By Mary Rosenthal
Special to the Herald
Missionary Sisters of Faith Roviesa Orias Jadlocan, left, and Mary Trang. (Courtesy photo)
The Catholic community of Lahaina, Maui, welcomed two sisters of a religious order new to Hawaii, the Missionary Sisters of Faith, who will work in Maria Lanakila Parish and the parish’s Sacred Hearts School. A third sister is expected in December.
The two sisters are Sister Roviesa Orias Jadlocan and Sister Mary Trang. Bishop Larry Silva blessed the new arrivals Aug. 19 during a Confirmation Mass at Maria Lanakila.
Their religious congregation is the sister community of the Missionaries of Faith, an order of priests based in India who staff Maria Lanakila and St. Rita Parish in Haiku. The Missionary Sisters serve in seven countries: Italy, Brazil, Philippines, India, Myanmar, Samoa and the United States. Their mission is the pastoral care of children in education, health and nutrition.
The parish and school have not had a religious order of sisters on staff since the departure of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities in 2000.
Sister Roviesa Orias, who is from the Philippines, studied at the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences Auxilium in Rome. She has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Polangui Community College, Albay, Philippines. She will assist the kindergarten through eighth grades teaching religion part-time and help with parish ministry.
Sister Mary, who is Vietnamese, has a bachelor’s of arts degree in religious studies from the Institute of Formation and Religious Studies in Manila. Sister will be an aide in the early learning center with the 3- and 4-year-old children.
Joining the two sisters in late December will be Sister Monica Jalen, a Burmese Sister, who also has a bachelor’s in religious studies from the Institute of Formation and Religious Studies. She will work as an aide in the early learning center.
Sacred Hearts School also welcomed a new principal, Becky Spitznagel, formerly a Catholic elementary school principal and teacher in Indiana. She has a master’s degrees in Catholic school administration and in curriculum and instruction. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, a professional administrator’s license and is the recipient of excellence in teaching awards.