The Catholic Cultural Celebration observing the end of the Year of Faith on Oahu Nov. 23 at Star of the Sea Church in Waialae-Kahala will open with a prayer service and close with a Mass, with plenty of music and fellowship, food and fun in between.
Bishop Larry Silva will begin the event at 9 a.m. with a multicultural prayer service.
Pope Benedict XVI established the Year of Faith — Oct. 11, 2012, to Nov. 24, 2013 — as a “summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the One Savior of the world.”
Underscoring the spiritual nature of the year, the event will include exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Confessions throughout the day in Star of the Sea Church.
Filling out the non-stop family entertainment will be comedian Frank De Lima, slack key artist Stephen Ingles, and hula, dance and musical groups from Catholic schools and ethnic organizations.
Among the schools taking the stage will be Maryknoll, Sacred Hearts Academy and St. Francis. Cultural entertainment will be provided by Filipino, Korean, Hispanic, Micronesian and Chinese troupes.
Food booths will be run by Oahu restaurants and catering operations and Catholic organizations. They include JJ’s French Bistro and Pastry, Catering Kalima’s, Ninja Sushi, Da Spot, Maile’s Thai Bistro, D’lish, Elite Catering, the Chinese Catholic Community and the Daughters of St. Paul.
Game booths for the keiki will include penny pitch, soda ring toss, fish pond, balloon pop, ping pong toss, archery, dunking booth, gold coin toss and a photo booth.
The event will also feature a diocese information tent with displays from Catholic organizations, diocesan departments and Catholic schools.
The day will close with Mass in Star of the Sea Church at 4:45 p.m.
Bishop Silva opened the special year in Hawaii on Oct. 9, 2012, with a Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Kalihi-Palama. The neighbor islands inaugurated the Year of Faith with their own Masses.
The bishop encouraged observance of the year by forming a committee to plan events and publish a resource booklet for parishes.
The first day of the Year of Faith, Oct. 11, 2012, marked the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council by Pope John XXIII, and the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II. The last day, Nov. 24, is the Feast of Christ the King.
In his letter last October promoting the Year of Faith, Bishop Silva said the special time “is meant to renew the entire People of God to not only receive the faith and rejoice in it, but to share the faith boldly with others.”
“We pray that this Year of Faith will make us a more missionary church,” he said, “not simply concerned about our own internal needs, but reaching out to others who … still want desperately to hear the message of hope that will set their hearts on fire.”
