The Hokupa‘a Community gathers at its commitment Mass March 1 in the Mystical Rose Oratory. Top row, from left, Jarrod Laumoli, Stefan Taitano, Lena Souza, Anthony Selvanathan, Hannah Sablan, Kayla Nix and Marianist Brother Mark Motz. Bottom row, Chaminade rector Marianist Father George Cerniglia, Angel-Baby Ifopo, Dior-Ashton Teodosio, Elyssa Barja Lim, Kerryleigh Foster and Gina Mae Dumangeng.
By Anthony Selvanathan
Special to the Herald
On the evening of Sept. 25 last year, 11 Chaminade University students gathered to begin a journey of faith. Inspired by the call of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, the founder of the Marianist order, we met weekly for 15 weeks, bonding into a community, an ohana.
Under the direction of Marianist Brother Mark Motz, Chaminade University’s minister for spiritual development, we learned about the Marianist “charism,” its character and mission, and its spirituality.
Our group, whose members came from all walks of life and from around the world, is what is referred to as a Marianist lay community. We call our community Hokupa‘a, which means “Immovable Star” in Hawaiian. The students selected that name because we view God as the immovable, omnipotent presence in our lives.
Last week, on March 1, during evening Mass in Chaminade’s Mystical Rose Oratory, the Hokupa‘a Community made a formal one-year commitment to “work in unity to shine forth the light of the Gospel and call others to join us in our mission.”
In the coming year, we will take active steps to let Christ’s light shine forth beyond the Chaminade community, through works of service and by advocating for justice and peace in our world.
Marianist lay communities are small Christian communities at the service of the mission of the church in the world. They are part of the worldwide Marianist family, inspired by the charism of the Marianist founders.
Blessed Chaminade received a powerful Marian inspiration at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar in Saragossa, Spain, and also throughout his life. With Venerable Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon and Venerable Marie Thérèse de Lamourous, he shaped this inspiration into a new missionary vision for the revitalization of the church in France by establishing lay communities in alliance with Mary.
In St. John’s Gospel account of the wedding feast at Cana, Mary tells the servants to “Do whatever he tells you.” As the Hokupa‘a Community chooses to “live a life inspired by Mary,” strongly rooted in faith, hope and love, we have truly begun to shine radiantly the Light of the Gospel in their lives. The Hokupa‘a Community invites you to keep us in your prayers as we accompany Mary in her mission of building a better world.
