“So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God” – Mark 16:19

For this year, the celebration of the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord has been transferred by the bishops of New Jersey from Thursday, May 13, to Sunday, May 16, 2021, replacing the Seventh Sunday of Easter.

On May 13, prayers and readings for the Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter will be used, or prayers and possibly the readings for the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima celebrated that day. On Sunday, May 16, the readings and prayers for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord will be used for all weekend Masses, replacing those for the Seventh Sunday of Easter.

The Ascension of the Lord occurred 40 days after Easter, when Jesus, in the sight of his Apostles, ascended bodily into heaven.