OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY
“Jesus’ concern for the care of the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless and prisoners (cf. Mt 25:34-40) sought to express the core of the Father’s mercy. This becomes a moral imperative for the whole of society that wishes to maintain the necessary conditions for a better common life.” (Pope Francis)
November is a month full of focus on vulnerable persons as we end the Jubilee Year of Mercy with “concern for the care of the hungry, the homeless and prisoners.” On Nov. 3, the diocesan Office for Social Ministry, with the Hawaii National Guard and the Mayor’s Office of the County of Maui, co-sponsored a Maui Vet Stand Down and job fair at the Puunene Armory. This collaborative compassionate outreach to Hawaii’s vets helped those who are hungry, homeless, or at risk of homelessness secure food, housing and employment. Through this collective effort, the community came together to create “the necessary conditions for a better common life.”
November is Hunger Action Month and Nov. 12-20 marks National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. The website www.hhweek.org tells us that hunger exists in every county in the U.S., affecting 48 million Americans, including 15 million children. One in every seven persons in America struggles with hunger! Therefore, everyone in our nation is being asked to take action to fight hunger in their communities.
Here in Hawaii, many of our parishes have food ministries connected to their county food banks and food baskets. At the beginning of this month, Holy Family Parish on Oahu will open the first food pantry organized and run by the Chuukese community, reaching out to the needs of thehungry and homeless. Many other parish food pantries, such as St. Peter and Paul’s in downtown Honolulu, serve hungry and homeless elderly. Others parish pantries, including Sacred Heart’s in Waianae and St. Catherine’s in Kapaa on Kauai, reach out to those in need living along Hawaii beaches.
This month we ask all to make an extra effort to support their parish food ministries connected to county food banks and continue this vital mercy ministry year round.
This is also the month for the annual U.S. bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development national collection, always scheduled for the Sunday before Thanksgiving. More about this in the next Hawaii Catholic Herald. The Gospel reading for that Sunday is about Jesus showing mercy on the cross to those criminals crucified with him. CCHD is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by funding community programs working with vulnerable populations on the margins.
CCHD funding in Hawaii most recently has gone to support organizations such as HOPE Services Hawaii and the Pu‘a Foundation, which help parishes minister with persons returning to their communities from prison and families affected by incarceration. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops encourages us all to support these vital ministries of mercy and contribute to the collection.
In the next issue of the Hawaii Catholic Herald, we will share and give thanks for the inspiring mercy ministries which took place in Hawaii during the Jubilee Year of Mercy. These include the food and housing ministries of the diocesan initiative One Ohana: Food and Housing for All. This also includes all parish ministries with vulnerable persons, such as the work with families affected by incarceration and families with disabled persons, plus the ministries around health and wellness such as accompanying persons with serious illnesses, going through hospice, or experiencing bereavement during and after funerals.
Please send your mercy ministry stories to rstark@rcchawaii.org and itamashiro@rcchawaii.org. Mahalo,
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
