Island faithful pray at the St. Damien statue at the Honolulu State Capitol. HCH file photo by Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz)
This article is the second in a four-part series highlighting speakers and perspectives to be shared at the Damien and Marianne Catholic Conference. In the next Hawaii Catholic Herald issue, DMCC speakers will explore the topic, “The next generation of ministry.”
By Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Sisters of St. Francis hold feather kahili at the Mass for the enshrinment of St. Marianne Cope’s earthly remains at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in 2014. (HCH file photo by Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz)
In 2012, the official Diocese of Honolulu pilgrimage group traveling for the canonization of Mother Marianne Cope was comprised of more than 200 Hawaii faithful.
There were lay Catholics and religious, young and young-at-heart. They represented the rainbow of ethnicities that colors the Islands.
At restaurants, museums and religious sites, the pilgrimage group shared its joy and hospitality. Passersby joined in to watch the hula performed during the pilgrims’ Masses at Rome’s major basilicas. An Italian eatery paused dinner service for a “chicken skin” moment when the group joined hands and together sang “Hawaii Aloha.”
Moments like these exemplify the unique Catholic faith community of the Islands.
This special local spirit is what The Damien and Marianne Catholic Conference, Oct. 20-22 at the Hawaii Convention Center, aims to celebrate.
Under the theme “Saints for Life,” the conference features many talks and activities led by Island Catholics.
The Hawaii Catholic Herald caught up with conference participants Father Alapaki Kim, Colette Higgins, Peter Cruz and Brandon Elefante. They discussed what makes worship and service different in the Aloha State from anywhere else in the world.
Deep historic, cultural roots
Hawaii’s vibrant Catholic community traces its roots back to early French Catholic missionaries from the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. These missionaries landed in the Islands in 1827 to spread the faith.
An epidemic of leprosy in the late 1800s led Island monarchs King Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolani to ask religious orders around the world for aid. Mother Marianne Cope came to Hawaii in response to this need. Father Damien De Veuster prior had already volunteered to serve in Hawaii.
The Belgian Sacred Hearts priest and the German-born Franciscan nun from New York were canonized in 2009 and 2012 respectively for their service to leprosy patients in Kalaupapa, Molokai.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu was established in 1941. The faith of Island Catholics has been shaped over the years by a strong connection to traditional Hawaiian culture, by the agricultural boom that brought immigrants to local plantations, a bustling tourist industry and modernization.
Today, Catholics comprise roughly 20 percent of Hawaii’s 1.3 million people. The Diocese of Honolulu has 66 parishes, 27 mission churches and 36 Catholic schools spread across six Hawaiian Islands. Chinese, Hispanic, Korean, Samoan, Micronesian and Vietnamese ministries represent Hawaii’s multiethnic faithful. Parishes across the diocese also celebrate Masses in Hawaiian, Filipino dialects, Latin and other languages.
‘Welcoming and comforting’
Bishop Larry Silva kisses a relic of St. Damien De Veuster. (HCH file photo by Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz)
Father Alapaki Kim, pastor of St. Rita Church in Nanakuli, will be celebrating a Hawaiian Mass at the Damien and Marianne Catholic Conference on Oct. 20.
The priest of part-Hawaiian ancestry celebrates bilingual liturgies in Hawaiian and English on the first weekends of each month at the West Oahu parish.
Father Kim said a sense of openness and welcome is what makes faith life in the Islands so special.
“Hawaii, like other places in the U.S., is multiethnic,” he said. “The difference is that in Hawaii, the ethnicities are mixed and interact much more than in other places.”
Father Kim noted that at St. Rita, parishioners make flower lei weekly for visitors new to the church. Parishioners also treat keiki and kupuna with dignity and respect.
“The community at St. Rita is truly an ohana.” Father Kim said.
Father Kim is the national advisor to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for Native Hawaiian ministry. He participates regularly in Masses and conferences here and abroad where Hawaiian language consultation is needed. He is assisting on a translation of the New Roman Missal into Hawaiian.
Colette Higgins, a parishioner of St. Anthony Church in Kailua, will be speaking at the Damien and Marianne Catholic Conference. The Dean of Academic Affairs, Division I at Windward Community College will share a talk titled “Queen Kapiolani and the Saints of Molokai.”
Higgins said the faith life of Island Catholics “reflects the rich cultural heritage of Hawaii.”
“Knowing our history can serve to strengthen our faith,” Higgins said. “Our practices reflect our local customs.”
“People come from all over the world to our beautiful island home,” she added. “I’ve heard them comment on the fact that everyone seems to be participating in the singing during Mass, as if they are surprised that we are not merely spectators. It’s just the Island way.”
Peter Cruz of St. Anthony, Kailua, will speak at the conference on the topic, “Our Saints — God’s Many Faces of Love and Mercy.”
Cruz moved with his family to Hawaii from the Philippines when he was 5 years old. He said the Island church is “especially blessed in that we have the unique concept of ‘aloha spirit’ to enhance our faith experience.”
“It’s a welcoming and comforting, very tangible feeling,” Cruz said.
Having two saints from Hawaii also provides local Catholics with spiritual role models.
“I think every Catholic, and even non-Catholics, can learn from and be deeply inspired by the example of the saints,” Cruz said. “The manner in which they were able to face life’s many challenges — big and small — with such hope, peace, and even joy is a powerful testimony of the Gospel message.”
Brandon Elefante, a lifelong parishioner of St. Elizabeth Church in Aiea and Honolulu City Council member, is slated for two talks at the Damien and Marianne Catholic Conference. He will speak on his personal faith journey and his passion for service. Elefante, a member of the diocesan stewardship and development commission, said he appreciates that Hawaii’s “very multicultural” Catholic community brings forth a wide range of talents and perspectives that make serving in parishes and the public sector diverse and dynamic.
The Damien and Marianne Catholic Conference, Elefante said, is “a great way to promote and share our faith.”
“It’s truly amazing to see everyone worshiping God,” he said.
