OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY
“Let your gentleness be known to everyone and do not worry about anything. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4
These words of St. Paul to the Philippians express well the blessing we pray at this time of year for all the graduates and their proud families who have supported their educational journey. St. Paul’s message assures us, even in the face of daily challenges and an uncertain future, not to be afraid because “God is always with us, hears our prayers and responds to our needs and hopes.”
This scriptural passage was part of a special prayer service for seven PWH Scholars from Damien Memorial School, St. Francis School and Sacred Hearts Academy, who recently celebrated their graduation with family and friends. These inspiring young adults are now part of the PWH Ohana, alumni of a special scholarship program administered by the Augustine Educational Foundation. They are blessed by the words from Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation “Rejoice and Exult,” calling all to live life fully with “perseverance and patience, joy and a sense of humor, boldness and passion, community and prayer.”
The words of St. Paul were also echoed on the Big Island, when youth and young adults gathered to pray at Sacred Heart Parish in Pahoa for the victims of the volcano lava flow. Wearing vibrant blue T-shirts that read: “God is Good All the Time,” members of this impassioned ministry have been putting their faith in action by volunteering at the local resource distribution center, stacking water and packing food for those displaced by the eruption. Sacred Heart youth have also started a “backpacks project” which provides food for hungry kids from evacuated families at nearby Pahoa Elementary School.
Since the first week of the Kilauea eruptions, Sacred Heart Parish has responded to the needs of evacuees by partnering with HOPE Services Hawaii, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Diocese of Honolulu which was on the scene immediately, to provide a resource center.
You can help too! HOPE Services is working with a growing network with Catholic parishes, non-profits and government agencies, to purchase, deliver and distribute food, water, supplies and non-perishable items to those most in need. If you have items to donate, please connect with HOPE Services Hawaii whose main mission is to address and end homelessness.
As the ongoing eruption continues to devastate the Puna district, we offer our prayers and resources, including housing options, to the residents in transition.
How can you be part of the solution? Finding new temporary or permanent housing is crucial. If you have a vacation rental, spare bedroom or extra housing, please visit kokua.alohaliving.com to register your available unit. For monetary donations, visit www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/volcanorecovery. The money raised will be distributed to the network bringing relief and recovery to Puna.
For additional information and other ways to contribute, visit our website: www.officeforsocialministry.org/big-isle-catholics-respond-to-puna-lava-crisis.
Our prayer with all in Puna paraphrases the passage of St. Paul to Philippians. “Let our tender compassion be experienced by everyone reflecting the reality that God is always present and we are never alone. Let us pray to be instruments of the peace of the risen Christ that surpasses all understanding as we minister together with the Holy Spirit in witness to Jesus.”
Mahalo,
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
