Maui young adults participate in an icebreaker activity during a recent event in Wailuku. (Courtesy EPIC Ministry)
By Celia K. Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
A new opportunity for young adults in the Diocese of Honolulu to pursue faith formation and service is in the works thanks to funding from a national philanthropic foundation.
The diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis announced in December it is gearing up to launch The Huakai Project this month, an initiative that aims to create “a vibrant ecosystem of small groups of young adults, ages 18-39, that foster spiritual growth, a deeper sense of belonging and a greater desire to serve across the Hawaiian Islands.”
The project is being funded through a partnership between the Diocese of Honolulu and the University of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life.
“Huakai” means “journey” in Hawaiian, explained OEC Director Lisa Gomes and Associate Director Kainoa Fukumoto in an email interview with the Hawaii Catholic Herald. Thus, the goal of the small groups is to “form compassionate leaders and active disciples who huakai together, or journey together, in living out the call to serve others, especially those in need.”
Notre Dame received a $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish the Pathways to Communion Program at the McGrath Institute, which the university said in a Dec. 17 press release “aims to strengthen the ecosystem of theologically informed service opportunities for young Catholics in the United States.”
The university is one of a dozen organizations to receive funding through Lilly Endowment’s National Youth and Young Adult Initiative on Faith and Service to support young Christians and encourage lives of service.
Notre Dame, in turn, is partnering with 10 entities — ranging from dioceses to nonprofit organizations — and acting as a support hub as they embark on projects to bolster young adults’ interest and involvement in service.
Another goal of the partnerships is to “conduct national research designed to generate insights about young people’s experiences,” Notre Dame said in its press release.
The Diocese of Honolulu will receive up to $100,000 annually for the next five years for a total of $500,000, Gomes and Fukumoto said. The OEC also will receive support from the McGrath Institute and will be able to visit Notre Dame for gatherings alongside the other partner organizations.
Gomes and Fukumoto said their office was approached over the summer by an official from the McGrath Institute and invited to apply for a partnership.
Katherine Angulo, who leads the McGrath Institute’s Thriving in Ministry Initiative, also came to Hawaii to learn more about the local culture and brainstorm possible projects, Gomes and Fukumoto said.
According to the OEC’s announcement, The Huakai Project will provide training for small group leaders, develop appropriate materials and resources, and organize events to unite young adults from across the diocese — empowering them to return to their parishes and communities and be active participants.
In addition to leadership through the OEC, another major partner in The Huakai Project is EPIC Ministry, a vibrant young adult ministry in the diocese.
“With extensive experience in small-group ministry, EPIC brings valuable expertise” to a key component of The Huakai Project, Gomes and Fukumoto said.
Gomes and Fukumoto said the goal is to grow The Huakai Project during the guaranteed five-year funding period, both in the number of participants and in the breadth of its impact, so that it can continue once the period ends.
They plan to create a sustainability protocol that includes forming partnerships within the church and wider community, as well as seeking other sources of funding and grants.
The OEC leaders said they are excited about The Huakai Project’s prospects for the future for young adult Catholics and the local church as a whole.
“Being part of a small group can be a transformative experience, fostering deep peer relationships and meaningful connections,” they said. “Coupled with catechesis that highlights our call to serve others through the corporal works of mercy, we see this project helping young adults embrace service not just as something we do, but as an integral part of who we are as Christians.”
Efforts to bolster vocations could benefit as well, they said: “By nurturing faith, strengthening connections to the church and inspiring acts of service, (the project) creates fertile ground for young adults to discern their calling, including vocations to religious life and the priesthood.”
The Huakai Project is not just about creating another program, the leaders said.
“Seeing this vision come to life fills (us) with hope and anticipation for the transformative effects it will have on our church and community.”
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