OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY
“At this time it’s more necessary than ever for everyone to not just stop with words, but to take concrete action so that food aid can reach suffering populations.” (Pope Francis Lent 2017)
Pope Francis has helped the world focus on the natural and human disasters resulting in refugees and migrants suffering hunger, fleeing drought, as well as war, in their homelands. The final weeks of Lent Rice Bowl provide us the opportunity to reflect on the plight of these vulnerable people impacted by disasters, and to be inspired by their “stories of hope” from Mexico, Ethiopia and Hawaii.
Maria de la Luz, despite the drought and unemployment in her homeland of Hidalgo, Mexico, collaborates with other elder women in developing greenhouses to grow and sell cactus to support their grandchildren left behind by parents who have migrated to find jobs, bringing hope to families separated by natural and human disasters. Today in Ethiopia, because of a drought, 10 million people are struggling with hunger. Dita, her husband and their seven children depend on money they earn selling crops from their small farm in Ethiopia. Dita and Maria have both been helped by Catholic Relief Services supported by Lenten Rice Bowl efforts.
This year, Rice Bowl’s story of hope for the last week of Lent is about Micaela and the Chuukese community who migrated to Hawaii, refugees of climate change as their homelands are overcome by rising ocean waters. This story of hope is about planting breadfruit trees to provide fresh produce for parish food pantries as part of the our diocese’s One Ohana: Food and Housing for All initiative, which the Hawaii Catholic Herald featured at the beginning of Lent. For more details, go to the diocesan website: http://catholichawaii.org/catholic-living/charity-justice/food-security-sustainable-development-global-solidarity/ricebowl/
One Ohana: Food and Housing for All includes many inspiring stories of hope around the diocese, calling all to encounter God through others by becoming engaged in parish social ministries. For example, the social outreach ministry of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in central Honolulu connects the elderly to the Hawaii Foodbank’s “senior food box” program which provides 32 pounds of nourishing food to 165 seniors of many nationalities who come to the parish from its surrounding communities.
This parish also collects food from its own parishioners and packs it into bags decorated by children in the Sunday religious education program and delivers it to 65 kupuna identified by parishioners as being in special need. This ministry engages more than 100 parish volunteers.
The social ministry at Sts. Peter and Paul also includes three special ministries with vulnerable populations: a monthly 9 a.m. Ohana Mass for families with disabled persons; a Chuukese deacon serving the growing number of Micronesian families; and the Amistad Ministry of advocacy and service to victims of human sex trafficking in Hawaii.
There are many stories of hope in parish social ministries around the diocese. We urge all to become engaged in parish social ministries as a way to respond to Bishop Larry Silva’s Easter invitation, Pope Francis’s appeal and Christ’s call to encounter God through others in need this Lent and all year long. Mahalo,
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
PS: Please do not forget to turn in your Rice Bowl full on Holy Thursday during the feast establishing the sacrament of the Eucharist which calls us all to encounter God by being bread broken and wine poured out in service with others in need.
