Fun at the Office of Vocations informational booth.
Confession with Sacred Hearts Father Bertram Lock.
Celebrating the faith with social mixers, fellowship.
Sacred Hearts Sister Ivy Yim gets a lift, left.
Dolphins, sea lions and turtles … oh my!
Hundreds of young Catholics and dozens of volunteers enjoyed a day of fun and fellowship at Diocesan Youth Day, Oct. 25 at Sea Life Park in Waimanalo.
The diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry organized this local celebration of the Catholic faith. The event drew 356 youth from 36 parishes and one Catholic high school.
From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., the day was filled with activities geared toward creating friendships among local Catholic teens and deepening their commitment to living out Christian values.
The theme for Diocesan Youth Day was “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” It is the first of eight “Beatitudes” — Jesus’ teaching on mercy and compassion — in the Gospel of Matthew.
Bishop Larry Silva opened the day with a special blessing. The band Crucial Faith rocked the morning with praise and worship tunes. Youth were able to explore a “ministry fair,” where local religious and members of lay Catholic organizations hosted exhibits and informational tables.
Two Catholic mainland speakers shared their insights at Diocesan Youth Day. Roy Petitfils, a counselor and writer from Louisiana, held a special session for parents. Ansel Augustine from the Archdiocese of New Orleans gave an afternoon keynote address for the youth.
Bishop Silva celebrated an early evening liturgy at Sea Life Park. After Mass and dinner, the youth danced the night away with live music from three awesomely talented young Catholic artists: Louis Gargiula (also known as “Fusion”) of New York, Mathias Michael from Delaware and Elle Bega of Maui.
Of course, a day at Sea Life Park wouldn’t be complete without a look at its cool ocean animals. Youth were treated to the park’s famous dolphin and sea lion shows, and got a chance to check out fishes, stingrays, sharks, sea turtles and more.