Volunteers sort packages of noodles, rice and other local goodies for care packages for Hawaii’s seminarians studying on the mainland.
Care packages are a treat for diocesan seminarians on the mainland
By Anna Weaver
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Father Alfred Guerrero remembers the homesickness that came with going away to school at Mount Angel Seminary in Oregon. It rained a lot.
“I missed the Hawaii sun,” the now-parochial vicar at Our Lady of Good Counsel said. And the Spam.
On a visit home after his first seminary year, Guerrero met up with friend and fellow Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa parishioner Dann Ebina, who had been sending Guerrero care packages at school.
“We were having dinner one evening during their summer break, and while talking with him and Father EJ Resinto, we were discussing how nice it would be if we could send boxes to all the seminarians,” Ebina said in an email.
There are no seminaries in Hawaii, which means that for local young men, studying for the priesthood inevitably involves a stint at school on the mainland. There can be homesickness for familiar food and faces.
Ebina, a photographer who contributes to the Hawaii Catholic Herald, took the care package idea to the Diocese of Honolulu’s Office of Vocations and got the go-ahead. For the last five years, boxes have gone out to diocesan seminarians on just about a quarterly schedule with the help of many contributors. (see sidebar) The West Honolulu Vicariate young adult ministry is helping organize the collection and mailing of care package items this year, but donations come from all over the state.
The Adopt-A-Seminarian boxes arrive filled with local food treats, other goodies and notes of affirmation and prayer.
The diocese currently has 11 seminarians.
For Father Guerrero, the letters he received in his local care packages meant a lot. In fact, when the young priest became parochial vicar at Our Lady of Good Counsel, a young adult parishioner introduced himself to Father Guerrero saying, “I remember you when we were writing letters to you for Adopt-A-Seminarian. And you actually wrote back!”
“The support really goes a long, long way, even more than the Spam we receive,” Father Guerrero said with a laugh.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace parishioner Kevin Saito has done similar care packages through the Knights of Columbus and for a seminarian who is a family friend. But he said when he heard about the diocesan-wide “Adopt-A-Seminarian,” he wanted to help with it too.
“We try and send them things that remind them of home,” said Saito.
“I think that seminarians get so deep into their studies and what they’re trying to learn and they kind of forget that they’re going to come out to the real world eventually,” he said.
“It’s so important that they have a feeling of belonging and support from the parishes.”
Want to ‘adopt’ a seminarian?
You can learn more about the program by going to https://www.facebook.com/groups/174787502865817.
These are some of the groups and individuals who have supported Adopt-A-Seminarian:
- St. John the Baptist School, Kalihi
- Our Lady of Good Counsel, Pearl City
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Ewa Beach
- St. Joseph Parish, Waipahu
- Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa Young Adult Ministry
- St. Anthony, Kalihi, Young Adult Ministry
- Blessed Sacrament, Pauoa
- St. Philomena, Salt Lake
- Holy Trinity, Kuliouou
- St. Stephen, Nuuanu
- Holy Cross, Kalaheo
- Kauai Vicariate
- Maui Vicariate
- EPIC Ministry
- Knights of Columbus Council 16267
- Bambi Emayo
- Kevin Saito
- Kin Shing Cheng
