Happy Catholics: Top row, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Daughters of St. Paul Sister Fay Pele, Marianist Father John Thompson, Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Anne Bryan Smollin, Blessed Teresa of Kolkata. Bottom row, Popes John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis.
Theology on Tap 2014 Summer Series
It’s time to get happy!
Theology on Tap, also known as “TOT,” is back with another awesome summer series. The diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry continues its fun tradition of bringing together young adults for drinks, food and faith-filled discussion.
This year’s topic: “Happy Catholics.”
This summer’s theology speaker menu taps three cheerful religious — Daughters of St. Paul Sister Fay Pele, Marianist Father John Thompson and Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Anne Bryan Smollin.
The TOT events on Oahu take place at Tiki’s Bar & Grill in Waikiki from 5-8 p.m. Sister Fay already spoke on June 22. Father Thompson will give his presentation July 6, and Sister Anne will discuss her reflections July 20.
Sister Anne will also be traveling to Maui for the island’s first-ever TOT night at Bistro Casanova in Kahului, July 21.
Everyone age 18 and older is welcome. Advanced ticket reservations can be made at www.catholichawaii.org/tothawaii for $15. Guests can also pay $20 at the door.
The Theology on Tap speakers each shared with the Hawaii Catholic Herald a brief snapshot of their views on “Happy Catholics.” It’s an appropriate topic for the sunny summertime that is sure to get young adults thinking about how to live, serve and worship with joy.
Father Thompson said that Catholics can embrace their faith by staying rooted in the joy of the Gospel. He noted that Christian joy “is deeper than ‘happiness,’” as Jesus’ love provides us with an unwavering source of strength.
“As it is often said when someone faces a tragedy or hears some bad news, ‘Joy comes in the morning,’” Father Thompson said. “If we have the disposition of joy in our lives, then we can handle anything that life brings to us.”
Father Thompson, a professor and pastoral campus minister at Chaminade University, said he keeps the joy of the Lord alive in his life in several ways. He gets spiritual refreshment from his relationships with others, by maintaining an ongoing relationship with God, finding humor in everyday situations and playing music.
Sister Anne, known as “The Laughing Nun,” has written several books on the importance of a positive attitude. She is the executive director of the Counseling for Laity center in Albany, N.Y., and has spoken all over the country about the link between personal wellness and “sacramental joy.”
Catholics, Sister Anne said, have a “choice” to be happy.
“We are called to be Resurrection people,” she said. “How blessed we are to be Gospel people and carry the message to all we come into contact with. We are made in the image of God and we must grow into the likeness of God.”
Sister Anne explained that grace, humor and joy are found by living life “in the present moment.” She said it is vital to “surround ourselves with positive people, not be so hard on ourselves” and “be people of gratitude.”
“Negative thinking clogs the brain,” she said. “We need to look alive and look like we are choosing life — smiles, eye contact, reaching out to others, being connected.”
Sister Fay, who lives at the Daughters of St. Paul convent in downtown Honolulu, shared at the June 22 Theology on Tap event how being connected with a joyful community impacted her faith. She said she was raised as a “happy Catholic” by a loving circle of family and friends in Samoa.
Now going on 11 years as a professed nun, Sister Fay said her life continues to be vibrant as she uses her gifts in music and her religious community’s ministries to serve others.
About 50 people attended Sister Fay’s Theology on Tap talk, including Lisa Gomes, diocesan director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.
“What impacted me the most from Sister Fay’s presentation was her openness to God’s call of religious life and the joy that she has every day in sharing Christ with every person she encounters,” Gomes said.
Sister Fay also told TOT participants that being a “happy Catholic” simply comes as a result of staying close to God and his word.
Many people today are mistakenly caught up in finding the best tips and tricks to becoming happy, she said. However, the real “secret” to being happy, for those who love and seek Jesus, “isn’t anything new.”
For more information on Theology on Tap, call 203-6763.
