NEWS FROM PAGES PAST
50 years ago — June 6, 1969
Bishop will ordain three Sacred Hearts priests Friday
St. Patrick’s Church in Kaimuki will be the setting for the ordination of three new priests of the Sacred Hearts Fathers. The most Reverend John J. Scanlan, Bishop of Honolulu, will ordain to the Catholic Priesthood Brother Thomas Choo, left, Brother George Fellez, center, and Brother Albert Garcia. The first two are from Honolulu and the third is from Honokaa, Hawaii. The ordination rite will begin 7:00 p.m., Friday, June 13, 1969.
Editor’s note: Fathers Choo and Garcia recently celebrated their 50th ordination anniversaries. Fellez left the priesthood, married and had a family. He passed away in 1998.
25 years ago — June 3, 1994
Born addicted
Ikaika’s scream pierced the quiet morning. …
“At first, he couldn’t stand sleeping in an open space, even a crib,” explained Suzie Hammer, a therapeutic foster care mother with Catholic Charities’ Catholic Services for Families (CSF). …
Hammer is trained, licensed and supervised by CSF to care for medically fragile and drug exposed infants in its Hale Malama program.
Ikaika is an “ice” baby, as hooked on crystal methamphetamine or speed as any hardened adult addict and suffering the devastating results. …
Local hospital records reveal a shocking 500 percent increase in drug exposed babies born in Hawaii between 1988 and 1989 and the numbers have been going up ever since. Of these, 53 percent tested positive for crystal methamphetamine. …
Hale Malama has helped 36 infants since its inception in 1991. … It has reunited 21 infants with their families.
Editor’s note: Catholic Charities Hawaii continues its Hale Malama foster care program today.
10 years ago — May 29, 2009
Engaged, encountered, enlightened
Twenty-three couples stand around the edges of the auditorium floor at St. Stephen Diocesan Center on the second day of an Engaged Encounter weekend in late April. …
Among the retreatants is James Baguio and Donna Lyn Rabe of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Ewa Beach. The active Hawaii Catholics are getting married this fall, and Engaged Encounter is part of the preparation process. …
Editor’s note: The Baguios are now Hawaii Catholic Engaged Encounter team coordinators.