Hawaii’s Maryknoll Sisters today

They work in parish outreach, catechetics, prayer ministry, art, pastoral counseling and more

Sister Rosalinda Barrozo

Sister Rosalinda Barrozo was invited to join Maryknoll’s Central Pacific Region in Hawaii in 1974, specifically to respond to the spiritual and social needs of the Filipino communities. It is a ministry she continues today as spiritual director of the Diocesan Congress of Filipino Catholic Clubs. She has worked for 20 years for Catholic Charities of Hawaii as an immigration case manager, while serving as a parish pastoral associate and a member of the Maryknoll Sisters’ Governance Teams. For Sister Rosalinda, each journey has been a challenge, and each challenge a proof of God’s providential care and unconditional love. She has been fortunate to live for 45 years in Hawaii and to see the fruits of her labor and love. As she enjoys her retirement years, the Mary-knoll Sisters “One Earth Community” (2015 and Beyond) General Assembly’s Mission-Vision inspires her to share her ecological art projects classes with interested groups and friends. She will continue to be active in service, discerning how, when, where and what kind of voluntary ministry she can find. Life goes on regardless of time and age, in God’s way and time.

Sister Joan Chatfield

Sister Joan is involved in a variety of ministries and organizations including The Interfaith Alliance and the All Believers Network. She is co-chair of Hawaii’s Leadership Association of Religions Communities, president of the Pan Pacific South East Asian Women’s Association, and president of the Global Youth Center Hawaii.

Sister Earnest Chung

Sister Earnest Chung had been working for many years for Catholic Charities Hawaii serving the elderly and immigrants and as the agency’s social policy director before she was called back to Maryknoll, N.Y., in 2012 for mission service as a co-director of the order’s personnel department. She has recently returned to Hawaii.

Sister Maria Rosario Daley

After leaving Maryknoll School in 2006 where she worked in the college guidance office, Sister Rosario kept her job of opening Sacred Heart Church at 4:30 each morning, setting up for Mass and serving as a special minister of the Eucharist. She also volunteered at a public school reading program headed by one of her former Maryknoll students, and at Maryknoll Grade School “listening to second graders read.” God’s plan for her life changed radically in December 2014 when she had a serious fall and “began a life without driving a car and began one of driving a walker.” Since then, her ministry has taken on praying more, in particular for the special intentions which people more and more present to her.

Sister Aurora de la Cruz

Since 2014, Sister Aurora de la Cruz has worked as a part-time immigration employment specialist at Catholic Charities Hawaii, serving the needs of immigrants coming from many countries around the world. She assists clients who need help applying to become United States citizens, petitioning relatives, obtaining legal permanent residence through adjustment of status or consular processing, obtaining a certificate of U.S. citizenship, extending or changing their non-immigrant status, completing Affidavit of Support forms, applying for employment authorization documents, applying for a United States passport, and more.

Sister Eleanor Killion

Since arriving in Honolulu in 2001 Sister Eleanor has been participating in ministry with the Hispanic community centered in St. John the Baptist Parish in Kalihi. Her main activity has been the coordination of the religious education program of the Hispanic community until it successfully merged with the parish program this past year. The Spanish Mass every Sunday has Kids’ Word. During the Liturgy of the Word she takes the children to the hall for the Gospel reading and explanation on their level. Sister Eleanor continues accompanying children, catechists and parents in their activities.

Sister Yoo Soo Kim

Sister Yoo Soo Kim is a “sacred artist” whose ministry of presence is recognized internationally in her retreats, workshops, art exhibits and liturgical dances. Creative energies flowing from her contemplation in action experiences enable Sister Yoo Soo to connect with astounding immediacy with diverse groups who appreciate and trust the depth of loving kindness, stillness and silence that nourish her soul. This silence and sacredness, which evokes wonder, gratitude and even healing in all of her creative work, attracts and inspires many to transform their lives.

Sister Bitrina Kirway

Sister Bitrina Kirway came to Hawaii in 1991 and worked as a parish pastoral associate and director of religious education, an advocate for abused women and children, a prison minister, as a program director for Communities in Schools Hawaii, and as a certified trainer for Ohana Management System mentoring community leaders. In 2008, she was elected to the Congregational Leadership Team at Maryknoll, New York. She returned to Hawaii in 2015 and started the Keolaniau-Wholeness: (Free Flowing Energy) project providing educational awareness about how stress affects the body and providing tools to reduce and to prevent stress. Keolaniau provides these skills through workshops to nonprofit organizations, schools, community and church leaders, as well families and individuals. Sister Bitrina also volunteers providing services to unwed mothers and to women incarcerated at the Woman’s Community Correctional Center.

Sister Ardis Kremer

Sister Ardis Kremer arrived on Molokai around 1973 and worked as a parish church groundskeeper and a licensed practical nurse at the Molokai General Hospital. She then moved to the Department of Health in Kaunakakai for about 25 years, serving many on the island in her nursing position. Sister Ardis also taught elementary and high school religious education which she continues to do today. Upon retiring from the Department of Health, she continued help out at St. Damien Parish in Kaunakakai doing home visits as a eucharistic minister and catechist. She also serves on the parish funeral committee and does lots of church chores including opening and closing the church daily and setting up for daily Mass. In her spare time, she continues to help out at the animal hospital as a veterinary assistant.

Sister Isabel Rabbon

For Sister Isabel, 62 years in Maryknoll have passed: 10 years in Chile, five years in vocation ministry for our congregation, 10 years as a pastoral associate on Topside Molokai with four churches at that time, four years as pastoral associate on Lanai, then retiring on Oahu. She is in St. Anthony of Padua Church in Kailua joining the wonderful parishioners in prayer and parish life. She facilitates a women’s Bible group, “Women Walking with Jesus.” The group has met weekly to pray and reflect on God’s Word and share Faith stories since 2004.

Sister Cecilia Santos

Sister Cecilia Santos’ team of three women and one man prepare 112 sandwiches and crack open almost a crate of eggs to be scrambled and distributed to the homeless and other needy people. She also prepares 112 small paper bags with nonperishable goodies for distribution to these same people. On another day, registered people come to the food pantry to pick up their large bag of food items which and she and another woman have prepared. Sister Cecilia also sorts and hangs used clothing on movable racks. Those who come for their bags of food are allowed to take three pieces of clothing. Sister Cecilia’s sister, Sacred Hearts Sister Dorothy Santos, has two tumors on her spine which have caused paralysis of both legs. Four times a week she awaits Sister Cecilia’s two-hour visits. They chat, play cards and she wheels her around their convent corridors visiting the other sisters who are ill. She enjoys her ministry to the sick.

Sister Paulette Yeung

A Maryknoll Sister for 54 years, Sister Paulette Yeung has been missioned to China, Korea, Hawaii and San Francisco. From 2007 to 2013 she was a counselor for Transition House — a Honolulu residence for abused women preparing to begin new lives. She also taught a course on domestic violence at Hawaii Pacific University in 2009. In 2015, Sister Paulette began her prayer ministry in San Francisco. At present, besides leading prayer groups, she is also giving spiritual direction and pastoral counseling and retreats to the Chinese Catholic community in the Bay Area.