OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY
“The family is the foundation of civil society and of the church, and without strong families, both suffer. (Bishop Larry Silva, at the 2016 World Meetings of Families which Pope Frances attended in 2016)
Last month, as residents scrambled frantically to prepare for the arrival of a category-5 storm, it was clear that the first priority for many people was the safety and security of their families. Meanwhile, amidst all the stormy turbulence, Hawaii’s Little League team swept the World Series, citing the “spirit of ohana” as one of the main factors for their success.
Bishop Silva often reminds us that families are fundamental to our faith and community. That is why attending to the vulnerabilities and sharing the strengths of our ohana are key priorities in the Diocesan Pastoral Plan, “Stewards of the Gospel 2016-2020,” which states: “We must be good stewards toward those families who are suffering from violence, separation, chronic illnesses, or poverty, bringing them healing and strength in the name of Jesus. Families and individuals who suffer from poverty must be given special care and attention, so that strengthening family life, many of the roots of poverty may be eliminated. Families must be given the means to be aware of themselves as the ‘domestic church,’ where the forgiving and healing love of Christ is encountered, and from which all are sent out on mission, nourished and clothed in the Word of God.”
Our diocese is engaged in an ongoing social ministry initiative called: “One ‘Ohana: Food and Housing for All.” Many of our parishes on all the islands are connecting their family-centered food pantries to backpacks projects providing nutritious food for school children who otherwise would go hungry on weekends. These backpacks are prominently labeled “One ‘Ohana,” reminding all that sharing and overcoming our vulnerabilities as one family is an opportunity to experience God in a very special way.
Pope Francis has also emphasized “family” since the beginning of his papacy. In his homily for his 2013 Family Day Mass, he said: “True joy comes from a profound harmony between persons, something which we all feel in our hearts and which makes us experience the beauty of togetherness, of mutual support along life’s journey … the basis of this feeling of deep joy is the presence of God in the family and his love, which is welcoming, merciful, and respectful toward all. The family which experiences the joy of faith communicates it naturally. That family is the salt of the earth and the light of the world, it is the leaven of society as a whole.”
While the hurricane was swirling and the Little Leaguers were playing, Pope Francis was in Ireland for the World Meeting of Families. He apologized for past wrongs in the church that have hurt families and prayed for healing forgiveness and restorative justice for all involved. It was also at this meeting that the Vatican Office of Migrants and Refugees “talked story” about the “gifts” of migrant families. “Vulnerable migrant families are not just needy and deserving of our mercy. Migrant families themselves can also welcome, they can help protect the vulnerable, promote the integral human development of others, and can end up helping the families who originally let them in.”
So at this time, and all the time, let us give thanks to God for the gift of “family” and our faith’s call to share and overcome our vulnerabilities together as “One ‘Ohana.” For more about how to be engaged in any of many “ohana” social ministries, please visit our Office for Social Ministry website, www.officeforsocialministry.org.
Mahalo,
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
