
Mother’s Club, the Italian Catholic Federation branch
38, past president of the Salesian Girls Club Auxiliary, and
a past “Woman of the Year” for the SBGC. God
Bless them!
September 21, 2008. Charles
Corum: Charles is the Saints Peter and Paul choirmaster.
He started with us in 1991 as an organist, and converted to
Catholicism in 2005. Charles is a very accomplished
musician: he plays the organ, piano, guitar, trumpet, French
horn, and bass, (plus he’s a good singer!) He is a
blessing to the parish — he goes far beyond his duties
in making sure that the music is always appropriate to the
readings of the Mass of the given Sunday, and that proper
material for the parishioners is available. This takes quite
a bit of preparation. At the 5:00 PM Sunday Mass, Charles
leads a choir in which some contemporary arrangements are
added to the traditional music of the Mass. Charles worked for many years for
the Alameda County Department of Elections, and he retired
last year (just in time to avoid the National elections!).
God Bless him!
September 28. Norma Puccinelli: Norma is a real SS
Peter and Paul old-timer. She was born on Filbert Street one
block away from the church in 1917, and she hasn’t
moved very far. Norma was baptized, confirmed and married
her dear husband Frank here in 1932. They had three
daughters: Barbara, Jo Ann, and Debbie, all of whom
graduated from SSPP School. All three (and a granddaughter)
also got married at SSPP. There is nothing Norma has not
done for the parish: Mothers Club, (school & SBGC)
Salesian Cooperator, SBGC “Woman of the
Year,” Bazaar volunteer (with Frank) for decades,
helping with mailings, you name it! For years she and her
old friend Angie Bava could be found in the cafeteria every
day, cleaning after the kids finished lunch. Frank, (who
passed away about 15 years ago), and his brother ran a
butcher shop out in the Sunset District, and every year they
would hold a steak dinner for all the Sisters down in
Watsonville. But it’s not all the work that makes Norma so
special: as everyone who has met her knows, she radiates
kindness and the love of Christ. God Bless her!
October 5. Amira Atallah:
Parishioners at the Sunday 5:00 PM Mass (where she is an
altar server) and the daily 7:30 AM, (where she frequently
serves as a lector) will certainly recognize Amira. She is a
wonderful lector with a rich resonant voice, and a great
respect for the scripture. Amira is a graduate of our RCIA
program, and she married her husband Joe Healy over at St.
Francis of Assisi Church in 2005. Every Saturday you will
find Amira down at the farmer’s market, helping her
parents (they own a farm), and she also volunteers once per
month at St. Anthony’s Dining Room. Amira works as a CPA. But even at
tax time (or maybe especially at tax time!) you’ll see
her faithfully at the daily Mass. God Bless
her!
October 12. Silvano and Lourice Biondi. Silvano
and Lourice met in 1961 in Italy, and got married in 1964 at
Saints. Peter and Paul They’ve both worked at Saints
Peter and Paul since 1979, Lourice as the rectory cook and
Silvano as the plant maintenance man (although that title
does not begin to do him justice). Everybody in the parish
knows Silvano. even though he retired (Salesian retired!) in
2006. He’s still around every day helping out. Lourice works Monday through Friday in the rectory, plus
she also cooks for special events. For 13 years, Lourice was
the head of our Salesian Cooperators and she was also a
lector for 10 years. Silvano and Lourice have two children:
Paolo and Sylvana. Sylvana teaches fourth garde at our
school, and they have two grandchildren, Elisa and Dario,
who both attend SSPP school. God Bless them!
October 19. Joe and Stella Riccio: Joe &
Stella met in 1950. Joe came over to San Francisco from
Martinez one day to visit friends, and he met Stella Romeo.
They fell in love and were married the next year at Saints
Peter and Paul by Fr. Joseph Costanzo. (It turns out their
families came from the exact same towns in Italy!) Joe and
Stella have three children: Evelyn, Carla, & John, and 5
grandchildren. All the children were baptized at SSPP, and
Carla & Evelyn were married here. (John was married in
Sonoma, but by a Salesian, Fr. David Purdy!) For many years
Joe was the manager of Bank of America in North Beach, and
he retired as an Assistant Vice President. He has been a
member of the Finance Committee since its inception, as well
as a Salesian Cooperator and a former Salesian Boys’
and Girls’ Club Board Member. Stella was baptized and
made her First Holy Communion right here at SSPP. God
Bless them!
October 26. Rose Mangini:
Rose is a native Cow Hollow girl and has been a parishioner
of Saints Peter and Paul since 1987. She was baptized right
here at SSPP back in 1926. (left: Rose, with ICF
President Patrick Ramsey at the Columbus day
Festival). Rose is very active: she the
president of our Madonna della Guardia Society; the
vice-president of ICF Branch 38 (she had been President for
the preceding 5 years) and she has served for the past 10
years as a Catechist to our CCD children. Rose also inaugurated the Italian
Pride booth at the Columbus Day Festival which has been a
big success. She also volunteered for ten years at the
Letterman Hospital in the Presidio, where she was a lector,
Eucharistic Minister and the leader of the hospital's
Eucharistic Ministers. And she loves every minute of it!.
God Bless her!
November 2. Anna Lee: Anna Lee has been a
parishioner since around 1980. She was born in Hong Kong
& came to the US in 1973. Anna met her husband Anthony
right here at Saints Peter and Paul, and Fr. Mario Rosso
married them in 1983 (a real Saints Peter and Paul romance!)
Anna and Anthony have four daughters: Michelle, Pamela,
Amanda, & Isabel, all of whom were baptized at SSPP,
graduated from our Salesian School & attended the
Salesian Boys’ and Girls’ Club. Anna has done everything for the parish. She is a past
president of the SBGC Mother’s Club, a long-time member
of the Parish Council, a long-time bazaar volunteer in the
Chinese Kitchen, and she is currently President of the
Chinese Home Fellowship. But what really makes Anna stand
out is her unfailing cheerfulness—in this, she is a
true daughter of Don Bosco: “I want no long-faced
saints!” She’s always got a smile on her face,
and she’s usually laughing! God Bless her!
November 9: David St. John. David was born in
Alabama, and came to us in 2004. He went through our RCIA
and is a convert from the Baptist faith (which means he
really knows his scripture!) and he will knowledgably preach
the good word any time and place. David worked for the church for a while as a weekday
sacristan, until health issues caused him to retire. But
before he left he made sure that the church was in the good
hands of his friend, our current sacristan, David Burbank.
David (St. John) still serves as relief sacristan. For the
past four years he has been an altar server at every 7:30 AM
weekday Mass and a Eucharistic Minister at the Sunday 7:30
AM Mass. He is also an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist,
bringing the Blessed Sacrament to those who are in need
twice a month at St. Mary’s Hospital. David has a
special devotion to Our Lady and is the Vice-President of
the Mary, Mother of Light Praesidium, our parish’s
Legion of Mary. David is also a US Air Force veteran. God Bless him!
November 16: Barbara Simons:
“Mrs. Simons” as the Pre-K’ers call her, is
the Director of the Laura Vicuña Pre-Kindergarten.
She was born in Connecticut and began working in our school
in 1984. In 1987, under the pastorate of Fr. Jerry Bonjean,
Barbara established the Pre-K. It is now the longest-running
Catholic Pre-Kindergarten in the City. Barbara is married to Rob Simons, a
paralegal, and they have a delightful daughter, Katey, who
is a graduate of Saints Peter and School and is now a senior
at Mercy High. Barbara was our Bazaar chair for five years,
and she is still consulted regularly, with bazaar-related
questions. Having the Pre-K in Barbara’s capable and
experienced hands is a blessing to the entire
parish. To this day older students (and even
grown-ups!) come back and visit Barbara, and tell her what
fond memories they have of their Laura Vicuña
days! (left: Barbara with Fr.
Malloy at the 2004 Bazaar)
November 23: James & Lisa
Marchi. Jim is a North Beach boy through and through. He
was baptized at Saints Peter and Paul, (his parents were
married here) and Fr. Al Pestun married Jim and his lovely
wife Lisa here in 1995. Lisa is a registered nurse at UC
Hospital and of course she also works hard as Mom since the
birth of the Marchi’s two children, Alessandra &
Gianni. Both children were baptized here, and attend Saints
Peter and Paul. Jim serves the parish as member of
the Finance Committee, as member of the Parish Council, and
as a lector at Sunday Mass. Lisa helps out at many school
functions, never misses a PTO Meeting, is always there if
the school needs “a mom in the classroom,” and
co-chairs the toy booth at the Columbus Day
Bazaar. God Bless them!
November 30: Benson Martin, III. Everyone who goes
to the Saturday 5:00 PM Mass sure knows Benson. Besides
being impeccably dressed, he is the gentleman who always
hands out worship aids to all the parishioners and
visitors. Benson came to us in 2002. He is a convert from the
Episcopal faith and went through our RCIA program. As you
can tell from Benson’s manners, he is a Southerner! He
was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi and came to San Francisco
1963. Benson was a motel manager who now enjoys his
retirement. God Bless him!
December 7. Lena Carrabino:
Lena was born Lena Arena in Italy. She met Charlie Carrabino
58 years ago in Canada. They fell in love, got married, and
moved to San Francisco. Charlie, who passed away in 2001 was
a true “pillar of the Church.” He did everything
for the parish. Charlie & Lena have two children, Steven
and John, (who were both baptized and attended school at SS.
Peter and Paul), and two granddaughters, Jessica (who also
attends our school) and Sierra, who lives in Emeryville.
Lena is a Salesian Cooperator, and
past member of ICF Branch 38, and the Madonna Addolorata
Society. She also volunteered at the Columbus Day Bazaar for
years. If you’ve ever received a Christmas, Easter,
Bazaar, or AAA Appeal from Saints Peter and Paul, you can
thank Lena. She is one of the volunteers who helps to
prepare the mailings, which saves the parish about $750 each
time. God Bless her! (left: Lena helping to
prepare the Christmas 2008 mailing.)
December 14. Frank Vetari. When you speak about
Frank Vetari, our senior sacristan, you are going back to
the very roots of Saints Peter and Paul. Frank went to
school here. and he originally worked at SS Peter and Paul
from 1946-48. but even before that he helped as a boy,
working with the legendary Salesian Brother Nick Immelenski,
one of the five Salesians who pioneered the order in the
United States. In 1948 Frank was drafted, serving a year in
Japan and later one year in Korea. From about '51 to '83
Frank worked on and off at the church, helping his brother,
Roy. Frank started to work for us part time again in 1983, at
about age 60, and he’s still here on weekends.
He’s probably helped at more weddings than just about
anybody. The number of fascinating stories Frank can tell
you about past doings in the church are endless, but be
warned—you may be listening for a while! Frank is
getting ready for retirement (on December 35, he says!), but
even when he does, we will be calling him for advice. Frank
and his dear sister Flora live right around the corner from
the church, where they have been for many years. God Bless them!
December 21: David Burbank.
David is our weekday (and sometimes weekend) sacristan. He
was born in Wichita, KS, and grew up in Portland. Most of
his family still lives up in Oregon. (That’s David with
his sister Sally when she was in San Francisco for a
visit.). David came to us in 2006, when his
friend David St. John was unable to continue as sacristan.
Boy, did we get lucky! David is an extremely conscientious
and hard worker. We say “he’s got eyes in the
back of his head.” He watches over the Church like
a hawk, and catches trouble before it develops. (David has
worked as a bouncer in the past!). He caught a man who is
notorious throughout the Archdiocese for stealing from the
candle collections in various parishes. But he is extremely
welcoming to visitors, and takes the time from his busy
schedule to show people around the church and point out the
many things of interest. David is also a member of our Holy
Name Society. God Bless him!
December 28: Marc Bruno. Marc
is a native of Washington DC, who came to San Francisco in
1982 and joined the parish in 1998.
(That's Marc with
his friend Maria at the Parish Council Christmas
Party.) He is the leader of our parish St.
Vincent de Paul Society. Under his leadership, the SVdP
hosts an annual Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and food
giveaway for the poor; “blanket walks” (bringing
blankets to those sleeping on the streets of North Beach);
an annual Halloween celebration, with food games and
costumes, for the children of the single-room occupancy
hotels in North Beach; and the semi-monthly
“Bringing Two Worlds Together” dinners
where we can sit down in fellowship with our less fortunate
neighbors, plus everyday work in helping those in
need. Marc credits his grandma, who was
from Agrapoli, Italy, for the lesson that whenever you give,
you are sure to get more in return. So maybe the very best
thing Marc does is create opportunities for others to give!
God Bless him!
January 4: Debi Gould. Debi is one of our regular
lectors and Eucharistic ministers. She was born in Los
Angeles and joined our parish back in 1994. For many years,
she worked as a flight attendant with United Airlines until
she took early retirement a few years ago. (It’s hard
to mention the words “retirement” and
“Debi” in the same sentence—she looks like
she’s about 30.) In addition to her liturgical
ministries she derives a great spiritual joy and benefit
from handcrafting lovely rosaries that can be found in the
church bookstore—but they get snapped up quickly! Debi
lives with her friend Harp—a cute little terrier
mix. Debi truly lights up the room when she enters— she
absolutely radiates a genuine warmth and love. God Bless
her!
January 11: Eugene Chung. Eugene was born in Hong
Kong, and came to the U. S. at age 19 to further his
education. He works for an architectural firm. Eugene is
very active with our Chinese Salesian Young Adults—for
a period of time he was president of the group. The Chinese Salesian Young Adults engage in works of
charity, such as an annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive with
the Sisters of Charity, and they also do spiritual works,
such as group retreats. Eugene sings with our excellent
Chinese choir every Sunday at the 10:15 AM Mass, and, as if
that weren’t enough, he also participates in a weekly
Chinese Bible show on Cross Radio. “CROSS” stand
for “Chinese Radio of Spiritual Services.” The
show can be heard every Saturday at 4:00 PM at 1400 on your
AM dial. God Bless him!
January 18: Anne Kimmel.
Annie came to us in 1998. She and her husband Bob came from
Minnesota and they married there in the year 2000 (but they
did their marriage prep here at Saints Peter and Paul!) The
Kimmel’s two older children, Cece and Robbie, attend
SSPP school, and Georgia will begin next year. (That’s
Georgia with Annie at left.) Annie has been an at-large member of
our parish council since 2005. Another of her ministries is
welcoming newcomers to the parish. She also volunteers every
year at the Bazaar (last year she handled the goldfish
booth) and she is training to become an Extraordinary
Minister of the Eucharist, so she can bring the Blessed
Sacrament to those who are homebound. Bob works hard as a
reinsurance broker, but he makes time to help out at the
bazaar too, and he sits on the Board of Directors of the
Salesian Boys’ and Girls’ Club. God Bless them!
January 25: Frank & Linda
Machi. Linda Curreri was born right here in San
Francisco, and Frank came to this country from Italy in
1937. Frank saw action in Europe during WWII, and when he
returned he met Linda. They were married in 1948 right her
at SSPP, and have been married for 61 years! Frank and Linda have two children,
Tonina & Mario, (both of whom received all their
sacraments here) and 4 grandchildren. Frank has been a member of the Holy
Name Society for 60 years, and he has held every office in
the Society. He has also been a church usher since 1955, and
he always works at the Bazaar. Linda volunteers at bingo
during the Bazaar. Both Frank and Linda have worked
preparing lunches for our school children for the last 15
years! God Bless them!
February 1: Sr. Diana Filipas.
Sr. Diana was born on Fairfax Street, in All Hallows
parish, San Francisco, the third child of Marco & Angela
Filipas. She studied with the Sisters of Charity at the old
St. Vincent de Paul School, and upon graduating from high
school, she followed her vocation into the Daughters of Mary
Help of Christian. That was in 1958, and Sr. Diana has been
educating and guiding young people ever since. 2009 marks
her 51st year of since entering religious life! Sr. Diana has served at Saints Peter
and Paul and Corpus Christi here in San Francisco, and
Lomita, Dominic Savio, and St. John Bosco in the southland,
as well as Texas and Luisana.. Sister remembers that in
those days they used to have 50 students in class, plus
another 50 in second grade catechism (so much for class size
as an excuse for poor results!) We’re on dangerous
ground here, but Sister said it was much easier to teach
boys than girls. Sr. Diana currently is serving at
St. Dominic Savio in Bellflower, where she serves as
economer for the sisters, and also teaches religion class.
God Bless her!
(2 Corinthians 5:17-20).
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February 8: Aurora Piazza. If anyone in our parish needs no introduction, it’s Aurora. Aurora was born on the 600 block of Greenwich Street, and has spent her whole life in the parish. She has been our parish secretary since 1963, under the pastorate of the legendary Fr. Joseph Costanzo. He called her his “salami” and used to have her wash his cars, replace the candles, and wash & iron the purificators—(we latter-day secretaries sure have it easy!) but Aurora still reveres him. She has served under seven Pastors and four Archbishops, not to mention Salesian Rector Majors and Provincials. Generations of schoolchildren and parishioners remember Aurora with love and happiness. The number of stories Aurora can tell about the parish (and the number of stories about Aurora!) are just about endless. She retired (Salesian retired) in 2000, but she still works with us one full day and one afternoon a week, plus she’s always coming in to volunteer, After all, she’s only 86! Aurora slowed down a little earlier this year, when she had a knee replaced, but she is already back at work, and getting right up to normal speed. She already put in an extra day on January 24, so that the regular secretary could attend this year’s Walk for Life. God Bless her! |
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February 22: Tom & Marty Brown. Tom and Marty met at Oak Knoll Naval hospital in Oakland in 1956, and got married in June 1957—it’ll be 52 years this June! Tom was a Lieutenant JG Naval Aviator at the time and Marty was an Ensign Navy Nurse. Marty left the service when she had first pregnancy, but Tom served our country for 31 years, rising to the rank of Rear Admiral. His service included three terms in Vietnam. They have 4 children and seven grandchildren. Tom and Marty joined the parish in 1985, and Tom became the first President of our Parish Council when it was instituted during the pastorate of Fr. David Purdy. He also serves as a lector at the Sunday 5PM Masses, and Marty serves as a Eucharistic Minister. They both bring the Blessed Sacrament to the sick. Tom has also been a President of our parish Holy Name Society, and Marty helps the HNS out, too. God Bless them! |
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March 1. Ben and Tessa Martinez (and family!) Ben and Tessa have been parishioners since 1994, when their daughter Cryssa enrolled in our Laura Vicuña Pre-Kindergarten. They met in Manila in 1980 and came to this country in 1983. Ben & Tessa married in 1989. They still have a son in our school, Matthew, a good kid in the Eighth Grade The Martinez’s have been very active in various school events, especially the Columbus Day Bazaar. You can see them there every year, volunteering in the snack kitchen. Tessa is also very active in the “Mary Mother of Light Praesidium,” our parish’s Legion of Mary. The Legion is an organized spiritual community that meets for prayer, Lenten and Advent retreats, and engages in the Apostolate of Eucharistic Ministry to the sick and homebound. God Bless them! |
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 Fr. Paul at the 2006 Columbus Day Bazaar with a couple of familiar faces. Those guys are both about a foot taller now! |
March 8. Fr. Paul Maniscalco, SDB. Our dear Fr. Paul just turned 93. He is as North Beach as it gets. Fr. Paul was born at 706 North Point Street, and was the fifth of the 12 children of Lorenzo and Catherine Mary Maniscalco. Lorenzo was known as the “King of the Crabmen” for his courage in taking his little boat into especially dangerous waters where the crab were thickest. He must have had to, to feed all those kids! Fr. Paul graduated from Saints Peter and Paul school about 80 years ago and went right into the seminary. He has served the Salesians in practically every parish and school throughout the western province (and even before there were provinces!) He continues to do whatever he’s asked. Every Wednesday he goes down to San Bruno to help lead a large prayer group and hear confessions; he is involved in our parish’s Legion of Mary; and every Saturday at 4:00 PM, he is in his confessional. He concelebrates Mass daily, and he is always ready to hear your confession at any time in the rectory, too. What a great priest! God Bless him! |
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March 15. Randy DeMartini: Born right over on Filbert and Jones Streets, Randy has been here all his life. He attended SS. Peter and Paul School and has been a member of the Salesian Boys’ and Girls’ Club since he was six years old. In 1979, Fred Scolari and Russ Gumina realized it was time to prepare for the future at the Club, and they brought in Randy. The parish has never been the same since! He’s been the Assistant Director for Boys since 1988. Despite the fact that he has a strange aversion to long pants, regardless of the weather, Randy is a genuine blessing to the SBGC and to the entire parish. He’s never in a bad mood, always willing to help anyone, and he has a priceless rapport with young people. An excellent athlete, and skilled as an amateur actor (he’d planned to study acting before joining the SBGC) he is known and admired around our whole Archdiocese for his work with youth. Randy prepares the members of the Salesian Boys’ and Girls’ Club’s for their special monthly Mass (sometimes with a sleepover at the Club). Of course he attends Mass every Sunday and he makes sure he prays the rosary every day. Randy has two children from a first marriage: Kaytlin and Dante; and has a third child, Nicholas, with his lovely wife Catrina. He says his ultimate goal is to make one final stop at Graceland on the way to heaven. God Bless this true “Son of Don Bosco!” |
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 Sr. Fernanda, with her confreres, when she visited us in February for the Centennial Mass of the Salesian Sisters. |
March 22. Sr. Fernanda Rossi, FMA: Sr. Fernanda who was very well known to many of the older parishioners, passed away last week, at age 81. She was born in Udine, Italy , the third of six children (one of whom is of course our longtime plant manager, Leo Rossi) and arrived in San Francisco before she was four. The Rossi’s moved to North Beach and were known for hard work, generosity towards the poor, and dedication to the Church. Sr. Sandra Neaves, the Western Provincial of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, speaks about Sr. Fernanda: The lives of Fernanda and her friends revolved around Saints Peter and Paul Church as they attended youth activities and frequented Church services in the evening. At the beginning of her senior year of high school, Fernanda made the train trip across the country to North Haledon, New Jersey to continue her studies and become a Salesian Sister. Sr. Sandra describes Sr. Fernanda’s last days: “On Thursday she went out of her way to thank everyone in a particular way. On Friday morning she had trouble breathing and, against her desire, did not go to morning Mass but went to bed as instructed by the nurse. In the afternoon she received the anointing of the sick and by late evening she had returned home to the Father.” God Bless her! |
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 Fr. Armand and friends at the 2006 Columbus Day Festival. |
March 29. Fr. Armand Oliveri, SDB. There is no priest better known or more beloved than Fr. Armand. Beyond count are the number of couples he has married, babies he has baptized and funerals he has celebrated. Fr. Armand was born near Savona in Italy on March 30,1920. (Can you believe it? He will be 89 this week!) He was the fifth child out of a family of three boys and three girls. His family came to San Francisco in September 1929, and settled right here in North Beach. He enrolled at Saints Peter and Paul school, and graduated in 1935. Fr. Armand felt his vocation early: he went right to the junior seminary in Richmond, and was ordained in 1950. He has had practically every assignment: first he was here at SSPP as secretary to the provincial. After 6 months, he was sent to teach at St. John Bosco grammer school, and later he taught at Salesian High School in Richmond & St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower (where he taught our own Fr. Harold in the 8th Grade). Fr. Armand began his parish work in Canada, from 1955-58; then came back to SSPP from 1958-65. He has served as pastor and assistant pastor at: Corpus Christi Church, Our Lady of Good Counsel (in Canada), and SS. Peter and Paul. Fr. Armand finally returned to North Beach in 2004. If Father Armand has slowed down, one wonders how busy he must have been before. He still celebrates lots of weddings (sometimes of the grandchildren of people he has married before), baptisms (again, sometimes the second or third generations of one family) and celebrates more funerals than any of our priests. He visits the sick and elderly, and of course celebrates Mass every day. Fr. Armand is also becoming a bit of a media star: he was featured in the “Marriage Matters to Kids” video last year, and was just in a video shoot for Holy Week put together by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. To this day people whom he has married as much as 50 years ago come by the rectory to ask about him. When they find out he is here still, they can’t believe it, and are thrilled to see him. He always remembers them. God bless this wonderful priest! |
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April 5: Alan & Bernadette Smith. Alan and Bernadette have been parishioners since 2001. They were high school sweethearts back in New York City—they were both baptized in churches in the Bronx! Alan & Bernadette attended Catholic grammar schools, high schools and universities. They came out to San Francisco in 1980, and they were married in 1982. Bernadette trained as a nurse—she is now an hospital administrator, and Alan is a Financial Analyst. He has an MBA. Both of the Smith’s are very active in pro-life ministries. They have attended every single “Walk for Life West Coast.” Alan serves as a member of our Finance Committee, a Eucharistic Minister, and is a Godparent to one of this year’s RCIA candidates. He also works every year to help decorate the church for Christmas (when you see our beautiful Nativity Scene, a lot of the work in putting it up was Alan’s). He is also well-known to readers of the “Letters to the Editor” page of the San Francisco Chronicle, where his clear and sensible comments on life in the City stand out. Both Alan and Bernadette are part of the parish’s newly-formed Stewardship Committee. Alan and Bernadette take seriously the exhortation to give time, talent, and treasure: in addition to the usual support of the Church, they are always willing to help with special efforts like the school scholarship fund, the Archbishop’s Appeal, the Pre-K Fundraiser, the Convent Chapel furniture project, and the effort to plant the nice olive trees honoring Fr. Malloy in front of the rectory. God Bless them! |
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April 19: Colette Urdahl-Pappas. Anyone who attends the Sunday 11:45 AM Italian or Latin Mass knows Colette! She serves every single week. Colette has been a part of Sts. Peter and Paul’s Church and school her whole life. She was baptized by Fr. Armand Oliveri in 1964 and attended Sts Peter and Paul’s school until she graduated in 1979. While she was attending school, Colette was very active in the Girls club, helped out at the bazaar, serving at the Cioppino Dinners, and assisting her teachers before and after school. Shortly after she got married (by Fr. Al Pestun, in 1995), Colette began assisting as an alter server at the Italian Mass, and a few years later became a Eucharistic Minister. Last month, Colette donated a professional cleaning of our “La Madonna delle Grazie” statue just in time for Easter. (If anyone wishes to donate the cleaning of any other statues in the church, which can sure use it, please call the Church office!) God Bless her! |
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April 26: The Anonymous Parishioners. Every parishioner, every Christian is, in one way or another, an “Ambassador for Christ.” That is a part of our common Christian vocation. How many parishioners we have whose good works are done quietly, or even may be known only to God! Parishioners who attend Mass daily, and go to regular confession! Parishioners who quietly perform the Corporal Acts of Mercy: To feed the Hungry; To give Drink to the Thirsty; To clothe the Naked; To shelter the Homeless; To visit the Sick; To visit the Imprisoned; To bury the Dead. or who quietly perform the sometimes even more difficult Spiritual Acts of Mercy: To instruct the ignorant; To counsel the doubtful; To admonish sinners; To bear wrongs patiently; To forgive offences willingly; To comfort the afflicted; To pray for the living and the dead. At one (or two) a week, we can only profile a few parishioners in our bulletin, but that does not mean that others are any less valued. Just because you do not see your name in the bulletin does not mean that you can escape being an Ambassadors for Christ! God Bless them! |
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May 3-17: Our 2009 English Language RCIA Members. Bianca (front row, far left) was baptized Catholic and never completed the sacraments. Her grandparents are a great inspiration to her and have encouraged her to complete her sacraments. Now was the time, and her Grandfather was her sponsor throughout this process. Bianca lives in San Francisco Marina district. Kim (front row, second from left) was first introduced to Catholicism as a young person in 1991, as she was in Vietnamese Youth Development. Her fiancé's family are Catholic and have inspired her because "their way of helping one another through tough times is always a joy for me to witness." She wants to follow this faith in her married life. Kim lives in San Leandro and has a restaurant there. Ramela (front row, third from left) was baptized Catholic in Iran but when she left that country at the age of 4 she never pursued her completion of the sacraments, although she regularly attended church and grew up with the values of Catholicism. Ramela and Mike will be married on May 16 at SS Peter and Paul and will raise a family grounded in Catholic tradition and values. Ramela and Mike will live in San Jose |
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Sterling (front row, second from right) received the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. His grandparents were an inspiration to him growing up, but just recently he has had a great interest in accepting Jesus Christ in his life. He wants to live that out through the Catholic faith by participation in the sacraments. He will continue to have a connection with SS Peter and Paul through his sponsor, Alan Smith, a parishioner and former Ambassador for Christ. Shawn (front row, far right) was baptized Catholic and has recently been introduced to what faith can be for you through his fiancé and her family. They are also taking their marriage preparation with Fr. Jack and he has had quite an impact on Shawn. Shawn is very committed to his faith and continues to be inquisitive. He lives in Foster City. Christina (back row, top left) has been attending Catholic services with her fiancé for over a year and now feels that becoming Catholic completes the circle. Christina was baptized Methodist and has a very Christian background, but feels the catholic tradition is where she can find balance in her life and share that faith with her soon-to-be husband and future children. She finds the Catholic community a true inspiration. Carina (back row, second from left) was born in Sweden and was baptized in the Swedish Church (Evangelical Lutheran). Carina is very grounded in values that will help make the world a better place. She "feels these values are important and wants to make sure they stay with me and my future family". Her fiancé is catholic and their values and way of living through the Catholic faith are very appealing to her. Carina and Ivan will be married in October in Mexico, Ivan's native land, and will remain in the San Francisco area (SS Peter and Paul Parish). |
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May 24: Over the past three week’s our “Ambassadors for Christ” have been our 2009 English Language RCIA candidates. Today we profile the 2009 English Language RCIA Sponsors: Left to right: Mike Laptal, sponsor and fiance to Ramela Khachomian. Mike and Ramela will be married here on May 16. Tim McMorrow, sponsor and fiance to Christian Cook. Ivan Gonzalez-Gallo, sponsor and fiance to Carina Ljungwald. Ivan and Carina will be married in October in Mexico. Rebecca Linkhorn, sponsor and fiancee to Shawn Moussavi. Alan Smith, long-standing parishioner, and sponsor to Sterling Griffin. Alan shares his experiences as a sponsor: “Recently I decided to become an RCIA sponsor for the first time to be a good steward for SS. Peter & Paul by helping a candidate join the universal Catholic Church. To my surprise, I received much more than I felt I gave. I was touched by the sincerity and thoughtfulness of the candidates as they progressed and was reminded of the reasons I am an participating Catholic. The Mass and Eucharist provide meaning and purpose to my life and it was a rewarding experience to watch the candidates discover this during the program.” God Bless these Ambassadors for Christ! |
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May 31: Mimi, the rectory cat. Can a cat be an “Ambassador for Christ”? We’re not sure, but Mimi is a big help. She puts visitors at ease when they come to meet with a priest, (maybe for the first time) and she is especially helpful with children. Sometimes Mom & Dad are speaking with a priest, and the children are bored with waiting. But they see Mimi, and boredom evaporates. Sometimes she climbs up on Fr. John’s desk and helps him shepherd the parish. Or sometimes a Pre-K child is homesick. When that happens, Mrs. Simons, the Pre-K Director takes the child “under her wing” and maybe brings the child with her to the rectory if she has business up here. Something like this ensues: Mrs. Simons: “Can you say hello to my friend (the parish secretary)?” Nope. Child look at ground, no response. Secretary: “Do you like cats and dogs?” Child still looking at ground, says “Yes.” Secretary: “Do you want to see our cat?” Child looks up, a little hope dawning: “Yes...” Secretary: “This is Mimi.” Child says: “We have a cat just like Mimi except for he’s bigger and he’s a different color and he’s a boy and his name is Reggie and one day he got lost and then my Dad found him and one day he got a mouse and it scared my Mom and one day....” And everybody is happy again. How many blessings our Father in heaven has given us! |
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June 7: Lola Simi. Lola Simi has been our choirmaster since 1963. Fr. Pellegrino had just passed away & Fr. Joseph Costanzo called Lola the following Monday, and said “get over here quick, there’s a funeral, and we need an organist!” Lola had never played at a funeral before, but up she went to the choir loft. When she came down Fr. Costanzo said “You’re in charge!” and she’s been here ever since. Lola was born in Italy, although her dad was born in San Francisco, and he was baptized in the first SS. Peter and Paul. The family moved from Italy to Detroit in 1936, and they arrived in San Francisco in 1947. Lola recalls that when she was a toddler her grandfather would regale her with stories about North Beach and Saints Peter and Paul. Ever since, she wanted to end up here, and she sure has. She married Lorenzo Simi in 1957, right here at SSPP. and they have one daughter, Valentina, who received all her sacraments here, studied at SSPP School, and is still very involved in the church. In addition to her musical leadership, Lola has worked or volunteered in many different roles in the church. From 1970-1985 Lola was parish secretary; for years she volunteered at the bazaar, she was a Salesian Cooperator, and until last year she helped out at special events in the rectory kitchen. Lola was very involved for decades with the Salesian Boys’ and Girls’ Club musical productions In 2008, she was honored as the SBGC’s “Woman of the Year.” God Bless her! |
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June 14: Officer Allan Wong: “Officer Allan,” as the students call him, has been a part of Saints Peter and Paul since about 1980. He is a graduate of the class of 1986—he would’ve gone to Laura Vicuna Pre-K too, but we did not have Pre-K back then. You could say he’s pre Pre-K! Allan’s brother and sister, Joe and Theresa, both attended Saints Peter and Paul School, too. Allan has been helping out at SS. Peter and Paul virtually his entire life. He was on staff for a while in the 1990’s, but in 2000 he joined the Police Academy, and now he is one of San Francisco’s Finest. Even with his commitments, Allan still somehow finds plenty of time to contribute. He always has an eye out for safety issues around the school and church. He is a big help to his mother, Mrs. Louisa Toy, who is the school secretary, and Dr. Lisa Harris the Principal, adores him. Allen has a great gift of making newcomers to SSPP feel right at home. He never misses a graduation, and he is attends practically all school events. By now, a couple of generations of SSPP students have been the beneficiaries of Officer Wong’s positive influence. In 2009, the school yearbook devoted a full page to thanking Allan for his ongoing contribution to the life of the parish. God Bless him! |
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June 21: Father Salvatore Giacomini. Is there a priest more beloved than “Fr. Jack?” Fr. Jack was born in Italy in 1923, one of a family of eight. He came to this country in 1939, and attended the Salesian School in Richmond There is just about nothing Fr. Jack has not done in the service of the people of God. He has been a teacher or administrator at every Salesian High School in the province. Salesian High in Richmond, St. Francis High in Watsonville, St. John Bosco in Bellflower, and Don Bosco Tech in Rosemead. Of course he has also served at the Churches in all those places, too. One of Fr. Jack’s great loves and areas of knowledge is music—he has taught music everywhere he has been. Fr. Jack was pastor here at Saints Peter and Paul from 1977-1980. He has been the Director of our Italian Apostolate ever since, and one of his great joys is the celebration of all the special Italian Feastdays. (The picture at left shows him blessing the fishing fleet as part of the Madonna del Lume Festival). He created the “Ottanteni” club, an organization which gave an annual dinner for all parishioners over age 80. We have been lucky enough to have him at Saints Peter and Paul as a Parochial Vicar for the past 16 years. The number of weddings, baptisms, and funerals he has celebrated, and the number of his visits to comfort the sick and dying is beyond count. Just this year , at age 85, he marched the full distance at the “Walk for Life West Coast.” On top of all that, Fr. Jack also celebrates our Latin Mass on the first Sunday of every month at 11:45 AM. Just this past Wednesday, he celebrated the 58th Anniversary of his priesthood. God Bless this wonderful priest! |
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