Malia Poe with her son Dream Poe-Shippy at St. John the Baptist School in Kalihi. (HCH photo | Anna Weaver)
Conversion story
Enrollment in a Catholic school leads to baptism at Easter
By Anna Weaver
Hawaii Catholic Herald
When Dream Poe-Shippy transferred from a local public school to St. John the Baptist School in Kalihi at the start of the 2018-19 school year, he was ready for a change. The seventh grader had struggled some to fit in at his previous school.
“With public school you’re kind of on your own,” Dream said. “You feel like family here. I actually want to come to school. When I don’t go to school I’m like, ‘Oh, man I want to go to school!’”
His history teacher, Amanda Mosler, says Dream “definitely seems to thrive in this school and has made amazing friends.”
She said the seventh grade class in particular “adopted all of those new kids that came in [from other schools] and watch out for them. They take care of each other.”
Dream, 13, has improved academically, taking a particular liking to science. He’s also joined the school choir, started taking guitar lessons and plays basketball.
Plus, Dream, who says he was “a little bit Catholic” before, has immersed himself in the Catholic faith. He will receive all three sacraments of initiation at St. John the Baptist Church at this year’s Easter vigil, April 20.
Catholic roots
Dream’s mother, Malia Poe, was baptized Catholic, with a set of strong Catholic grandparents and mother. But her own parent’s divorce and family’s move between islands led the family to drift from the faith.
Malia’s half brother, La Salette Father Elvin Conselva, currently serves at St. Anthony Parish in Kalihi, and her half sister, Elena Conselva, a parishioner at St. Joseph in Waipahu, will be Dream’s godmother and sponsor.
But Malia herself didn’t receive the other sacraments of initiation in the Catholic faith though she did attend Sunday school at a Christian church in her area as a child.
After she had her boys, Malia would also take Dream and his two brothers, 6 and 22, to Catholic Mass occasionally, mostly on holidays.
Malia’s mother was a spiritual woman who passed away last year.
“My mom tells me, ‘Wow, your grandma would very proud of you,’” Dream said.
“It’s the greatest blessing him being able to attend here,” Malia said. “I grew up going to Sunday school. I always wanted my kids to grow up with God first.”
Dream says he enjoys going to Mass and learning about Catholicism. The middle school retreat last fall touched him in particular.
“Jesus showed how to spread kindness and spread his word around the world so we can all unite together and have peace. He showed his love,” Dream said. “I don’t want to miss out on that because with him anything is possible.”
His chosen baptismal name is Joseph after Jesus’ adopted father, who showed family leadership and love.
Malia says she’s seen a big change in Dream spiritually. “His everyday life is about that [faith] now.”
His 6-year-old brother has started showing a curiosity in Christianity, asking Dream, “What’s the Holy Spirit?” Malia says her youngest has asked “Where is God?” “Why do we go to church?”
The family prays before meals and in the morning and evening.
“It’s spreading through the family even though I don’t even know it,” Dream said.
Mother and son have connected in particular over the “Anyway” poem, which is often attributed to Mother Teresa (see sidebar). Malia has adopted it as a life motto.
The two recited the poem’s concluding line together: “Because in the end it was between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
Dream added, “So no matter what people do to you, it’s always between you and God. He’ll bring you into the glory.”
Dream Poe-Shippy at the Oahu vicariate Rite of Election at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa on March 10. (Photo Courtesy Malia Poe)
The right school
Besides Dream, three other students from St. John the Baptist School will be received into the church at Easter. He’s the oldest of the group and has enjoyed the RCIC process as well as the St. John the Baptist school community.
“It’s very kind and loving here,” he said. “Everybody supports everyone.”
While Dream has many interests — music, sports, science — “this school teaches me how to balance it.”
“They are very loving, supportive and caring here,” Malia said.
Dream hopes he can graduate from the Kalihi school next year and go on to play basketball at an Oahu private school, maybe Maryknoll, he says.
He aspires to be a professional basketball player but also has an interest in science. His science fair project this year on rocket science, where he launched a small rocket, went well.
And he says when he needs help on a subject that the St. John the Baptist faculty is there for him.
“They sacrifice a lot of time. If I’m behind on work, they will stay later,” he said, mentioning seventh grade teacher and music director Jarrod Laumoli specifically.
Dream also helps around school, with cleaning or help setting things up.
“In Kalihi we show a lot of pride,” Dream said. “At this school we do too.”
He loves Carol Chong, the school principal who is also a school graduate and Kalihi native, who has a great attitude. At a recent bingo night, she got revved up telling attendees to be ready because “It’s on!”
“A lot of people have the assumption that if you go to a private Catholic school it’s just all religion, religion, religion,” Malia said.
“They have fun here,” Dream said.
Anyway
Dream Poe-Shippy and his mother Malia Poe are fans of this poem, often attributed to Mother Teresa of Calcutta and said to have been on the walls of her religious order’s Calcutta orphanage. It is based in part on “Anyway, The Paradoxical Commandments,” by Kent Keith.
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.
