Bishop Larry Silva and Msgr. Terrence Watanabe will flip the switch at 1 p.m. Jan. 5 at St. Theresa Church in Kihei to launch a new Catholic radio station on Maui — KCIK AM 740, also known as Immaculate Heart Radio.

Immaculate Heart Radio is a non-profit organization of about 30 non-commercial listener-supported radio stations in five western states.

KCIK AM 740, which claims to be Hawaii’s first full-time Catholic radio station, promised in an announcement “the best in Catholic programming from around the country” as well as local programs.

“It has been a wonderful experience to bring Immaculate Heart Radio to Maui,” said its president and founder Doug Sherman in a news release. “We are entirely grateful for the support from parishioners and priests on Maui and from the diocese.”

Some of the national programs include “Celtic Connections,” “The World Over,” “Life On The Rock,” “The Choices We Face,” “Daily Mass from EWTN,” “Rosary With Father Scalon and Dana,” “Deep in Scripture,” “Faith and Family,” “Great Adventure Bible Study,” “Mother Angelica Live Classics,” “The Wisdom of Father Groeschel” and the “Divine Mercy Chaplet.”

Much of the national material originates from Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). Here are descriptions of some of the shows.

“Catholic Answers Live” is a daily call-in program about the Catholic Faith featuring leading Catholic apologists and theologians.

“Fire on Earth,” with host Peter Herbeck, examines the new evangelization through teaching, interviews and testimony.

“Register Radio,” hosted by Thom Price and Tim Drake of the National Catholic Register newspaper, discusses the events of the day in the light of the Gospel.

The weekday “Son Rise Morning Show” with Brian Patrick, live via satellite from the EWTN Chapel in Irondale, Ala., presents interviews, prayer, current news items from a Catholic perspective.

“Right Here, Right Now,” hosted by Patrick Madrid, is a daily interactive show about “things that really matter in life.”

According to Janette Parker, the station’s creative services project manager, local programming time has been offered to the bishop but it has not yet been developed.

AM 740 will reach Maui, Molokai and Lanai, and possibly parts of Oahu and the Big Island.

Msgr. Watanabe, pastor of St. Theresa, said the station is “a wonderful opportunity for us to touch the hearts and lives of the people of Maui with the love of Christ and His Word.”

“I know that our lives will be enriched by what we will be able to hear and reflect upon,” he said.

In the news release, Bishop Silva said it was a blessing to inaugurate the station on the Epiphany.

“It is the day on which the great gift of God, the gift of Jesus, God-with-us, is manifested, unwrapped, and broadcast to the wider world,” he said. “We pray that the seeds of faith sown by Immaculate Heart Radio may bear much fruit in evangelizers who take the good news of Jesus near and far.”

Parker said the station is “listener-supported … with the construction financed by local parishioners on Maui, a grant from the Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation and other existing Immaculate Heart Radio supporters.”

There will be no commercials but business sponsorships or underwriters will help finance the operation, she said.

Immaculate Heart Radio was started in Reno in 1997.

In the hope that the change will allow more people to attend this year, the diocese will celebrate its traditional Red Mass at 9 a.m. on Jan. 14, the day before the start of the legislative session rather than the usual “day after.”

This public liturgy, which Bishop Larry Silva will preside over at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, is the church’s prayer to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance for our Islands’ public servants. More than 1,000 invitations have gone out to officials in the state executive, legislative and judicial branches, and to city and county officials, religious leaders and military officers.

The main speaker this year is Father Robert Stark, the diocesan director of the Office for Social Ministry. His topic is “Faith, Affordable Housing and Public/Private Partnerships.”

Father Stark said his homily will “share some of the exciting examples here in Hawaii of innovative inter-community collaboration around affordable housing” and how these efforts can be expanded by public, private and faith sectors working together.

The Red Mass has been a tradition in Hawaii since 1955. The Red Mass was introduced in the United States from Europe early last century and has become an annual event in Washington, D.C., and other major mainland cities. The Mass is named for the color of the vestments used for a Mass of the Holy Spirit.

Ordained in 1977, Father Stark is a priest of the Blessed Sacrament order. He came to Hawaii in 2010 to serve as a resource developer/community organizer for the diocese and has been involved coordinating Hawaii parishioners in housing and homeless ministries.

Before coming to Hawaii, he worked in community and social justice causes on the mainland, in Latin America and the Caribbean since his seminary days in the early 1970s. He has a doctorate in social ethics from the University of Chicago Divinity School and has also served as a parish priest.

The bishop has also invited government officials and staff to an informal breakfast before Mass at 7:30 a.m. in the Kamiano Center just makai of the cathedral on the Fort Street Mall.

The Red Mass is usually celebrated on the second day of the legislative session. This year Bishop Silva scheduled it for the day before the opening of the legislature in the hope that more government officials would be free to attend.

Last year about 25 state lawmakers, city council members and other civic leaders attended the Mass.

Gov. Neil Abercombie addresses the congregation at the funeral of Loretta Fuddy, Dec. 21, in the co-cathedral. (Photo courtesy of Oswald Bumanglag)

The separation of church and state was nowhere to be seen at the Dec. 21 wake and funeral Mass of Loretta Fuddy, the director of the state Department of Health who died in a plane crash off Kalaupapa Dec. 11.

The services, four days before Christmas, in the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa where Fuddy was an active member, brought together hundreds of colleagues, friends, associates, coworkers and fellow parishioners to celebrate her life and commend her to Paradise.

Starting at 9 a.m., hundreds of people stood for up to an hour in a line that stretched one and a half times the length of the church to extend condolences to the family of the state’s top health administrator.

Greeting all at the church door was Fuddy’s friend and former co-cathedral rector Father William Kunisch and the present rector Father Gregorio Honorio.

Father Kunisch described the late health director as being very involved in all aspects of the life of the parish.

During the visitation, the co-cathedral choir, of which Fuddy was a faithful member, sang religious and Hawaiian songs.

Students in uniform from Sacred Hearts Academy, where Fuddy graduated, signed in guests and passed out orders of worship and pink memorial cards with Loretta Fuddy’s photo and the Prayer of St. Francis.

In attendance, from her public service side, were the governor and lieutenant governor, state senators and representatives, labor leaders and educators. From her life of faith were her fellow co-cathedral parishioners, students and alumnae from Sacred Hearts Academy, and the Sisters of St. Francis who, like Fuddy, have a Kalaupapa connection.

Fuddy died after the Makani Kai plane she was in was forced to make an ocean landing when it experienced what the pilot described as “catastrophic engine failure” soon after leaving Kalaupapa, Molokai, on its way to Honolulu.

The other seven passengers and the pilot survived.

She had been in Kalaupapa for a meeting with the Hansen’s disease patients. Kalaupapa is part of Kalawao County, which, because of its history as a settlement for people with leprosy, comes under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health.

State Rep. Della Au Bellati, in brief remarks, thanked Fuddy’s family for “sharing such a beloved and precious sister and aunt with the public.”

She described the late health director as a “gift to the community … a quiet, persistent, fearless advocate” for public health.

“I am going to miss her persistent voice at the legislature,” Au Bellati said.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie, addressing the mourners, described Fuddy as a “deeply spiritual person, totally committed to the values of her (Catholic) faith.”

He said she lived up to her “strong Catholic beliefs.”

The governor appointed Fuddy, who came with 30 years of experience in the field of health and human services, as the director of the State Department of Health on March 2, 2011. She was an acknowledged leader in public health in Hawaii and the recipient of numerous awards.

In 2004, Sacred Hearts Academy honored her as one of its distinguished alumnae.

On the day of Loretta Fuddy’s funeral, Pope Francis gave a talk that proved appropriate in the remembrance of the health director.

The pope, speaking to members of the Vatican curia, or central offices, described the three qualities of a good curial official: “professionalism,” “service” and “holiness of life.”

Though he was referring to the church bureaucracy, those same qualities could describe Fuddy’s work in the secular “curia” of the state.

With regards to professionalism and service, there was no doubt that Fuddy excelled.

As for demonstrating a “holiness of life” in a state job, Pope Francis’ description seems to allow for it.

“Holiness means a life immersed in the Spirit, a heart open to God, constant prayer, deep humility and fraternal charity in our relationships with our fellow workers,” the pope said. “It also means apostleship, discreet and faithful pastoral service, zealously carried out in direct contact with God’s people.”

From the pope’s perspective, Loretta Fuddy’s professionalism and dedication removed any wall separating her faith and her public service, and Hawaii was the better for it. Her funeral bore that out.

An architect’s drawing of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace with the reliquary chapel that will be the future home of the  remains of St. Marianne Cope. (HCH file photo)

The relics will be kept in a small reliquary chapel that will be added to the mauka side of the cathedral as part of the ongoing renovation of the 173-year-old church. The chapel will also house a relic of St. Damien de Veuster.

St. Marianne’s remains are a collection of bones sealed in a 48-by-20-by-12 inch metal box which is encased in a large polished wood reliquary in St. Anthony Convent Chapel in Syracuse.

The relocation of St. Marianne’s remains will follow the closing next year of the Court Street motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities, St. Marianne’s congregation. The changes were announced in Syracuse on Dec. 19.

According to a news release, the motherhouse buildings “are no longer structurally sound.” The 75 sisters who reside there will move to the new Franciscan Villas in another part of Syracuse this coming summer.

Also moving from the motherhouse to a new location will be the Shrine and Museum of Saint Marianne Cope. The collection of the saint’s historical artifacts and records will go to St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, where a radiology building is being renovated to accommodate new museum galleries, a gift shop, archives and staff offices.

The community hopes to sell the Court Street campus.

The financial demands placed on the community by the extensive relocation was one of the reasons the sisters are bringing the saint’s remains back to Hawaii.

Planning ahead, “we realized we did not have the sustainability,” said Sister Roberta Smith, the general minister of the congregation.

The decision to relocate the remains was made by the congregation’s six-person governing board after some “canvassing of the community,” Sister Roberta said.

She said the “sisters aren’t too surprised by this decision, though some are disappointed.”

“Most were open to whatever decision leadership made,” she said. “A goodly number thought it was right that she return to where her healing ministry blossomed in Hawaii.”

The remains will still belong to the Sisters of St. Francis, Sister Roberta said.

“She belongs to the community,” she said. “She will always be part of us.”

The sisters need the permissions of both the bishops of Syracuse and Honolulu to make the move, which is expected, and authorization from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

The Sisters of St. Francis, in a statement, said it “made sense” to return the remains to Hawaii.

“When St. Marianne’s remains were moved to Syracuse during the canonization process, it made sense to bring her home to the center of the community of sisters,” she said. “It allowed St. Marianne to be reintroduced to the people in Syracuse. It now makes sense to return St. Marianne to her final resting place alongside St. Damien.”

The museum at St. Joseph Hospital will also include a shrine with a first class relic of the saint to be kept in the large wooden reliquary now holding the remains in St. Anthony Chapel.

“Having her at St. Joseph Hospital and Health Center will be a source of great hope for people,” Sister Roberta said. Mother Marianne had been assigned to St. Joseph before coming to Hawaii.

“She was very instrumental there doing healing ministry,” she said.

Bishop Silva said he was contacted by the Sisters of St. Francis about two months ago about the possibility of the saint’s remains returning to Hawaii.

“I told them we would be excited and honored to have St. Marianne’s remains back in Hawaii, where she dedicated so much of her saintly life to the care of the patients with Hansen’s disease,” the bishop said.

The bishop said that the small chapel that is planned as an attachment to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace is part of a $12 million restoration that will “accommodate current liturgical and worship needs, yet remind us of the days when St. Marianne and her sisters first worshipped there upon their arrival in Honolulu.”

He said that if the relics are received before the reliquary chapel is built, “we will find another suitable place at which the relics can be venerated until the permanent shrine is completed.”

Alika Cullen, the general administrator of the cathedral, said the restoration work is expected to take two years.

Bishop Silva said that the cathedral’s central location, which serves both Hawaii’s “many visitors” and local residents, “will allow many people to come and be inspired by St. Marianne and St. Damien.”

St. Marianne Cope and six companion sisters arrived in Hawaii in 1883 from Syracuse, N.Y., to care for the natives with Hansen’s disease. Shortly afterward, she opened Malulani Hospital on Maui and the Kapiolani Home for the healthy children of leprosy patients.

In 1888, she went to Kalaupapa to run Bishop Home, a complex of cottages for the female patients. In the 125 years that followed, approximately 65 Sisters of St. Francis have served there as nurses and health care workers.

St. Marianne died in Kalaupapa in 1918 and was the only Sister of St. Francis to be buried there. Her body was exhumed in 2005 as required for her beatification and her remains brought to the Syracuse motherhouse where a shrine was erected.

The remains of Father Damien, who died and was buried in Kalaupapa in 1889, were exhumed in 1936 and enshrined in his homeland of Belgium. On the occasion of his 1995 beatification, the bones of St. Damien’s right hand were reinterred in his original Kalaupapa grave.

Small relics of both St. Damien and St. Marianne are now on display in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace.

The following priests, religious and lay people with a connection with the Catholic Church in Hawaii died in 2013. They are listed in alphabetical order.

• Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Julia Marie Acain, Maui native who taught at St. Theresa School in Honolulu and Christ the King School on Maui; helped establish a mission for her order at Sacred Hearts Parish on Lanai
• Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Marie Agnese Arsenault, served in Hawaii for 45 years as a teacher, catechist and college campus minister
• Maryknoll Sister Leonila Bermisa, former Honolulu lawyer, author and women’s rights advocate
• Franciscan Sister Mary Andrew Bomba
• Maryknoll Sister Catherine Margaret Carden, helped create the first Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) program for the Diocese of Honolulu
• Jesuit Father Bernard Cassidy, served in Hawaii in hospital and hospice ministry
• Maryknoll Father Robert Donnelly, worked almost 40 years as a parish priest on Oahu and the Big Island
• Maryknoll Sister Mary Elizabeth Driscoll, taught at St. Anthony School in Wailuku and Maryknoll School in Honolulu
• Sacred Hearts Brother Patrick Hughes, Honolulu native who helped build the Sacred Hearts’ St. Patrick Monastery in Kaimuki; cook for the congregation and one of the last Sacred Hearts brothers to serve in Kalaupapa
• Sacred Hearts Sister Lucia Iwata, Honolulu-born nun who served her community as a cook, housekeeper, religion teacher and eucharistic minister
• Marianist Father Joseph Lackner, taught at Chaminade University
• Capuchin Father Robert Maher, Oahu parish priest for 15 years and member of the team that examined the case of Audrey Toguchi’s cure from lung cancer as the second miracle needed for the canonization of Father Damien
• Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Anne Moriarty, taught English and served the elderly in Hawaii as a massage therapist
• Deacon Jerry Nunogawa, served in ministry at St. Joseph Church in Hilo, diocesan director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, member of the diocese’s deacon council
• Benedictine Father Timothy Ottman, served in Hawaii parishes and the Benedictine Monastery in Waialua for 30 years
• Marianist Father Gerald Pleva, served his last assignment at St. Anthony Church on Maui
• Christian Brother Francis Matthew Popish, taught at Damien Memorial School for 22 years
• Maryknoll Sister Blanche Thiel, served in Hawaii for 20 years as a dietician and hospital pastoral worker
• Franciscan Sister Richard Marie Toal, served as a nurse in Kalaupapa for 40 years, known as “the fishing nun”
• Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Mary Barbara Vennard, taught at St. Joseph School in Waipahu and Christ the King School in Kahului
• Maryknoll Sister Antonetta Wilgenbusch, served as a teacher to the deaf, and as a domestic and pastoral worker in Hawaii for 30 years

January

• Bishop Larry Silva issues a “pastoral letter to surfers in the Year of Faith,” Jan. 5.
• St. Rita parish in Haiku begins the year with official ownership of the .61 acres of land on which its church has stood since 1920.
• “The New Evangelization: Challenges and Promises” is the theme of the diocese’s annual priests’ retreat, Jan. 6-11, at St. Stephen Diocesan Center. Auxiliary Bishop William Antonio of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, Philippines, leads the retreat.
• Sister Florence Remata of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities leaves Kauai Jan. 8, ending the Franciscan Sisters’ ministry on the Garden Isle.
• The final major event celebrating the canonization of St. Marianne Cope is held in Kalaupapa, Jan. 12. Special guests include apostolic nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and Bishop Robert Cunningham of Syracuse.
• At the annual Red Mass, Jan. 17, Sister Alicia Damien Lau of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities speaks about St. Marianne Cope’s example of community service. Cardinal Timothy Dolan is a guest homilist at the liturgy.
• Mother Marianne Cope’s first feast day as a saint, and 175th birthday, is celebrated Jan. 23 with a Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace.
• Young Catholics make up the majority of about 500 participants at the 40th annual March for Life, Jan. 26, at the Hawaii state Capitol.
• The Hawaii Catholic Schools Office begins collaboration with Chaminade University’s Master of Business Administration instructors and students on a “strategic plan implementation review.”
• The diocese hires Kristina DeNeve as its new coordinator for adult faith formation and evangelization.
• The diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry selects 10 new members for its Youth and Young Adult Ministry Advisory Council.

February

• More than 700 faculty and staff from Oahu Catholic schools attend the Annual Conference for Catholic Educators, Feb. 1. Two conferences — one for early education instructors and another for middle/secondary educators — are held. The conference theme is “21st Century Learning in the Hawaii Catholic Schools.”
• The diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development hosts its first “Stewardship Day” event with talks and panel discussions on spiritual giving, Feb. 2.
• Pope Benedict XVI announces Feb. 11 his intention to resign the papacy at the end of the month. Bishop Silva issues a statement of gratitude for the pope’s service, canonization of two Hawaii saints and selection of him as Bishop of Honolulu in 2005.
• Worldwide Marriage Encounter honors Joseph and Helen Vierra of Waimanalo, married for 75 years, as its “longest-married couple” in Hawaii.
• Hawaii Opera Theatre performs “Dialogues of the Carmelites” for the first time in the Islands, Feb. 15-19.
• During the first weekend in Lent, Feb. 15-17, 203 catechumens are welcomed at several rites of election ceremonies in the diocese.
• The Italy-based Olivetan Benedictine Congregation announces its decision to close the Benedictine Monastery in Hawaii. The community’s members in Waialua work with the Diocese of Honolulu to keep their ministry in the Islands.
• The boys basketball team of the recently co-ed St. Francis School wins its first Division II state championship, Feb. 23.
• St. Francis Healthcare dedicates its new intergenerational center in Ewa, Feb. 28.

March

• Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is elected the 266th pope, taking the name of Francis March 13.
• Kailua craftswoman Pam Aqui is selected by the U.S. White House to create a rosary gift for Pope Francis’ installation. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is said to have presented the pope with the koa rosary at the installation Mass in Rome, March 19.
• Hawaii-born Sacred Hearts Father Clyde Guerreiro leaves the Islands to help start a new mission for the religious order in Tonga.

April

• The St. Anthony Junior-Senior High School symphonic band performs at Carnegie Hall in New York City, April 1.
• Saint Louis School unveils a mosaic in its new Clarence T.C. Ching Learning and Technology Center, April 9, called “Jesus in Hawaii,” created by local artist Karen Lucas.
• The Marianist Big Island Liturgy and Arts Conference expands with its first events on Maui and Lanai, April 12-14.
• The Hawaii Catholic Herald launches its new website at www.hawaiicatholicherald.com.
• Bishop Silva makes a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, with the Order of Malta, April 30-May 8.

May

• The diocese implements surprise audits by an independent firm to check for best practices in the collection and counting of parish offertory funds.
• “Meeting the Challenges of the Year of Faith” is the theme for the diocese’s annual Priests’ Convocation, May 13-17, at the Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku.
• On May 23, Bishop Silva establishes the Benedictine community in Waialua as a “public organization of the Christian faithful” under his diocesan authority. The new canonical status of the group allows its nuns and priests to continue their ministry and Benedictine way of life in Hawaii.
• St. Francis School graduates its first co-ed senior class, May 26.
• The Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities announce May 31 that a new 100-bed skilled nursing facility will be built at the location of their original St. Francis Hospital in Liliha.
• Chaminade University announces that its baccalaureate degree nursing program has been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education for the maximum five-year period, up to June 30, 2018.
• After 10 years away from the priesthood, diocesan priest Father Stephen Macedo returns to active ministry.

June

• On June 2, the Feast of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Pope Francis calls for dioceses around the world to celebrate an hour of eucharistic adoration at 5 p.m., Rome time. Bishop Silva simultaneously holds a special holy hour with the Blessed Sacrament at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace at 5 a.m. in Hawaii.
• The diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry host a three-part summer “Theology on Tap” series for young adults called “Love, Friendship and Happiness,” featuring religion and philosophy professor Pete Steiger of Chaminade University.
• Philip Ganir of St. Elizabeth Church in Aiea is ordained a Jesuit priest June 8 in California. He returns to Hawaii to celebrate Mass at his home parish, June 23.
• Capuchin Franciscan Father Paul L. Minchak retires after almost 30 years of parish ministry in Hawaii.
• The National Park Service names Erika Stein as the new superintendent of Kalaupapa National Historic Park.
• Bishop Silva is made an honorary knight of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I on June 25 in a ceremony at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace.
• Jayne Mondoy, director of the diocesan Office of Religious Education, is awarded the Conference Theme Award at the Diocesan Information Systems Conference (DISC) June 21 in Dallas for her department’s program that offers faith formation classes to catechists online via Facebook.

July

• Father Teodulo “Teddy” Gaquit retires after serving 13 years in local hospital ministry.
• The diocese hosts its first “Exodus Games,” July 6, at Sacred Hearts Academy to promote vocations.
• Hawaii-born Sister Mary Elizabeth de Jesus makes her first temporary vows as a Carmelite nun at Carmel of the Holy Trinity Monastery on the grounds of St. Stephen Diocesan Center, July 16.
• The Cathedral Renewal Campaign is launched July 20 in an effort to raise roughly $15 million for renovation work to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace and revitalization of its parish programs.
• About two dozen Hawaii pilgrims, including Bishop Silva, travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for World Youth Day, July 23-28.

August

• Chaminade University hires Helen J.D. Whippy as its new provost, her three-year term beginning Aug. 5.
• The diocesan Office for Clergy hosts a workshop on Micronesian culture and ministry titled “Who is My Neighbor: Chuukese Catholic Immigrants in Hawaii,” Aug. 8 at St. Stephen Diocesan Center.
• Sacred Hearts novices Jeremy Sabugo, Justin Carrigan and Michael Kamauoha make their first profession of temporary vows Aug. 10 at St. Patrick Church in Kaimuki.
• Results from the independent audit on parish collections received by the diocese Aug. 22 show that less than one-fifth of the diocese’s 66 parishes fully complied with offertory counting and safeguarding guidelines.
• The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet celebrate the 75th anniversary of their order’s arrival in Hawaii with a thanksgiving Mass, Aug. 24 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa.
• Sister Rochelle Liu and Sister Joan Roddy of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia leave Honolulu for Tacoma, Wash., ending their order’s presence in Hawaii.
• Joy Bulosan ends a four-year stint as secretary to Bishop Silva, Aug. 30. She takes on a new role as Director of Volunteer Services and Community Engagement at Catholic Charities Hawaii.

September

• St. Anthony School in Kalihi celebrates its 85th anniversary.
• Parishes hold special Masses and prayer services Sept. 7 to coincide with Pope Francis’ vigil in Rome calling for peace in Syria.
• The diocesan Office for Social Ministry hosts four, two-hour workshops on “food insecurity,” highlighting ways parish outreach ministries can provide more sustainable, nutritious food for the poor.
• The late Gus and Anna Hochuli are honored for their contributions to Catholic school scholarships at the Augustine Educational Foundation’s annual Donor Appreciation Reception, Sept. 19.
• Bishop Silva hosts an evening gathering for “Catholic professionals,” the first event of its kind in the diocese, for the Year of Faith. About 30 guests from the fields of medicine, law, politics, media and education discuss their faith over food and cocktails at St. Stephen Diocesan Center, Sept. 20.
• Our Lady of Good Counsel Church marks the 15th anniversary of its perpetual adoration chapel.
• The diocese hires Denise Duhaylonsod Oliveira, office manager at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Ewa Beach, as the new secretary to Bishop Silva.
• Big Island artist Dietrich Varez creates a new block print honoring Joseph Dutton, who served alongside St. Damien in Kalaupapa.
• The mother general of the Sacred Hearts Sisters visits Hawaii from Rome with the congregation’s four councilors.
• Youth and young adults from the West Honolulu vicariate take their faith to the streets Sept. 28 in the first “Crosswalk” organized by regional ministry leaders.

October

• Carol Ignacio retires after serving in the diocesan Office for Social Ministry for 27 years. The diocese appoints Blessed Sacrament Father Bob Stark as the social ministry office’s new director.
• The Carmelite Sisters at St. Stephen Diocesan Center mark 40 years of their ministry of prayerful solitude in Hawaii.
• Bishop Silva establishes Oct. 10 a Stewardship Task Force to draft a plan for implementing the practice of spiritual giving in the diocese.
• Benedictine Fathers David Barfknecht and Michael Sawyer are incardinated into the Diocese of Honolulu as part of the community’s transition to a “public association of the faithful.”
• Bishop Silva celebrates the one-year anniversary of the canonization of Mother Marianne Cope with a thanksgiving Mass at Star of the Sea Church, Oct. 21.
• An estimated 8,000 people, many from Catholic parishes and Christian congregations, attend an Oct. 28 rally at the state Capitol to protest the legalization of same-sex marriage.

November

• Hawaii parishes celebrate the first national “Parish Religious Education Week,” Nov. 3-9.
• Super Typhoon Haiyan hits the Philippines with massive destruction, Nov. 7. The Diocese of Honolulu authorizes special offertory collections to go toward storm relief.
• The Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities mark several milestones in November: the 150th anniversary of St. Marianne Cope’s final profession of religious vows; the 130th anniversary of the arrival in Hawaii of St. Marianne and the Franciscan Sisters; and the 120th anniversary of St. Marianne’s arrival in Kalaupapa.
• St. Anthony Junior-Senior High School alum Shane Victorino and the Boston Red Sox win the 2013 Major League Baseball World Series championship.
• Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Nov. 13 signs a bill making Hawaii the 15th state to legalize same-sex marriage.
• Jerry Rauckhorst, president and CEO of Catholic Charities Hawaii, receives the Paulette V. Maehara Leadership Award from the Aloha Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Nov. 14, at the organization’s 2013 National Philanthropy Day awards banquet.
• Michael Jucutan of Pearl City is ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Agana, Guam, Nov. 9. He returns to Hawaii to celebrate Mass at his home parish, Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Nov. 17.
• Bishop Silva brings back “The Bishop’s Circle” fundraising appeal.
• An “Island-style” celebration at Star of the Sea Church — with food, multicultural entertainment and Mass — closes the Year of Faith on Oahu, Nov. 23. Neighbor island vicariates end the Year of Faith with a variety of events.

December

• The diocesan Prison Ministry hosts its annual “Star Light, Star Bright” Christmas party at the Women’s Community Correctional Center in Kailua, Dec. 14. It is the fourth time the party is held at the prison, and the second time that families from the neighbor islands attend the event.
• Bishop Silva confers the ministry of reader to 13 deacon candidates during Mass at St. Stephen Diocesan Center, Dec. 15.
• After serving the Diocese of Honolulu for 14 years as a secretary with the diocesan Tribunal and diocesan archives, Nettie Lou Peiler retires Dec. 31.
• Sharon Chiarucci, diocesan director of the Office of Parish Resources, retires Dec. 31 after working for the church in various ways for more than 30 years.

St. Anthony, Kalihi, school kids pack donated items for Haiyan victims in the Philippines.

Hawaii’s Catholics showed their aloha for the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan by quickly mobilizing in the two months since the storm hit the Philippines to collect and send basic necessities and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in aid.

Haiyan, a Category 5 typhoon, hit the Central Philippines Nov. 7. More than 6,000 people were killed, and millions were left homeless, in the wake of its torrential rain and 200 mph winds.

After the disaster, Bishop Larry Silva authorized special parish collections to be taken up in the Diocese of Honolulu for typhoon relief. The diocesan finance office reported Jan. 10 that $198,256.08 has been netted so far through collections from 41 Island parishes. The Korean and Vietnamese Catholic communities also contributed to the total.

More parishes are likely to remit relief collection funds in the next few weeks, said diocesan controller Marvin Choy.

The money collected through these special offertories is being sent to Catholic Relief Services, or CRS, the international humanitarian agency sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. A Jan. 9 CRS newsletter said the agency aims to raise $50 million for short- and long-term recovery in the Philippines.

Catholic Relief Services expects the rebuilding effort — especially in the areas of Leyte and Samar hardest hit by Haiyan — to span three to five years. According to the Jan. 9 newsletter, the agency has already provided 40,000 families with temporary shelter, water and sanitation kits, income assistance and debris cleanup.

CRS has set a goal to help 100,000 Filipino families, or 500,000 typhoon victims, with the donations received from parish collections in the U.S. and through its website, http://crs.org/typhoon-haiyan.

Hawaii Catholic Schools and lay organizations took up their own creative service projects and donation drives to support Typhoon Haiyan victims.

St. Francis School in Manoa garnered more than $2,000 for Catholic Relief Services. Students and teachers held a weeklong, “dollar-a-day” fundraiser, and school groups volunteered their time to collect donations at the St. Francis Lady Hoops Basketball Tournament in November.

Cathedral Catholic Academy contributed $1,000 to CRS by encouraging its students to each donate a minimum of $2 for a “Red Shirt Friday” celebration.

Sacred Hearts Academy in Kaimuki held multiple fundraisers for its “Operation Haiyan” campaign. “Lancer Care” buttons were sold, and lower school students collected spare change in a drive called “Coins for a Cause.” The school also held a “Wake Up and Help” event Dec. 5, where students donated $3 to trade in their uniforms for a chance to wear pajamas on campus. The fundraisers earned $5,000 for the Philippine Red Cross.

Maryknoll School staffer Christopher Ugale designed an “Aloha Philippines” T-shirt in support of relief efforts. About 500 shirts were purchased by Maryknoll families, alumni and members of the Manoa-Punahou Catholic community.

Parishes, schools and Hawaii’s Filipino Catholic Clubs also collected clothing, food, blankets and toiletries for the typhoon victims. Shipping companies generously lent their services to send to the Philippines hundreds of “care boxes” compiled by Damien Memorial School, St. Joseph School in Waipahu, St. Anthony School in Kalihi and others.

Deanna M.B. Arecchi, principal of St. Michael School in Waialua, said the school plans to do subsequent donation drives to support the victims with basic necessities as they continue to rebuild.

“We were hoping to stay in touch with the contacts we have to continue our relationship, and help to provide for them what and when we can,” Arecchi said.

Bishop Larry Silva poses with deacon candidates and their wives after the rite of candidacy, Jan. 12, at St. Ann Church in Kaneohe. (HCH photo by Darlene Dela Cruz)

Fourteen Hawaii men publicly declared their willingness to be candidates for the permanent diaconate in a special liturgical ceremony 1:30 p.m., Jan. 12, at St. Ann Church in Kaneohe.

Bishop Larry Silva presided over the Rite of Candidacy for the eighth and newest formation class of deacons for the Diocese of Honolulu.

The men range in age from 46 to 63, with the majority in their 50s. They live on Oahu, the Big Island, Kauai and Maui. Seven were born in Hawaii. Their occupations include a medical doctor, a heavy equipment mechanic, government workers and a cook. A few are retired.

The candidates began their path to ordination in January 2013 as aspirants, and have spent the past year discerning their decision to pursue the diaconate.

According to the Vatican’s “Basic Norms for the Formation of Permanent Deacons,” in the Rite for Candidacy, the deacon aspirant “manifests his will to offer himself to God and the church, so that he may exercise sacred orders.”

The norms continue, “The church, accepting this offering, chooses and calls him to prepare himself to receive a sacred order, and in this way he is rightly numbered among candidates for the diaconate.”

As candidates, the men will enter into formal preparation for ordination which includes academic study and pastoral work until 2017.

The wives of married candidates will participate in the formation process although church law does not allow women to be ordained deacons.

The diocese’s new deacon class

Glenn (Mike) M. Brown

• Age: 59
• Birthplace: Wharton, W. Va.
• Wife: Michelle
• Children: 2
• Occupation: Officer/civilian U.S. Air Force
• Parish: St. Jude, Kapolei

Ricardo M. Burgos

• Age: 46
• Birthplace: Ponce, Puerto Rico
• Wife: Danielle
• Children: 3
• Occupation: Physician
• Parish: St. John the Baptist, Kalihi

Craig S. Camello

• Age: 50
• Birthplace: Honolulu
• Wife: Pamela
• Children: 3
• Occupation: Business development manager, Finance Factors
• Parish: St. John the Baptist, Kealakekua

Andres (Bambi) Emayo Jr.

• Age: 48
• Birthplace: Waimea, Kauai
• Wife: Clarissa
• Children: 3
• Occupation: Planning inspector, County of Kauai
• Parish: Holy Cross, Kalaheo

Raymond L. Lamb

• Age: 55
• Birthplace: Colorado Springs, Co.
• Wife: Tyra
• Children: 3
• Occupation: Department of Defense contractor
• Parish: St. John the Baptist, Kalihi

Rafael A. Mendoza

• Age: 56
• Birthplace: Manila
• Wife: Maria Sofia
• Children: 3
• Occupation: Director of international training, Haggai Institute
• Parish: St. Theresa, Kihei

Randall P. Naholowaa

• Age: 54
• Birthplace: Honolulu
• Wife: Krystyna
• Children: 2
• Occupation: Heavy equipment mechanic
• Parish: Sacred Heart, Waianae

Alfredo Nebre Jr.

• Age: 55
• Birthplace: Lihue
• Wife: Evelyn
• Children: 3
• Occupation: Youth service director
• Parish: St. Catherine, Kapaa

Jonathan R. Ocampo

• Age: 51
• Birthplace: Whitter, Calif.
• Wife: Miriam
• Occupation: Control technician
• Parish: Immaculate Conception, Ewa

Gerald P. Quintana

• Age: 64
• Birthplace: Honolulu
• Occupation: Semi-retired
• Parish: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Ewa Beach

Christopher S. Ribucan

• Age: 43
• Birthplace: Wailuku
• Wife: Dawn
• Children: 2
• Occupation: Postal clerk
• Parish: Holy Rosary, Paia

Valdyn M. Sakai

• Age: 55
• Birthplace: Honolulu
• Wife: Aurora
• Children: 2
• Occupation: Lead cook
• Parish: Christ the King, Kahului

Gerald (Gary) E. Streff

• Age: 63
• Birthplace: Holdrege, Neb.
• Wife: Valerie
• Children: 8
• Occupation: Retired U.S. Air Force
• Parish: St. Jude, Kapolei

David W. Watson

• Age: 55
• Birthplace: Washington, Iowa
• Wife: Gloria
• Occupation: Accountant
• Parish: St. Joseph, Hilo

Robert and Laura Murakami in an undated photo at a beach park near Hauula.

St. Stephen Diocesan Center, the 20-acre compound tucked below the Pali Highway on the Koolaus’ Kailua-facing slopes, has been home to many — a millionaire landowner, several bishops, numerous priests, dozens of seminarians, missionary sisters, contemplative nuns and others. But the person who lived there the longest, by far, was Laura Haruko Murakami.

Laura resided at St. Stephen from around 1946 until 2012. She died on Dec. 8 at age 92, the last survivor of a particular era stretching back to the early days of the diocese.

Laura was the wife of Robert Murakami, a carpenter’s helper and handyman who in 1946 answered an advertisement for a groundskeeper for the newly opened St. Stephen Seminary.

The Diocese of Honolulu, just five years old at the time, had bought the secluded mountain-side estate from Windward Oahu rancher Harold Castle to be a training ground for its future priests.

The huge property needed tending and the church hired two men to do the work: Ernest Staszkow for indoor janitorial chores and Robert Murakami for the outside. Each came with a wife and, in Murakami’s case, a new family.

Laura, maiden name Takushi, was born in Waipahu. She met Robert after her family had moved to town and leased some farm land in Moiliili, where the Murakamis also had a farm.

In those days, an Okinawan girl marrying a Japanese boy would almost guarantee the disapproval of both families. But Laura was the headstrong type, according to her daughter Jane Tateishi, and also quite pretty. Her father was simply in love.

The seminary job came with a house, quite an attraction for a young couple starting a family. The diocese would have preferred hiring a Catholic couple, but when none came forward, the Murakamis, who were Buddhist, got the job.

The Murakami and Staszkow homes, small wood-frame structures, were the first houses visible on the right to anyone driving down the seminary access road.

The Murakamis saw the seminary through its hopeful but shaky start, its flourishing in the 1950s and early 1960s, and its decline and closing by the 1980s.

Their first two decades there also saw the growth of their own family. They had moved in with their firstborn Allan, and subsequently had Norman, the twins Jane and Joan, and finally Mary Ann.

Jane, born in 1949, described those early years to the Hawaii Catholic Herald, the days before the Pali Highway, when the seminary access road connected to the Old Pali Road somewhere near the present Castle junction.

“Father had to pick up the mail and groceries, and mom dropped us off at school,” she said.

They went to school down in Kaneohe — at Benjamin Parker, Kaneohe Intermediate and Castle High.

Jane remembered the construction of the Pali Highway and tunnels in the mid-1950s. “We used to go up and see the tractors and walk in the construction area,” she said.

She said their “playmates” were some of the priests who made up the seminary faculty, in particular Sulpician Fathers William Thielemann and Richard Cullinan who would take them to drive-in movies and on other excursions.

Potted gardenias

Providing for a growing family on a church salary was difficult, Jane said, so for a while, Laura supplemented her husband’s salary by cleaning homes in Kailua and Kaneohe. The two also grew potted gardenias to sell at Sears, the Garden House, Koolau Farmers and other retail outlets.

Robert Murakami found a soil-mate in Father Cullinan, the seminary assistant rector and science teacher who loved to wield a shovel and sickle to tame the relentlessly encroaching flora. Jane said the two worked “hand-in-hand” around the sizeable grounds.

Laura would always have pupus and Schlitz waiting for Father Cullinan at their house, Jane said. “He always came up for dinner.”

In the 1970s, after the seminary program had shrunk to several college students, Laura was hired to cook for them six days a week in a small kitchen in what was called the college building. After that she cooked for the resident priests in the old Castle house.

After the priests were fed, she cooked for her own family. Jane remembered waiting with her sisters every day for their mother to walk up the road to their house.

“My mom was the life of the family,” Jane said. “I have fond memories.”

The Murakamis gained new neighbors in 1973 when the Carmelite Sisters moved into the nearby convent left vacant by the Marist Missionary Sisters who had provided cooking and domestic help for the seminary.

Laura and Robert helped the Carmelites buy groceries and work in their garden. She also helped the sisters with their cooking.

In 1985, Ida and Alfred Freitas, the retired caretakers of the Catholic Youth Organization camp in Hauula, moved into the Staszkows’ old house. The Staszkows had retired in town.

Robert died in 1992. The late Msgr. Daniel Dever, the Catholic Schools superintendent and longtime resident of St. Stephen, baptized him on his deathbed.

According to Ida Freitas, Robert wanted Laura to become a Catholic too, but had never told her.

Laura did want to be baptized, Jane said, but she wanted to prepare for it properly, learning her catechism. She was instructed in the faith by Msgr. Dever and Carmelite Sister Agnes Marie Wong and was baptized in the Carmelite chapel. Ida was her godmother.

“She was so proud,” Jane said. She went to Mass “365 days of the year.”

Laura was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2006. Her decline was sad and difficult, Jane said, particularly for a person who had savored her independence. She was assisted in her house by her niece and nephew until 2012 when her worsening condition required that she move into a care home.

Around the moment Laura died in Honolulu, Jane, who was in Taiwan at the time, had a vivid dream of her mother enthusiastically greeting her, leaving Jane with the happy realization that she was released from the disease and “finally free to do whatever she wants.”

“She is now with God, with daddy, with Father Cullinan,” Jane said.

Laura was buried next to her husband in Hawaiian Memorial Park in Kaneohe on the side closest to St. Stephen. Father Gary Secor, presiding at the burial, saw familiar names on the next headstone over, names previously unnoticed by the Murakami family — Ernest and Josephine Staszkow.

“‘What have you done for me?’ the Lord is going to ask. He made it pretty clear that we need to serve one another.”

Dave Reeves of St. Ann Church in Kaneohe reflects on the “Gospel imperative” that has spurred a wave of generous volunteerism at the parish. He and his wife Bernie have been the quiet leaders behind the St. Ann Homelessness and Affordable Housing Committee, a group that mobilizes parishioners to aid the needy in their community.

“If you take what you hear every Sunday literally, you better do this stuff,” Dave Reeves said. “I think most people at the very bottom of their commitment realize that this is what it means to be a Christian and to follow Jesus.”

The Reeves started the Homelessness and Affordable Housing Committee at St. Ann in 2011. Originally from the Mainland, Dave and Bernie moved to Windward Oahu in 2000. They later traveled overseas to the Middle East.

While working as teachers in Saudi Arabia, the Reeves got involved with Habitat for Humanity, the ecumenical project that builds homes for the poor. They gleaned organizational experience by starting a Habitat group for their Saudi students and hands-on building skills through service trips.

The couple moved back to Kaneohe in 2007. They became active parishioners and sought volunteer work. Bernie looked to join Habitat for Humanity on Oahu, but had difficulty finding the opportunity.

“It took a while to know the system and how it worked,” she said. “We wanted to do something on Thanksgiving or Christmas, and we had no idea how to apply.”

Something we could do

Shortly after Bernie connected with Habitat in Honolulu, the diocese released its “Road Map,” which outlined Bishop Larry Silva’s goals for Island ministries and parishes. Among the priorities noted in the document was addressing Hawaii’s chronic homelessness problem.

The Reeves eagerly availed themselves for the cause.

“We thought, ‘this is something we could probably do,’” Bernie said.

She and Dave began their “ministry” by assessing the homelessness situation in Windward Oahu. They visited beach camps, conducted point-in-time surveys with nearby social service agencies, and interviewed people living on their neighborhood streets.

“It became pretty clear that we were not equipped” to handle the many cases of homelessness that require medical and long-term attention, Dave said.

There were, however, organized programs already available where parishioners could lend a hand. In addition to Habitat for Humanity, the Reeves linked up with housing assistance initiatives such as Volunteers Instilling Pride and Family Promise of Hawaii. They also reached out to the Institute for Human Services.

The Reeves started the Homelessness and Affordable Housing Committee, or HAHC, at St. Ann to spread word of these community needs. About a dozen other parishioners joined the committee to coordinate service projects and help manage what they hoped would become an extensive parish volunteer network.

“The mission is to promote awareness,” Bernie Reeves said.

Creating a parish team

The diocesan Office for Social Ministry has encouraged parishes to create “Homeless Housing Ministry Teams” like the HAHC. These groups are recommended to take on the following tasks:

• Mapping the resources of the parish
• Developing affordable housing strategies for their community
• Recruiting and coordinating volunteers
• Engaging in education and advocacy related to homelessness and affordable housing.

The Homelessness and Affordable Housing Committee at St. Ann has found innovative ways to handle those challenges.

The Reeves and their fellow committee members communicate closely with St. Ann pastor, Sacred Hearts Father Herman Gomes. They also share information and foster service projects with existing parish groups and ministries, including the Knights of Columbus, religious education, youth and young adults, and Bible study groups.

June Hashimoto of the St. Ann outreach program provided the HAHC with crucial guidance on ways to complement the parish food pantry service.

“(Hashimoto) was wonderful for giving us all kinds of sources and information,” Bernie Reeves said.

Father Gomes said the HAHC has been effectively incorporating volunteerism for homelessness and affordable housing into parish life.

“Our people here at St. Ann are so very generous, now they have the door open to them to reach out to the poorest among us,” Father Gomes said. “Our parishioners can avail themselves from everything to preparing a home-cooked meal to help in building a house.”

Into the community

The HAHC has integrated St. Ann parish into a broad Windward Oahu network of churches and organizations involved in ending homelessness.

St. Ann members collaborate, for example, in Family Promise of Hawaii with volunteers from St. George Church in Waimanalo and Kailua Methodist Church. The program finds places to host homeless families with overnight shelter and meals for a week at a time as they look for permanent housing.

The HAHC also worked with the Hawaii Public Housing Authority in 2012 for Volunteers Instilling Pride, or VIP. Through this initiative, St. Ann parishioners held a cleanup and repair day at low-income housing units in Kaneohe.

Collaborating with local agencies and people of other Christian faiths is “key to effective action,” said diocesan social ministry director Blessed Sacrament Father Bob Stark.

Father Stark said he hopes more parishes can create similar networks like the HAHC has for homelessness assistance in their neighborhoods.

“Fundamental to the effectiveness of the St. Ann Parish approach is their commitment and compassion to working with and for the vulnerable as an expression of their healing faith in action,” he said.

Recruiting, coordinating

Keeping parishioners continually informed of community needs is essential to mobilizing volunteers, Dave and Bernie Reeves said.

The couple created the HAHC to be a central “hub” where parishioners can inquire about service opportunities according to their interests. Dave and Bernie regularly put notices in the parish bulletin and send out email blasts about upcoming projects related to homelessness and affordable housing.

They also recruit volunteers by talking to congregants during parish hospitality hours.

To coordinate activities efficiently, each member of the HAHC is put in charge of a particular program. Pam Lotko, for example, handles the volunteers for St. Ann’s monthly dinners at the Institute for Human Services. Her husband, Jim, managed the VIP project in 2012. Parishioner Ethel Ward coordinates meals for Family Promise.

Pam Lotko said the HAHC’s way of delegating responsibilities prevents its members from becoming overwhelmed. The team meets quarterly for discussions and planning.

“The homeless problem … seems much too difficult for one person to comprehend, much less deal with,” she said. “Working with HAHC has given me a framework to help my neighbors in need.”

In addition to ongoing volunteer activities, the committee tries to educate parishioners and St. Ann School students about the difference their involvement makes in the community. Representatives from the Institute for Human Services and other agencies are often brought in to speak at Masses and school assemblies.

Fruits of their labor

The legwork done by the Reeves and the Homelessness and Affordable Housing Committee has been bearing fruit. Bernie Reeves said she has heard success stories from parishioners who have been stopped and thanked by previously homeless clients now living their lives well.

St. Ann as a parish community has seen a surge in solidarity, too. Parishioners have been magnanimous in projects such as the holiday “Giving Tree,” which recently brought in numerous gift card donations and carloads of goods for IHS and St. Ann outreach.

For their work with Habitat for Humanity, which included assisting in several recently completed Waimanalo homes, St. Ann parish and school were honored with the organization’s 2012 “Faith in Action Award.” Students collected more than $5,000 for Habitat with a Zumbathon fundraiser that year.

The ministry Dave and Bernie Reeves started as a modest idea to serve the community has grown by leaps and bounds in just a few years. The HAHC has eventually come “to run itself,” as Bernie Reeves said, simply through the inspiration and dedication of all those involved.

“We said if it’s going to work, it’s the Holy Spirit,” she added. “And it worked.”

Parishioners like Ethel Ward appreciate the HAHC giving them a chance to share the Lord’s grace with those who need it the most.

“Participation in any of my volunteer activities is simply my way of sharing, radiating (God’s) love,” Ward said.

 Bishop Larry Silva presided over the convalidation of the marriages of 12 couples June 2, 2013, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Ewa Beach. The ceremony makes valid existing unions of couples previously married “outside the church.” Here the newly-convalidated pose for a photo with the bishop and the priests and deacons of the parish. (Photo by Cameron Datanagan)

On Oct. 30, Bishop Larry Silva opened his mail to find a questionnaire from the Vatican. The survey sought the opinions of Catholics worldwide on the topic of family and married life in preparation for an extraordinary Synod of Bishops, Oct. 5-19, 2014, in Rome. Bishops were asked to distribute the document “as widely as possible to deaneries (vicariates) and parishes so that input from local sources can be received.”

Bishop Silva was one of several dozen U.S. bishops who put the survey online, inviting Catholics in the diocese to share their thoughts on the transmission and acceptance of Catholic teachings in the areas of marriage, family life, divorce, remarriage, cohabitation, same-sex unions and contraception.

In Hawaii, 308 people responded to the 39 queries, which were organized under nine topics. They included 49 priests and deacons, 97 Catholic church and school staff and 162 lay people “from the pew.” Responses came from every island and represented a wide range of ages. The questions were not always “user-friendly” or easily comprehended; nonetheless respondents gave their valuable time to share their unique perspectives.

A full summary of survey results can be found at www.catholichawaii.org.

Bishop Silva used the input from the 300-plus participants to help him craft his own 14-page response, which is the one being forwarded to Rome. The full text of Bishop Silva’s response is on pages 8-10.

The survey began by asking how well church teaching on the family was understood by today’s Catholics. Respondents more or less concluded that most Catholics are not very knowledgeable about church teachings on marriage and family.

The majority of priest respondents worried about modern secularized culture drowning out church beliefs. As one priest wrote, “The influence of secularistic mass media and communications to people post the greatest challenge to putting the church’s teaching into practice. A seven-minute Sunday homily on these teachings is nothing compared to how the mass media and social media control the minds of young people today. There is scarcity of Catholic mass media and communication to disseminate the teachings of the church.”

Respondents seemed to agree that the image of marriage and the configuration of the family are shifting realities.

One lay person wrote, “Family structures around the world have differed from the beginning of human history. Since we have a world with billions of people in it, it is no longer necessary that the essence of marriage is the biological ability to procreate. Love and care of partners is the essence of marriage.”

The changing views of marriage and family led priests to note the significant pastoral challenges they face when couples come to the church requesting marriage. They indicated that many couples are more concerned about the wedding ceremony than about the life-long commitment they are about to make.

Relationship with the church

More than 90 percent of priests and laypeople said that cohabitation outside of marriage is a pastoral reality in their parishes, as is the situation of separated, divorced and remarried couples. When it comes to their relationship with the church, one priest divided these Catholics into two categories. There are those who “simply go to Holy Communion” having “decided on their own that it doesn’t matter, that it is OK to receive.”

The second group are Catholics who are more attentive to church teachings and who experience much pain at not being admitted to the sacraments. “They feel rejected by the church and in turn reject the church themselves” was the sentiment of one lay person.

Eighty percent of the lay people did not think that there were pastoral programs in their parish for these couples.

Some survey participants favored streamlining the annulment process, but not at the expense of undermining church teaching on the permanence of the marriage bond. Several lay people even suggested moving the annulment process from the chancery to the parish setting because the pastor is the church official who best knows the couple.

Regarding same-sex unions, many survey participants referred to the recent controversy and legalization in Hawaii of same-sex marriage. It was agreed that providing pastoral attention to people living in same-sex unions is extremely difficult. 88 percent of all respondents reported that their parish does not provide pastoral attention to people living in this situation.

In the case of children of same-sex couples, most agreed that they should have the same sacramental and religious education opportunities as every other child in the parish.

Only about 20 percent of the respondents answered questions on the topic of “Humanae Vitae,” the encyclical that expressed the church’s opposition to artificial contraception. Of these, only 25 people indicated they agreed with this moral teaching.

Several lay people indicated a difficulty in not knowing or trusting the natural family planning methods which are acceptable to the church.

When asked if their parish promoted natural methods of birth control, 11 out of 20 priests responded “yes,” while only 10 out of 41 lay people reported “yes.”

To the question of how an increase in births can be promoted, four priests suggested better catechesis on church teaching, three priests said the church should become more active in family and child services, two priests indicated that financial support should be given to families and two priests suggested that social justice efforts with the world’s poor is most needed.

At the end of the survey, a general question asking for “other challenges and proposals” drew a wide range of responses.

Respondents said that the challenges facing today’s Catholic families included serious financial strain, child abuse, drug use, and a need for the church to be more vocal about its teaching.

Explained one priest: “Economic situations require both parents to work or one parent to have two or three jobs. We need to look at ways to allow families to have more time to enjoy one another.”

A diocesan employee wrote, “The most important challenge is to present the Church’s teaching on marriage and the family with confidence and joy, including those teachings that are considered ‘difficult.’”

Single voices called for women priests, voluntary celibacy for priests and the excommunication of Catholic public figures who hold positions that violate church teachings.

There were also calls for increased catechesis, the active promotion of family life, more engagement between pastors and parishioners, more challenging homilies, and the encouragement of lay leadership.

Dec. 29, 2013: Solemnity of the Holy Family

To the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Diocese of Honolulu

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

Aloha and blessings to you in this New Year!

Pope Francis has called for an Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the topic of “The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization.” It will be held in Rome in October, 2014, and representatives of each national conference of bishops throughout the world will send a few representatives to participate in the Synod. It is customary for the Holy See’s Office for the Synods of Bishops to send out a preparatory document (“lineamenta”) and to ask for input and comments from all the bishops of the world. A second draft (“instrumentum laboris”) is then prepared in light of the comments received, and it is that second document from which the bishops who actually attend the Synod do their major work.

Pope Francis has determined that he would like the preparations for the 2014 Synod to be a bit different, however. Instead of sending out only the “lineamenta,” he has asked that questions be prepared so that bishops could do a wider consultation with their clergy and people. In light of the responses received, each bishop is to prepare his own response and send it to the Holy See. Just as the bishop is to use the input from his diocese to assist him in preparing his submission, the Synod Office of the Holy See will in turn collate the responses that are received from the bishops of the world, and that will become the “instrumentum laboris” for those who participate in the Synod.

Since this is the first time such a questionnaire has been sent out for wider consultation, the questions were not as succinct and “user-friendly” as many would have liked. The survey was sent out on Oct. 30, 2013, and at our Nov. 11-14 meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, we bishops were struggling with how best to make effective use of the rather cumbersome survey. I decided to post the survey on our diocesan website and to ask a wide variety of people to submit their reflections. Dr. Kristina DeNeve, Ph.D., diocesan Coordinator of Adult Faith Formation, offered her services to receive the responses, collate them, and put them into a digestible form that would help me to prepare my own response. I am very grateful to her for doing so! I am also grateful to those who took the time to respond to the questions on this most important issue for our Church and our community.

I am presenting here the responses that I have made to the questionnaire as the Bishop of Honolulu. They take into account the valuable input I received in the survey. If you would like to see Dr. DeNeve’s report of the responses to the survey, we have posted it on the diocesan website www.catholichawaii.org.

May our efforts bear much fruit not only in our diocese but throughout the world!

God bless you and all of your families!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

                                 Most Rev. Larry Silva, Bishop of Honolulu

Responses to the Preparatory Document for the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on

“The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization”

By the Most Rev. Clarence (Larry) Silva, Bishop of Honolulu

Preliminary remarks

I am grateful to our Holy Father Pope Francis for devoting the 2014 Extraordinary Synod of Bishops to “The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization.” This is a topic that is critically important for the health and well-being of individuals, families, and our entire society. People have expressed a great appreciation that the Preparatory Document sought input from a wider audience, and many people in the Diocese of Honolulu did take the time to share their reflections. 308 individuals, including 36 priests and 162 lay people, participated in the survey. I am grateful to them for the assistance they have given me in preparing my own responses on behalf of the Diocese of Honolulu.

There was an almost universal concern, however, that the questions were many and complex, and that they were not “user-friendly” in lending themselves to broad consultation. While such broad consultation is definitely appreciated, perhaps in the future the format of questions could be streamlined, so that even more people might have the opportunity to participate. Moreover, the timeline for submission of responses could be extended, since two months — especially those surrounding Advent and Christmas — make it quite challenging.

The topic of the synod is one that has concerned me and many others for some time. About two years ago I called the priests together for a dialogue about how we could work together to pastorally strengthen marriage and the family. Our diocesan pastoral council spearheaded a convocation of the various groups that work with marriage and family issues (for example, Marriage Encounter, Engaged Encounter, Beginning Experience (for divorced or widowed persons), Retrouvaille (for troubled marriages), Couple for Christ, and others). The good work that each group was doing is now enhanced by their collaboration. During the Year of Faith, I asked representatives of this group to meet with me to discuss what we could do in our diocese to strengthen marriage and family. These ideas will become a part of our pastoral plan, which we will be formulating anew in the first part of 2014.

Once again, thank you for the consultation. Be assured of my prayers and the prayers of the people of the Diocese of Honolulu that this Synod will bear much good fruit.

Responses to questions in the preparatory document

1. The diffusion of the teachings on the family in sacred Scripture and the Church’s magisterium

a) Describe how the Catholic Church’s teachings on the value of the family contained in the Bible, “Gaudium et spes,” “Familiaris consortio” and other documents of the post-conciliar Magisterium are understood by people today. What formation is given to our people on the Church’s teaching on family life?

It is clear that the majority of Catholics are not aware of the teachings of the Church, and we have been deficient in teaching them effectively. Partly because of the influence of the very secularized media, the teachings of the Church are often ridiculed as behind the times and out of touch with the reality of people’s lives. We must find ways to understand these teachings in a positive light and present them as beneficial to the welfare of each person. The clergy have a crucial role to play in this catechetical effort, but there is often more credibility from married couples and families who are trying to live according to the teachings of the Church and are finding much joy and freedom in doing so.

It seems that our formation for marriage is concentrated on pre-nuptial programs such as Engaged Encounter. By the time couples come to participate in those programs, they have already formed their own ideas about marriage and family life, and those are not always in conformity with the teachings of the Church. While they learn much from Engaged Encounter, their reaction is often “Why haven’t I heard this before?” We need therefore to begin our formation for the vocation of marriage much earlier.

Working with young married couples and parents can be the key to presenting the teachings of the Church in a positive manner, so that they can be guided and supported in their role as the first teachers of the faith. Even if the parents themselves are not living according to those teachings, when they are presented clearly, and they are challenged to share them with their children, their love for their children can be a strong motivation to conversion.

Our Catholic school and religious education program curricula need to be reviewed to insure that children and adolescents are being presented with substance and sense in a context of faithful commitment to Christ and his freeing commandments.

b) In those cases where the Church’s teaching is known, is it accepted fully or are there difficulties in putting it into practice? If so, what are they?

The secularization of society is a great difficulty, as well as an exaggerated sense of the individual and a diminished sense of covenant. I believe there is a growing “ego-theism” in which we inadvertently change the first commandment of the Decalogue from “I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods before me” to “I am the lord my god; you shall not have strange gods before me.” Couples often enter into marriage with the attitude that the experience must be fulfilling for them, rather than thinking of what they can give to the other person and their children.

The hyper-sexualization of our culture is also a challenge. For ages young people were taught that virginity before marriage was a virtue. Even though there were failures in the past, at least the ideal was held up. Such is not at all the case today, when even early adolescents are almost encouraged to explore sexually.

I believe we need to find a way to articulate the difference between having fun and living joyfully. The former can be irresponsible and even self-destructive, while the latter is life-giving. We need to find ways to demonstrate to young people that sexuality is a wonderful gift, and it can be lived most joyfully within boundaries established by the law written in our hearts, the natural law. The demand for immediate gratification is, of course, related to this, and penance and self-discipline are important virtues that must be taught.

c) How widespread is the Church’s teaching in pastoral programs at the national, diocesan and parish levels? What catechesis is done on the family?

Teachings are readily available, but pastoral programs to access them are not very effective. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, for example, has many resources on its website, but I suspect there are precious few who would be motivated at this point to look into the website of the Episcopal Conference.

In general, and not just related to the issue of marriage and family, I believe we Catholics have developed the attitude that we develop programs that people come to. But very few come. We need to find more motivation to take the treasures we have outside of our classrooms and pulpits so that more people can be inspired by them. We concentrate on the quality of the program, as we should, but perhaps neglect to consider the effectiveness of the delivery system. While such a delivery system must include effective preaching, the preaching must engage people beyond the doors of the church.

d) To what extent-and what aspects in particular-is this teaching actually known, accepted, rejected and/or criticized in areas outside the Church? What are the cultural factors which hinder the full reception of the Church’s teaching on the family?

Many people do know and accept the teaching and strive daily to live it faithfully. Many more, however, do not know what the Church teaches. They learn a caricature of the Church’s teachings from the media. Some, of course, reject the teachings, sometimes because they think they know them, but actually do not; and sometimes because they are convinced that they are outmoded and outdated. Individualism (“ego-theism”) is certainly a factor. Our entertainment is also a huge factor. Movies and television shows seem to presume that having sex is a normal and expected part of dating. There is also the fostering of an overly romantic notion of marriage, so that when the reality of struggle inevitably comes, couples are not prepared for it. Consumerism also has its influence. Rather than courting and marrying as building a life-long, committed covenant with a person of the opposite sex, there is much co-habitation, “trying on the product to see if I like it.” Homosexual activism has also undermined the Christian notion of true marriage – or it could be said that the deterioration of true marriage has opened the door for homosexual activism and “same-sex marriage.”

2. Marriage according to the Natural Law

a) What place does the idea of the natural law have in the cultural areas of society: in institutions, education, academic circles and among the people at large? What anthropological ideas underlie the discussion on the natural basis of the family?

I believe the reality of natural law is far from the minds and hearts of people. We need to find ways to articulate it more clearly. It is often opposed, however, by the cultural attitude that every person is his or her own law, or that laws come to us from legislators. There is much talk about “constitutional rights” but very little understanding of what truly constitutes us as human beings and as human communities, and that we are all related because of our common Creator, who has written his law in our hearts.

There is a strong movement, of course, to consider the family as any configuration at all that lives together in a household, trying to share their love. The necessary push for sexual equality has had the negative effect of almost erasing the importance of gender, and the idea of the family as based upon a man and a woman sharing a committed life-long love with their children has become one of many configurations now acceptable to society.

b) Is the idea of the natural law in the union between a man and a woman commonly accepted as such by the baptized in general?

In general, it is accepted by the majority, but this is fast eroding, especially now with the legality of same-sex marriage in Hawaii and in other parts of the country and world.

c) How is the theory and practice of natural law in the union between man and woman challenged in light of the formation of a family? How is it proposed and developed in civil and Church institutions?

See the answer above in (a). The essential unity of the procreative and unitive ends of marriage taught by the church is not widely accepted, and marriage is seen more as a romantic relationship with someone you love. For some even gender does not matter, as long as there is the feeling of love and the desire for stable companionship.

d) In cases where non-practicing Catholics or declared non-believers request the celebration of marriage, describe how this pastoral challenge is dealt with?

The clergy and others who prepare couples for marriage try to speak about the importance of Sunday worship, the Eucharist, and living a sacramental life. In the matter of non-practicing Catholics, they are encouraged to take up the practice of the faith. In the case of declared non-believers, there is serious discussion about how differences in religious beliefs and outlooks could be a challenge to the marriage, so that the couple is better prepared to face the consequences of their differences and decide whether they can work them through or not.

One of the pastoral challenges, of course, is that when a couple comes to the Church to request marriage, they are thinking much more of the wedding ceremony rather than the life-long commitment they are making. Clergy and others encourage them to look beyond the wedding, no matter how consuming it might be at that point in their lives, and to reflect deeply on the meaning of marriage, its sacramental nature, commitment, children, and the challenges they will face.

Unfortunately for some couples, their attitude toward the Church at that point is as one of the service providers for their story-book wedding, and not as the place where they seal their life-long commitment in the presence of Christ and his beloved Bride, the Church. This is one of the most frustrating realities the clergy face as they try to evangelize or catechize, but the couple is only interested in the wedding service they provide. There is often a tension between being kind and welcoming to the couple in the hopes they will embrace the Lord and his Church, and insisting that they are not just customer service representatives but only truly serve the couple when they call them to reflect on more important realities than the wedding festivities.

3. The pastoral care of the family in evangelization

a) What experiences have emerged in recent decades regarding marriage preparation? What efforts are there to stimulate the task of evangelization of the couple and of the family? How can an awareness of the family as the “domestic Church” be promoted?

Engaged Encounter weekends are very effective and are generally appreciated by the couples. Unfortunately, they are sometimes “too little, too late,” since the couple may already be living in a manner inconsistent with the teachings of the Church. There is also a good use of instruments that measure the compatibility of the couple in various areas and afford them the opportunity to discuss those areas that may be particularly divergent between them.

Remote marriage preparation must be more explicit and accessible to the young, so that they do not start learning of the treasured teachings of the Church only when they are weeks or months away from the wedding. Catholic schools and religious education programs need to be evaluated in their effectiveness, and parents need to be trained in how to promote healthy Christian marriage in their children.

Much more needs to be done in formation of parents to be the animators or “pastors” of their domestic churches. Here small groups and peer ministry can be most helpful.

b) How successful have you been in proposing a manner of praying within the family which can withstand life’s complexities and today’s culture?

Formation of parents in how to pray with their families is crucial. Many families do pray together, especially before meals, but much more needs to be done to foster family prayer.

c) In the current generational crisis, how have Christian families been able to fulfill their vocation of transmitting the faith?

Some families are very successful by praying with their children, explicitly catechizing them, and leading them by good example and mentoring. Many other families flounder. Pressures of two parents working outside the home, of sports, meetings, and other distractions can keep families from concentrating on their faith. Here again peer ministry can be most helpful.

d) In what ways have the local Church and movements on family spirituality been able to create ways of acting which are exemplary?

We have many movements in the Church that attempt to foster family spirituality: Marriage Encounter, Couples for Christ, Singles for Christ, Beginning Experience, retreats. These are effective, but proportionately, they touch very few people.

e) What specific contribution can couples and families make to spreading a credible and holistic idea of the couple and the Christian family today?

Couples and families have an essential role as witnesses for others. Peer ministry is extremely important. Priests have a great influence on people and know much about marriage from their own upbringing and from their interaction with married couples and families. However, celibate priests often lack the confidence or the credibility that those who are already married can offer. Formation of parents could be a key element in strengthening marriages and families.

f) What pastoral care has the Church provided in supporting couples in formation and couples in crisis situations?

Many people turn to their priests in times of crisis, and our priests try to counsel them as much as possible. Some lay people are also exemplary in supporting couples in crisis. This is probably most often on an informal basis, and the ministry could be more accessible to many others if we become more deliberate about providing training, resources, and support to those who have the charism of accompanying others in their times of crisis.

4. Pastoral care in certain difficult marital situations

a) Is cohabitation “ad experimentum” a pastoral reality in your particular Church? Can you approximate a percentage?

Cohabitation “ad experimentum” is definitely a reality here, and the respondents to this survey indicate a range from 5 percent to 60 percent of couples. My perception is that it is in the higher percentages. Moreover, there is also the phenomenon of cohabitation that has become more permanent. In some cases and cultures, people are afraid to marry, because they perceive that their friends who marry end in divorce. There seems to be very little, if any, shame connected to cohabitation, or even to having children while cohabitating.

Some parishes have offered “group weddings” for those who are cohabitating or only civilly married, to make it easier for them to celebrate the sacrament without having to go through elaborate planning for a wedding. Marriage preparation always takes place beforehand. These ceremonies are always appreciated by the participants and are a witness to others in the parish.

b) Do unions which are not recognized either religiously or civilly exist? Are reliable statistics available?

I am not aware of reliable statistics in this matter, but there is no doubt that such unions are quite prevalent.

c) Are separated couples and those divorced and remarried a pastoral reality in your particular Church? Can you approximate a percentage? How do you deal with this situation in appropriate pastoral programs?

This is definitely a pastoral reality. Percentages are hard to pinpoint, but my guess would be at least 25 percent of all marriages. Beginning Experience is one program for the newly divorced or widowed, but it is not always widely known. Our Judicial Vicar conducts workshops on the possibilities of convalidation and annulments, and these have been very helpful to many couples.

d) In all the above cases, how do the baptized live in this irregular situation? Are they aware of it? Are they simply indifferent? Do they feel marginalized or suffer from the impossibility of receiving the sacraments?

Some indeed do feel marginalized, though the parish tries to welcome them and include them as much as possible. Of these, those who seem to feel most marginalized are those who truly believe that their marriages ended through no fault of their own. Others live as if their situation were not irregular at all, and few know whether they are married in the Church or not. They continue to receive the sacraments, whether out of ignorance for the teachings of the Church or simply in disagreement with them. It is because of the great sensitivity of people over this matter that I suspect the clergy are reluctant to speak much about it. There are also those who misunderstand the teachings of the Church and believe that the simple fact of their being divorced, though not remarried, bars them from the sacraments. Catechesis is definitely needed, but it must be most sensitive to people who are sincere and struggling to be faithful despite their past.

e) What questions do divorced and remarried people pose to the Church concerning the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Reconciliation? Among those persons who find themselves in these situations, how many ask for these sacraments?

There seemed to be two categories of people here. One is of those who simply ignore the Church’s teachings because they do not agree with them. As one priest put it: “Many simply go to Holy Communion despite the fact that they are divorced and remarried. They have decided on their own that it doesn’t matter, that it is OK to receive. Many don’t feel marginalized because they just decide to ignore the Church’s teaching, just like they ignore the requirement of getting married in the Church, of not using artificial contraceptives, etc. They don’t feel guilty because they don’t believe that they are doing anything wrong.”

The second category includes people who are more attentive to the Church’s teachings, and who are genuinely in pain because they are not admitted to the sacraments, for which they long. They ask why others in the same situation can freely receive the sacraments, while they cannot. They are usually aware of the annulment process, but do not take advantage of it for various reasons. (See next questions for further reflection on this situation.)

f) Could a simplification of canonical practice in recognizing a declaration of nullity of the marriage bond provide a positive contribution to solving the problems of the persons involved? If yes, what form would it take?

Some people are hesitant to take advantage of the annulment process for various reasons: They fear that if the marriage is annulled, their children will be illegitimate. They do not want to resurrect traumatic moments and memories in their lives. They feel they worked very hard at the marriage and the other party was responsible for the break up. They do not want to go through the huge amount of paperwork, interviews, contacting witnesses, etc. that the annulment process involves. They think the process is too expensive and they cannot afford it.

I think the process of annulments could be streamlined, and I am sure that canonists and pastors could come up with some concrete ways to accomplish this. However, we also need to be careful about making it seem that annulments are simply “no fault Catholic divorces.” In this case the law itself and the process can serve as a teacher about our very serious commitment to the permanence of a true marital bond.

Notwithstanding my prior comment, I might mention here a neuralgic issue I have (along with other bishops with whom I have spoken) with the Apostolic Signatura. Almost every year I receive a letter criticizing my Tribunal for submitting too many cases for annulment on the grounds of “lack of due discretion,” as described in Canon 1095.2, even though it is a legitimate ground. While I understand the Signatura’s concern that annulments are not to be handed out on demand, since that would truly undermine the permanence of marriage, most priests who prepare couples for marriage could testify that there is indeed a plethora of couples who marry with lack of due discretion. The priest often senses it, and tries to confront it, but in the end, the couple has a right to marry, so the marriage proceeds. I think there is a need for more understanding of the true pastoral situation.

g) Does a ministry exist to attend to these cases? Describe this pastoral ministry? Do such programs exist on the national and diocesan levels? How is God’s mercy proclaimed to separated couples and those divorced and remarried and how does the Church put into practice her support for them in their journey of faith?

The Beginning Experience is active in this diocese, and it is a great support for those who are recently divorced or widowed. However, we need to do much more to promote it and let it be known, since few people are aware of it. Individual pastors are often very solicitous in reaching out to couples who are experiencing difficulties or who have recently separated or divorced, IF they know the couples. Since approximately 75 percent of those who identify themselves as Catholics do not attend Mass regularly, it is difficult for anyone in the Church to know of their situation and therefore to reach out to them. Perhaps training lay people to respond to crises experienced by their family members, friends, or co-workers could help in reaching out to those in need of support and healing.

5. On unions of persons of the same sex

a) Is there a law in your country recognizing civil unions for people of the same-sex and equating it in some way to marriage?

Two years ago, the State of Hawaii passed a civil union law in which heterosexual or homosexual couples could enter a legal relationship that would allow them certain benefits and privileges otherwise only afforded to married couples. On Dec. 2, 2013, same-sex marriage was recognized in law in the State of Hawaii.

b) What is the attitude of the local and particular Churches toward both the state as the promoter of civil unions between persons of the same sex and the people involved in this type of union?

In the recent move of the governor and the legislature to approve same-sex marriage in the law, I was a very vocal opponent. A large number of Catholics and other people of faith joined in opposing the law. My point was never against persons with same-sex attraction, but against the redefinition of marriage. I also expressed the serious concern that if same-sex marriage is legally equivalent to marriage between one man and one woman, there would be far-reaching societal consequences in education, public services, and “idea policing” that would be the logical consequences of declaring such equality. Unfortunately, not all Christians or even all Catholics were in agreement. They saw marriage as a private affair of love between two people, no matter their genders, which the state recognizes for the sake of benefits. They could not seem to see beyond the individual couple to the profound societal changes same-sex marriage would bring about.

It is very difficult to convince some people that you do not hate them simply because you disagree with them on an issue as profoundly important as marriage, so there have been many rifts in the community over this issue.

c) What pastoral attention can be given to people who have chosen to live in these types of unions?

I would say very little, since it is an extremely difficult issue. To be true to the teachings of the Lord and not water them down on the one hand, and to be loving to those who disagree with them is difficult in any situation, but particularly in this. Some people have chosen to leave the Catholic Church when they are in these situations because the Church is so clear in its teaching about the sinfulness of homosexual relations that they feel they are simply not welcome. I have also had a couple of people offer to act in the name of the Church in reaching out to those who are in same-sex relationships, but so far they have been people who do not believe what the Church teaches and simply would want a legitimized platform from which to attempt to change the Church’s teachings. It is a very difficult matter indeed.

d) In the case of unions of persons of the same sex who have adopted children, what can be done pastorally in light of transmitting the faith?

It is important to welcome everyone, especially children, and to teach them about the love of Christ in his beloved Church. Christ’s love, however, is a demanding love that requires conversion. So the children should be accepted into our schools and religious education programs, but some respectful and honest dialogue must take place between the pastor and the parents, so that the parents understand that enrolling their child in the Church’s programs means that the child will be taught what the Church teaches, even if the parents themselves do not agree with it. This could cause great conflict in the child, so the matter needs to be handled sensitively by all and a decision needs to be made about what is best for the child.

6. The education of children in irregular marriages

a) What is the estimated proportion of children and adolescents in these cases, as regards children who are born and raised in regularly constituted families?

It is difficult to know the proportion, but it is safe to say that it is a growing number. There are children being raised by a couple of the same sex, children whose mother and father are divorced and who live with one or the other, children who are shuttled between both parents and have two homes, and children whose parents are living together but not married, and children who live with one parent and his or her live-in partner. This presents a real challenge in presenting the norms for marriage and family life and the teachings of Christ and the Church, since children will know their parents are not living these ideals. Children must always be treated with great sensitivity and understanding in these situations. While conflict cannot always be avoided, it can be managed by affirming the child in a special way and above all avoiding making the child a pawn in the conflict.

b) How do parents in these situations approach the Church? What do they ask? Do they request the sacraments only or do they also want catechesis and the general teaching of religion?

Parents do approach the Church asking for the sacraments for the children and sometimes for themselves. It is always difficult but necessary to balance commitment to the Gospel and its teachings with compassion and understanding toward those who do not fully agree. Sometimes we can only speak the truth in love, then let God do the rest.

c) How do the particular Churches attempt to meet the needs of the parents of these children to provide them with a Christian education?

For the most part, these children would be treated like any others and not singled out because of the situation of their parents.

d) What is the sacramental practice in these cases: preparation, administration of the sacrament and the accompaniment?

See above, (a), (b), and (c).

7. The openness of the married couples to life

a) What knowledge do Christians have today of the teachings of “Humanae vitae” on responsible parenthood? Are they aware of how morally to evaluate the different methods of family planning? Could any insights be suggested in this regard pastorally?

I believe most Catholics know parts of the teachings of “Humanae Vitae,” but many reject or ignore them because they do not understand the context and the goal of “Humanae Vitae.” It is a document that was and is much maligned because the secular media and many in the Church do not understand its depth of teaching. In these days of education by sound-bite, it is extremely challenging to present these teachings. We need to find ways to proclaim that legitimate family planning is good science and good for physical and spiritual well being. There are some who are able to articulate the truths of “Humanae Vitae” very well, and we need to make them more prominent for the clergy and lay leaders.

b) Is this moral teaching accepted? What aspects pose the most difficulties in a large majority of couples accepting this teaching?

Generally it is not accepted. The teaching against the use of artificial means of birth control poses the most difficulty for people because they have not had the opportunity to reflect more deeply on the consequences. Many see Natural Family Planning as unreliable. There is an attitude that balks against the discipline necessary to practice Natural Family Planning when it seems so harmless to live without these restraints. Another difficulty is the prevalent notion in our society against large families. The popular notion is that two or three is enough, and therefore the means to regulate birth, even if artificial, become acceptable to many.

c) What natural methods are promoted by the particular Churches to help spouses put into practice the teachings of Humanae vitae?

Natural Family Planning holds regular classes in the diocese, and there are classes as well on the Theology of the Body (of Pope John Paul II). When people go to these classes, they usually say, “Why haven’t I heard this before?” Nevertheless, we must do much more to disseminate word about the classes and to make them more available, perhaps with some on-line links on the internet.

d) What is your experience on this subject in the practice of the Sacrament of Penance and participation at the Eucharist?

Occasionally someone will either confess using artificial means of birth control, or admit they are struggling to be faithful to the teachings of the Church, but this does not seem to be a topic that is brought up regularly.

e) What differences are seen in this regard between the Church’s teaching and civic education?

When asked to describe these differences, both priests and lay people who answered the survey reported that civic education promotes the use of contraceptives to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases when engaging in sexual intercourse. In other words, in presumes that one cannot restrain oneself from sexual intercourse. The Church, on the other hand, teaches of abstinence outside of marriage and chastity for all. These are not at all popular notions in the secular culture, which is where our people spend most of their time.

f) How can a more open attitude toward having children be fostered? How can an increase in births be promoted?

Promoting natural family planning and its outlook could help. Also engaging parishioners to be “extended family” to all children, so that parents do not feel they are alone. This can be challenging, however, in these days of fear of abuse of minors and liability concerns.

8. The relationship between the family and the person

a) Jesus Christ reveals the mystery and vocation of the human person. How can the family be a privileged place for this to happen?

By family prayer, especially the Eucharist, and family Scripture reading. The family could also work together in reaching out to the lonely, the sick, and the poor. Focusing more on mission could strengthen families.

b) What critical situations in the family today can obstruct a person’s encounter with Christ?

The secular media and its frequent animus toward Christ and especially his Church can be real obstacles. Commitments to sports and other activities for the children can also take away a family’s attendance at Mass and religious education. Pornography, especially over the internet, is also an obstruction to a full encounter with Christ. The need for both parents to work, or for multiple jobs, can take parents away from critical time with their children.

c) To what extent do the many crises of faith which people can experience affect family life?

Many parents and grandparents are heartbroken when their children or grandchildren no longer practice the faith in which they so lovingly raised them.

9. Other challenges and proposals

What other challenges or proposals related to the topics in the above questions do you consider urgent and useful to treat?

• The importance of gender identity and becoming the person God made us to be.
• The primacy of prayer and worship in a culture focused on itself.
• Migration issues, with split families, whether by choice or by circumstance.
• Changing a culture that is in so many ways opposed to the teachings of Christ and the Church.

When I was young and would whine about having to attend Mass or help around the house, my dad would often tell me that “Doing God’s will is simple, not easy.” That phrase comes to mind as we observe Catholic Schools Week (Jan. 26-Feb. 1) and celebrate our Hawaii Catholic Schools. Our schools have a long and rich history of academic achievement. Equally impressive is the spiritual development and moral growth of their thousands of graduates. The two basic goals of our schools, for more than 170 years, have been academic excellence and Christian formation for our students.

It is that simple, but it has never been easy.

It is not easy for parents to sacrifice so that they can send their child to a Catholic school. It is not easy for our teachers to work with today’s students for less pay than they could receive in a public school setting. It is not easy for our administrators to be educational and spiritual leaders. It is not easy for our students to live up to the higher expectations we place upon them. Although the concept is simple, achieving our schools’ two main goals of quality academics and Christian formation has never been easy.

As with anything done to build the Kingdom of God, it is not only “not easy” for our schools to achieve their mission, it is impossible without God’s grace. Our young people must be touched by God to have the courage and wisdom to be truly successful as future leaders in our church and communities. The pastors, parents, teachers, administrators, students, parishioners and benefactors affiliated with our schools must be enlightened by the Holy Spirit to be willing to do what is difficult because it is God’s will.

Because God is with us, we will continue to provide quality academics and Christian formation for our students — because it is God’s will for our children. It’s that simple … but not easy.

Rockers is the superintendent of Hawaii Catholic Schools.

Sign holders line Beretania St. in front of the state Capitol Jan. 25 for the annual Mach for Life. (HCH photo | Patrick Downes)

State Rep. Robert McDermott speaks to the crowd at the March for Life at the state Capitol, Jan. 25. (HCH photo | Patrick Downes)

Oahu’s annual March for Life marking the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision drew about 400 people to the state Capitol on the clear Saturday afternoon of Jan. 25 to hold signs, listen to moving speeches, enjoy live music and, for the more adventurous, get their faces painted with baby “footprints” in remembrance of unborn children killed by abortion.

Young sign holders lined Beretania Street fronting the Capitol waving and cheering at the passing cars many of whom responded with affirming honks.

The activities, which went from noon to 5 p.m., were centered around the statue of St. Damien on the mauka side of the capitol buildings. Information tables for the event sponsor, Hawaii Life Advocates, and other groups lined the sides. Most of the participants stood around in groups or sat in the section of chairs facing the stage.

The Catholic Church was represented by vicar general Father Gary Secor, parish groups like the one from Resurrection Church in Waipio in matching maroon T-shirts, the Knights of Columbus and members of religious orders.

Testimonials were given by Camille Adams, Mei Elizabeth Luichan and musician and singer Cynthia Milles who told the story of how youthful circumstances and a former “boy friend” pushed her to have an abortion 37 years ago. She credited the Rachel’s Vineyard post-abortion ministry for helping her find emotional and spiritual healing.

Providing music was Milles, recording artist Shanita Akana and others.

The keynote speaker was Marianist Father John Thompson. Giving a political point of view on the right to life battle was State Rep. Robert McDermott.

The centerpiece of the rally was the march at 3 p.m. around the state Capitol block.

The Bishop’s Circle, the diocesan fundraising appeal re-launched in November after being on hold for five years, has collected more than $141,000 to date in gifts ranging from $10 to $10,000, according to Mark Clark, director of the Office of Stewardship, which is coordinating the effort.

The money goes toward diocesan ministries.

According to Clark, the funds were collected from former Bishop’s Circle members, new members, clergy, staff, parishes and faith communities.

The appeal goes through June. A thanksgiving Mass and reception for Bishop’s Circle members is planned for late July.

The Bishop’s Circle was started by Bishop Joseph A. Ferrario in the 1980s. Bishop Silva put it on hold in 2009 when the diocese launched the With Grateful Hearts capital campaign.

The bishop brought back the circle in November with an invitation letter to about 3,000 Catholics, mostly people who have fulfilled their With Grateful Hearts campaign pledges.

The diocesan Office for Stewardship and Development describes the appeal as a way of “honoring the Lord with the fruits of your stewardship of treasure.”

The Bishop’s Circle is primarily an appeal for large donations, although any amount will be accepted. Its five suggested donation levels, or “societies,” range from the $1,000 “Catholic Ohana Society” to the $20,000 or more “Our Lady of Peace Society.”

Donations to this year’s appeal are being accepted through June 30 by check or online at catholichawaii.org.

For more information, visit catholichawaii.org/stewardship or call the Office of Stewardship at 203-6723.

The text of the homily for the 2014 diocesan Red Mass, Jan. 14, Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace | Father Robert Stark, SSS

Aloha kakou!

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to come here today to celebrate this Red Mass together!

To all our public servants, mahalo nui loa for your generous service.

When Bishop Larry Silva asked me to speak here today about how faith is related to the formidable challenge of affordable housing in Hawaii, frankly, I felt overwhelmed. But then I remembered what a medicine man told me when I was working as a missionary in Latin America. That wise man said, “Those who can see the invisible, can do the impossible, and we learn to see by listening.” That simple, profound truth continues to help me in my current work at the diocesan Office for Social Ministry, where daily I try to listen more and strive to see what is invisible to the human eye in order to attempt to do what appears impossible for the human hand.

When I came to these beautiful islands, I was immediately struck by how folks here love to “talk story.” What a way to connect! For example, by talking story, listening, connecting with Makia Malo, an amazing blind storyteller from Kalaupapa, I have learned to see plenty of what he says I “never care for look.” Through “talking story” here, I have come to see some of the often invisible examples of collaboration around the seemingly impossible challenges of providing affordable housing in Hawaii. Today I simply come to connect, to share some of these stories in the framework of our faith and the scriptures we just heard.

The lyrics of our entrance song this morning are very fitting. “We come to share our story.” Those words were first connected to a traditional Hawaiian melody at Malia Puka O Kalani Parish in the historic Hawaiian homestead of Keaukaha where I am blessed to serve on weekends. It was there that I received a blessing from a kupuna Auntie Ulu who taught me the Sign of the Cross in Hawaiian — a combination of prayer and gesture that helps us connect, communicate and be in communion, collaborate with our God and our neighbor.

In this Sign of the Cross, we reverently invoke the image of Makua-Father, Keiki-Son and ‘Uhane Hemolele—Holy Spirit: Three Persons in one divine collaboration connecting God and humankind through creative love, compassionate sacrifice and merciful healing. This image of collaboration is especially appropriate as we come together to ask for our invisible God to help us work together, to connect, communicate, collaborate, to govern well — a task that can often seem impossible. The blessing of a collaborative God challenges us this morning to go beyond the mere visible appearance of cooperation — among faiths, between church and state — to deepen our genuine desire to join together, to be nourished by what we share, to be sent forth to labor together on what may seem like impossible tasks for the good of all.

Our Scripture readings today challenge us to recognize our connectedness and God’s call to compassionately collaborate on building a better world for all, especially the vulnerable.

The prophet Micah calls us to “do justice, love compassionately, walk humbly with our God.” The Acts of the Apostles describes early Christians “dividing resources among all according to each one’s needs.” Luke’s Gospel recalls Jesus beginning his public ministry by quoting the great prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor, liberty to prisoners, sight to the blind.” Then in conclusion, Jesus says, “Today this Scripture is being fulfilled in your hearing.”

These scriptural challenges may seem like impossible tasks, but Scripture also tells us, “With God, all is possible.” These Scripture passages were chosen to help us connect, communicate, collaborate so we can see the invisible, and do the impossible — to overcome the hopelessness of homelessness and lack of affordable housing. How? By recognizing that when we collaborate together, seemingly unattainable or unfeasible tasks can be fulfilled in our midst.

The proof is right here! Saints Damien and Marianne of Molokai prayed in this cathedral more than a century ago, as we do today. They shared these same scriptural challenges. We know their stories. How they dedicated their lives with those considered even more outcast than the souls who sleep on our sidewalks today. Damien and Marianne’s compassion inspired collaboration between government, hospitals, businesses and faith communities — to do the impossible for those, whom some of society wished were invisible. We are invited to follow in their footsteps in a mission of mercy today; to put our faith in action, in service with the most vulnerable, in a way that is healing for all of us — as sinners struggling to become connected.

Now in our day, Pope Francis, the once invisible Argentine bishop, has been working on the impossible task of transforming the church today into a hospital of healing for all right before our eyes and TV cameras. He was recently on the cover of Time magazine as Person of the Year.

Why are people paying attention to him, even those not Catholic? Perhaps because, like his namesake St. Francis of Assisi, he lives by a phrase: Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”

This pope’s recent writings call us to “keep our ear to the people,” to “be positive,” to seek “unity prevailing over conflict.” He warns that if we remain trapped by what divides us, we will lose a sense of the profound reality of what connects us. By focusing on what we share in common, we can achieve far more together than by going separate ways.

Yes, Pope Francis’ words are inspiring. But his actions speak even louder. You probably recall recent images of him washing the tattooed feet of female Muslim prisoners, embracing persons with distressing deformities or disabilities, celebrating his birthday with the homeless — these are the pictures of our scripture readings being fulfilled today.

Pope Francis reminds us we are all connected. And he calls us all to reconnect, be about forgiving, healing! That is why Time magazine called him a People’s Pope. This People’s Pope recently urged priests to prepare better homilies by focusing on real questions in people’s lives. Well the need for affordable housing is certainly a real issue for people in Hawaii. We’ve all heard the statistics about Hawaii having the highest rate of homelessness and the highest housing costs in the nation. Hawaii’s working and middle class families often pay 50 percent or more of their income on housing. But the real issue is about so much more than statistics.

It’s about real people like Christy, a 34-year-old from the Big Island, a veteran diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and like Lynne, a 61-year-old disabled UH Manoa security guard with sciatica — who both live in fear of losing their affordable one-room or studio units in nearby Chinatown.

Because it is a real issue in so many people’s lives, six years ago the diocese’s new strategic plan, “Witness to Jesus,” listed homelessness and affordable housing as a priority action. In 2011, the U.S. bishops called for renewed commitment to increase affordable housing. That same year, Bishop Silva’s appointed Homeless and Affordable Housing Task Force launched a plan whose goal is to increase affordable housing in Hawaii by partnering with public and private sectors, non-profits and faith-based communities. This collaborative effort contributes to the governor’s overall plan for ending homelessness and it underscores that partnerships with many others, including government, help make it all possible.

Here are some examples from these collaborative partnerships, snapshots from stories of how “Today these Scriptures are being fulfilled now in our midst.”

On the Big Island, Habitat for Humanity, in partnership with Annunciation Catholic Parish in Waimea and Hawaiian Homelands, built a house for four elderly women, one with cancer. All had been living in a boarded-up shack with no windows. It came about after neighbors, troubled by what they saw, gathered with others to “talk story” — connect, communicate and collaborate. Soon the community was coming forward with money, building supplies and willing hands to construct a new home for these kupuna. Also on Hawaiian Homelands in Kona, Habitat for Humanity organized 16 churches, community groups and the public and private sectors for an Apostles Blitz Build, constructing 5 houses in 10 days with and for low-income working families, some headed by single mothers. Impossible? Well they did it, and Habitat for Humanity collaborations are now building another 5 houses in Waimanalo.

The Pahoa Recycled Housing for Kupuna Project on the Big Island is another example of a creative, inspiring public-private partnership. This involved a donation of 20 vacant emergency shelter units in Kawaihae donated by Nasay, a private firm, to HOPE Services Hawaii, a non-profit supported by the Diocese and formerly a part of our Office for Social Ministry. The County of Hawaii trucked the units down the Hamakua Coast to Sacred Heart Catholic Parish in Pahoa. The County acquired three lots from developers to meet their housing credits. The County deeded the lots to HOPE Services Hawaii with the condition they be sold and the funds used for the Pahoa Recycled Housing Project. Certainly this is a creative way to connect and collaborate to care for our kupuna, (some of whom are widows without families here).

In Kailua, a retired Methodist minister donated his home to provide a stable environment for women coming out of prison, like Amy, struggling to find and build a home that is safe, substance-abuse-free and loving, something she has never known. This Beacon of Hope Home is run by a former inmate, Daphne, and is part of the “Going Home” collaboration that brings together the Department of Public Safety, the Pu‘a Foundation, HOPE Services Hawaii and a diverse group of churches around the Women’s Community Correctional Center. Likewise the “Going Home” public-private partnership on the Big Island provides transitional homes, work opportunities and family reunification for the formerly incarcerated, preventing homelessness and reducing recidivism. The Good News is “Going Home” collaborations are beginning to spread statewide.

Another very effective partnership involves Catholic Charities Hawaii and HOPE Services Hawaii working with private landlords to open up hundreds of affordable housing units to the poor. These non-profits, with government funds, help homeless persons, vets, the disabled and elderly as well as low-income working families become sustainably “rentable.” Families such as Marty and Francine’s, who are raising their five month old grandson, but who lost their housing when Marty was laid off. Or like Chassie, a single mother with four children working at multiple jobs and living in substandard shelter on a relative’s property. Over the past three years, this Tenant-Landlords Solutions collaboration has put more than 2,000 valuable vulnerable persons such as Marty, Francine, Chassie, their children and grandchildren into affordable housing in Hawaii.

The Housing First initiative, which focuses on rapid re-housing (on re-connecting combined with wrap-around services) for the chronic — and often the most visible — homeless in our communities, is also helping the invisible working families, who are 39 percent of people living in our homeless shelters. The Institute for Human Services and Waikiki Health Center, among others, all successfully use Housing First.

These are just some snapshots of the many amazing, often invisible, stories happening here and now. People who are connected to these stories, who are committed to overcoming homelessness and to building affordable housing for all, are suggesting several ways we can collaborate in 2014. Here are two examples:

• Provide the $1.5 million needed to continue the Housing First initiative as a standing budget item. This will provide stability and continuity of services for individuals and families who depend on Housing First funding.
• Restore funding for the Rental Housing Trust Fund to 50 percent of the conveyance tax, and appropriate $100 million to the Rental Housing Trust Fund for at least 600 new units of affordable rental housing.

There are plenty reasons and opportunities for collaborating including the critical concern about the current sale of 12 city-managed affordable rental housing complexes where Christy and Lynn live; or the multiple needs of migrant populations such as workplace housing, driver’s licenses and living wages. All are part of the challenge to fulfill in our midst the Scripture we heard today.

If we care to look, and can tap our invisible capacity for collaboration, maybe someday the Time magazine Person of the Year cover will have not just one person, but one image of one people of Hawaii — hand in hand, unified in a rainbow of efforts to create affordable housing for all. Impossible? Not if we remember those who can see the invisible, can do the impossible. And if we are connected and collaborating with God, all is possible.

Let us leave here more connected with one another, like a flower lei artfully joined, woven together and the stronger for it, with differences but of ONE loving heart — a pu‘uwai aloha — in our collaborative service to be Good News with the vulnerable, so that together, with Jesus, we can say, “Today these texts are being fulfilled in our midst.”

Ma ka Inoa, O ka Makua, A o ke Keiki, A me ka ‘Uhane Hemolole. ‘Amene.

Father Stark, a priest of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, is the director of the Office for Social Ministry, Diocese of Honolulu.

Bishop Larry Silva blesses the public officials gathered at the annual Red Mass, Jan. 14, in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace. (HCH photo | Darlene Dela Cruz)

Red Mass homilist Father Robert Stark. (HCH photo | Darlene Dela Cruz)

Homelessness and the lack of affordable housing are not insurmountable problems if the groups fighting them find creative ways to work together, said the homilist at this year’s Red Mass, Jan. 14 in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace.

“The blessing of a collaborative God challenges us this morning to go beyond the mere visible appearance of cooperation, among faiths, between church and state,” said Blessed Sacrament Father Robert Stark, the director of the diocesan Office for Social Ministry.

The forces that serve the public are called “to deepen our genuine desire to join together, to be nourished by what we share, to be sent forth to labor together on what may seem like impossible tasks for the good of all,” he said.

Father Stark addressed a full church at the traditional annual liturgy that seeks the guidance of the Holy Spirit for Hawaii’s public servants.

Bishop Larry Silva presided at the Mass, concelebrating with 25 priests.

“We rejoice at the presence of civic and government leaders with us today,” the bishop said in welcoming Mass guests. “We share in the work so that God’s peace can reign.”

Approximately 50 government officials were there, about half of whom were members of the Hawaii state legislative and executive branches. The rest represented the City and County of Honolulu, Kauai County, the judiciary and government staff.

In his homily, Father Stark gave examples of collaboration among churches, government, businesses and non-profits that have recently put roofs over peoples’ heads in Hawaii.

These included houses built on the Big Island and Oahu by Habitat for Humanity with the help of Catholic parishes and government agencies, and a Big Island project that recycled donated emergency shelter units into homes for the elderly on church property.

Father Stark also cited joint projects by church, private and public partnerships that provide “transitional homes, work opportunities and family reunification” for former prisoners.

Another example he gave was that of Catholic Charities Hawaii and HOPE Services Hawaii working with private landlords and government funds “to open up hundreds of affordable housing units to the poor.”

He suggested two other ways the state legislature could work to overcome homelessness in 2014:

“Provide the $1.5 million needed to continue the Housing First initiative as a standing budget item.” The “housing first” concept gives stable homes to the chronically homeless before addressing their social problems.

“Restore funding for the Rental Housing Trust Fund to 50 percent of the conveyance tax, and appropriate $100 million to the Rental Housing Trust Fund for at least 600 new units of affordable rental housing.”

Before the Mass started, the cathedral buzzed with the conversations of congregants finding their places and greeting familiar faces until the opening Hawaiian chant and Hawaii Ponoi put everyone in a more pious posture.

Processing in first, mostly dressed in black and wearing red and yellow feather capes and lei, were about 40 members of native Hawaiian societies, traditional Red Mass participants. They included the Koolauloa Hawaiian Civic Club, the Royal Order of Kamehameha, Na Wahine Hui O Kamehameha I and the Daughters of Hawaii.

The invited government figures were seated closest to the altar. They included Kauai Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr., Rep. Henry Aquino, Rep. Karen Leinani Awana, Rep. Rida Cabanilla, House Speaker Joseph Souki and Senate President Donna Mercado Kim.

Also present were Rep. Romy Cachola, Senator Suzanne Chun-Oakland, Rep. Ty Cullen, State, Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, Honolulu Police Chief Louis M. Kealoha, Honolulu Fire Chief Manuel P. Neves, and First Circuit Judges Patrick W. Border and Michael D. Wilson.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie attended the pre-Mass breakfast hosted by the bishop, but not the Mass.

Also in the congregation was a group of 25 seminarians visiting from the Diocese of Brooklyn.

The rest of the church was filled with Catholic Church and school staff, members of religious orders and laity.

Near the close of the Mass, Bishop Silva thanked the public officials for their attendance.

“We don’t always agree, but it is essential that we pray together and pledge our desire to work together,” he said.

Just before the Mass concluded, the civil servants were invited to stand as a group behind the altar for a special blessing by  Bishop Silva. The bishop asked the “God of power and might, wisdom and justice” to send his blessing down on them that they may serve the people of Hawaii well.

The Red Mass concluded with the hymn “America the Beautiful.”

The Red Mass this year was scheduled for Tuesday, the day before the Jan. 15 opening day of the Legislature in the hope that more legislators would be free to attend. Prior to this year, the Mass was always celebrated on the day after opening day.

According to the bishop’s office, the number of officials attending showed an increase of about 10 over last year’s count of 41.

Father Cletus Mooya with St. Jude Parishioners in an undated photo. (HCH photo)

Zambia-born Father Cletus Mooya, the parochial vicar of St. Michael Parish in Kailua-Kona, died at Queen’s Medical Center on Jan. 18. He had been a priest for the Diocese of Honolulu for seven years serving at several Oahu parishes. He was 40.

His funeral vigil service was scheduled for Jan. 28 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa and his funeral for Jan. 29 at St. Jude Church, Kapolei. His body is being sent back to Zambia for burial.

Father Mooya is survived by his parents Joseph and Mary Mooya, brothers Christen, Leonard, Fred and Austern, and sisters Judith and Eugine.

Bishop Larry Silva, who ordained Father Mooya in 2007, said he was “a quiet man, who was very likeable and enjoyed being a priest.”

The bishop said he was shocked and very saddened by his death.

“Though he was only 40 years old, he struggled for some time with severe diabetes and other health issues,” he said, “but I was very surprised that he died so young.”

“I thank God for Father Cletus’ service to the Diocese of Honolulu,” the bishop said. “He was a missionary who came to us from Zambia and I am sure there were great challenges in being so far away from his family and his homeland, but he dedicated himself to serve us well here in Hawaii.”

“I am grateful that he offered himself to serve our diocese and I pray for the happy repose of his soul,” he said.

“I ask the prayers of all in the diocese not only for Father Cletus, but for his family and all his loved ones,” Bishop Silva said. “May he rest in peace.”

Father Mooya first came to Hawaii in November 2001 as one of a group of four Oratorian seminarians residing at Holy Trinity Parish in Kuliouou, three of whom eventually joined the Diocese of Honolulu.

He became a U.S. citizen on March 2, 2011.

Father Mooya was born on April 8, 1973, in Mazabuka, Zambia, a country with a large Catholic population in south central Africa almost on the exact opposite side of the globe from Hawaii.

He was one of six sons and two daughters of Joseph and Mary Mooya. One of the sons, Victor, is deceased.

Father Mooya talked about his path to priesthood in a 2006 Hawaii Catholic Herald interview.

He said he had first thought about becoming a priest around age 7 or 8. He entered a diocesan high school seminary but lost interest and, after graduating, taught school for a year.

Some time later, Father Mooya said, after some prayer and discernment, he felt a renewed call to the religious life, though not as a diocesan priest.

“I thought, since my diocese had too many guys already, I felt like it’s better that I become a missionary,” he said.

He joined the Passionist Fathers in neighboring Botswana with five other Zambians. One of them was Peter Miti, who is now the pastor of St. Philomena Parish in Honolulu. After a year of postulancy, Miti and Mooya went to South Africa to study philosophy and to Tangaza College in Nairobi, Kenya, for theology.

Halfway through the four-year Kenya program, a visiting Passionist priest from California talked to the seminarians about the need for priests in other parts of the world.

“He said, ‘Why don’t you guys try and go somewhere else and help out where young men are no longer interested in becoming priests,’” Mooya recalled. “That’s when he gave me the contact of the Oratory in Hawaii.”

The Oratory was a community in the process of being established by Oratorian Father Halbert Weidner, then pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Kuliouou.

Mooya and Miti arrived in the islands in 2001 to live and work at Holy Trinity as they prepared for priesthood.

Father Mooya said his biggest challenge was being far from home. When he first came to Hawaii he was surprised at how far away it was, a two-day trip from Zambia. He tried to get home every two years and also kept in touch with his family by phone and email.

A member of his native country’s Tonga tribe, Father Mooya recalled learning about Pacific islanders from a place with the same name. He liked Hawaii’s friendly and racially diverse people.

Seafood was a revelation as well, Zambia being a landlocked country, and Father Mooya never become a big fan of shellfish. However, he loved kalua pig. He also enjoyed jogging and playing golf.

From 2003 to 2005, Mooya, Miti and the third Oratorian seminarian at Holy Trinity, Paul Dong-Min Li, attended Beda College in Rome completing their academic studies.

Back in Hawaii, the uncertain status of the Holy Trinity Oratory had left their ordinations as Oratorian Fathers in limbo, so they accepted Bishop Silva’s invitation to become priests for the Diocese of Honolulu. They were ordained on June 8, 2007.

Father Mooya served as a priest at St. Jude Parish in Kapolei and St. John Apostle and Evangelist Parish in Mililani. This year, on Jan. 16, he was assigned to St. Michael in Kona.

Father Miti will accompany Father Mooya’s body back to Zambia, delivering condolences and representing the Diocese of Honolulu at the burial.

In a May 29, 2009, Hawaii Catholic Herald profile, Father Mooya said his favorite Bible passage was Psalm 139 which starts, “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.”

Father Daniel J. Mahan of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Bishop Larry Silva and diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development director Mark Clark give remarks at the Stewardship Day event, Jan. 25. (HCH photos | Darlene Dela Cruz)

Catholics are called to holiness, and stewardship is “the practical way of life that gets us there,” said the keynote speaker at the diocesan Stewardship Day gathering Jan. 25 at Holy Family Church in Honolulu.

Diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development director Mark Clark gives remarks at Stewardship Day, Jan. 25. (HCH photo | Darlene Dela Cruz)

Father Daniel J. Mahan of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, author of “More than Silver or Gold: Homilies of a Stewardship Priest,” visited Hawaii to share his insights on the spiritual giving of time, talent and treasure.

About 200 local parishioners, religious and clergy from every island — representing more than 40 parishes and faith communities — attended the Saturday event. It is the second time the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development has held this workshop, as Bishop Larry Silva continues to encourage parishes to find sustainable ways to support their ministries.

Bishop Silva opened the Stewardship Day program using Scripture passages to illustrate themes of gratitude and generosity. Using the example of the multiplication of the loaves and fish to feed 5,000 people, the bishop said those present at the time of Jesus’ miracle serve as a “paradigm” for today’s Catholics in the way they viewed and shared their resources.

“Whatever they got, they gave thanks for,” Bishop Silva said. “That’s when the miracle began.”

Hawaii’s faithful have been gracious in contributing their talents and financial gifts to spread the Gospel, he added. That has borne much fruit in the diocese, “but there is so much more to do.”

Father Mahan echoed Bishop Silva’s message in his first talk of the workshop, “Stewardship as a Spirituality.” He said good stewards of God’s gifts are grateful for the blessings they receive, responsible in nurturing them, and beneficent in offering those graces for the betterment of others.

Catholics practicing good stewardship become close to God and the church, and have a keen sense of mission in life. Father Mahan said this exemplifies “holiness.”

Parishioners, he noted, can assess their own abilities to contribute time, talent and treasure to the church, and “make a return to the Lord with increase.”

“I have yet to meet a parish where stewardship is practiced and taught consistently that a transformation didn’t happen,” he said. “Stewardship is not something that stops when the stewardship season is over. It’s ongoing.”

“Our Lord is not interested in a percentage or part,” he added. “The Lord wants a full and total response to him.”

Father Mahan highlighted his experience as pastor of a small church in Indiana, where repairs and more volunteers for ministries were sorely needed. After fostering a culture of stewardship there, parishioners eagerly came forward to help with everything from yard work to increasing collections.

“It is my prayer that your parishes will flourish,” he said.

After Father Mahan’s talk, Dave and Bernie Reeves of St. Ann Church in Kaneohe led a forum to discuss their Homelessness and Affordable Housing Committee. The outpouring of time, talent and treasure from St. Ann parishioners for their outreach mission served as an example of the impact of stewardship.

Father Mahan closed the Stewardship Day with the session, “Seven Steps to Success.” The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 1992 pastoral letter, “Stewardship, a Disciple’s Response,” outlined the following recommendations for establishing a stewardship culture in parishes:

• Personal witness
• Commitment of leadership
• Hospitality, evangelization and outreach
• Communication and education
• Recruiting, training and recognizing gifts of time and talent
• Stewardship of treasure
• Accountability

Father Mahan suggested that clergy and lay people provide personal testimony at their parish about stewardship at least once a year. He recommended recruiting parish volunteers according to their talents, not simply based on the time they have to spare for any available ministry.

Parishioners, he said, should consider their “stewardship of treasure” in a “prayerful, planned, proportionate and sacrificial” manner contingent with their finances.

Transparency in church spending and activities is key in fostering stewardship participation as well.

An “eighth step,” Father Mahan said, is perseverance. It is not easy to get everyone on board with stewardship, he acknowledged, but it is possible over time.

“This is something that you will want to keep coming back to,” he noted. “I have not known it to fail at any parish.”

Sister Marion lnouye, a Sister of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities who spent most of her 64 years of religious life devoted to teaching in Catholic schools, died on Jan. 22 in Honolulu. She was 84.

Sister Marion celebrated her 60th anniversary in the Franciscan community in 2009.

On the occasion of her 50th anniversary in religious life, Sister Marion expressed her gratitude to those who helped her along the way.

“As I ponder and reflect on my special call to community life and service, I offer my heartfelt praise and thanksgiving to the Lord,” she wrote. “So many wonderful people have touched me in my life’s journey and experiences.”

“I especially thank my parents who gifted me with Christian love and values,” she said.

“My Franciscan sisters nurtured my special call through their love, faith, hope, prayers, commitment and example,” Sister Marion said. “As I take a moment to reflect on these past 50 years, I gratefully know that a loving God was ever present in my life. Alleluia! Alleluia!”

Sister Marion was born in Honolulu on Jan. 6, 1929, one of six children of Tsuneo Inouye of Japan and Tomeyo Hirata of Pepeekeo, Hawaii. She attended St. Francis Convent School during which time she was baptized a Catholic with her sisters Florence and Thelma.

Sister Marion entered the Sisters of the Third Franciscan Order in 1949, receiving the name Sister Francis Xavier when she was invested in the Franciscan habit. She made her final vows on Aug. 15, 1954. She claimed the Franciscan quotation “Deus Meus et Omnia” (My God and my All) as her quotation to live by.

Sister Marion received her bachelor of science degree in education from Chaminade College of Honolulu and her master’s degree from the University of Scranton, Pa.

Her ministry was devoted to education in Hawaii, and on the Mainland in Catholic schools in Ohio, New York and New Jersey.

In Hawaii she worked at St. Joseph School, Hilo; Sacred Hearts School, Lahaina; Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Pearl City; and St. Francis School in Honolulu.

In Ohio she taught at St. Anthony School, Lorain; in New York at St. Margaret School, Mattydale and Immaculate Conception School in Fayetteville; and in New Jersey at St. Joseph ProCathedral School in Camden.

Sister Marion was also assigned to St. Francis Medical Center-West in Ewa.

Sister Marion was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers Saburo, Lawrence and George lnouye; and her sister, Florence Okada. She is survived by her brother Tsugio lnouye, her sister Thelma (Robert) Takazawa of Elgin, Ill., and nieces and nephews.

One of her nieces, Sister Mary Magdaline, is a Franciscan Sister of the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ in Texas.

Sister Marion’s funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Francis Convent in Manoa on Feb. 3. Her inurnment was at Diamond Head Memorial Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of Saint Francis Retirement Fund.