Cardinal Soane Mafi of the Diocese of Tonga and Niue preaches April 28 at St. Ann Church in Kaneohe at the benefit for Sacred Hearts seminarians. (HCH photo)
A Mass celebrated by Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi of the Diocese of Tonga and Niue gave a spiritual introduction to a festive day April 28 at St. Ann Church and School in Kaneohe in support of the future of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Nearly 600 guests and volunteers joined in the second annual “Fund Our Future Sacred Hearts Priests,” a benefit supporting the training of the congregation’s 12 seminarians studying in Fiji.
A member of halau Keli‘ikaapunihonua Ke‘ena A‘o Hula dances April 28 at the “Fund Our Future Sacred Hearts Priests” benefit for seminarians. (HCH photo)
A number of local Sacred Hearts priests concelebrated Mass with the cardinal. Providing the music for the liturgy were musicians and singers from Sacred Hearts-administered parish communities on Oahu with a prelude by the St. Augustine Church Tongan Choir and a post-Communion meditation hymn by the St. Patrick Church Samoan Choir.
Mass was followed by a fundraiser, where a Hawaiian plate lunch, gift shop, silent auction and private vendor offered a variety of ways to financially support the order’s seminarians.
Campus ministry students from Chaminade University of Honolulu served the food.
Joshua Kapika of St. Michael Church and School in Waialua served as emcee. Performers included Sacred Hearts Brother Richard Kupo and the group Heeia; Peter Uiagalelei and Celso Barbasa of St. Augustine Church; and Aunty Leimomi and her halau Keli‘ikaapunihonua Ke‘ena A‘o Hula.
Closing the day was a performance by the St. Augustine Church Tongan Community.
Sacred Hearts provincial Father Herman Gomes presented an appeal for ongoing monthly support, which resulted in a number of families submitting personal pledges and one-time contributions.
Others who helped make the event a success included Sam Deuz of St. Michael Church; Tony Espiritu of Our Lady of Sorrows Church; and from St. Ann Church and School, Ryan and Mandy Brown, Barbara Honda, Bob and Lesley Noguchi and sons, Dona Clamucha, and Daniel and Phyllis Pires.
