SUN LIGHT, SUN BRIGHT
A mother and daughter embrace last December at “Star Light, Star Bright,” the Christmas party organized by the Diocese of Honolulu at the Women’s Correctional Community Center in Kailua for inmates and their children. (HCH file photo)
By Kapono Ryan
Special to the Hawaii Catholic Herald
A teenage boy from a neighbor island sat quietly by himself on the patio of St. Stephen Diocesan Center. It had been a long but enjoyable day celebrating with his mother at “Star Light, Star Bright,” the Christmas party organized each December by the Diocese of Honolulu at the Women’s Correctional Community Center in Kailua that brings together the inmates and their children.
“I miss my mother,” he mumbled as twilight engulfed the horizon juxtaposed against an array of sparkling Christmas trees inside the bishop’s library.
Early the next morning, a young neighbor-island girl nodded her approval when asked if she had enjoyed the annual diocesan event. But then her dark eyes welled up with tears as she looked down at her packed suitcase. She knew that she would not have the opportunity to see her mother for another year — 12 months — an eternity in a child’s life.
Toni Bissen, a diocesan prison ministry volunteer and the director of a non-profit organization that works with Hawaii’s incarcerated women, sensed the girl’s sadness. As they hugged, the girl whispered, “I wish we could come back sooner.”
Bissen shared the moment with other diocesan volunteers at a debriefing. All of them had felt the poignancy of watching children separated from their mothers at the end of the event. And it came to them: that “what if” moment. What if children on Oahu and off-island could meet their mothers again during the summer? A second chance to connect children, mothers and caretakers?
Paulette Vernay, coordinator of “Star Light, Star Bright” for that past 19 years, thought it was a great idea. December was Vernay’s last “Star Light, Star Bright” event as coordinator, but she has passed the torch to Bissen and her husband Dane Shinto. Dane will be the voluntary chairman for two events this year, the first annual “Sun Light, Sun Bright” in July, and the 20th annual “Star Light, Star Bright” in December.
Many children and their families have been profoundly blessed for decades by “Star Light, Star Bright,” and now with the summer extension, more can be done for them. Shinto is looking forward to the task at hand. “We must remember who we are doing this for,” he said.
The new July event, the sister event to “Star Light, Star Bright” duplicates the setup and design, but with a summer theme. “Sun Light, Sun Bright” is set for Saturday, July 27, at the Women’s Community Correctional Center.
“I can’t wait to see the children come back and to be held by their mothers again,” Bissen said.
Neighbor island children and their caretakers will arrive on Friday, July 26, and leave on Sunday, July 28, giving them some extra time with their mothers.
On Saturday, the children, their mothers, and caretakers will participate in games and activities set up and run by volunteers. There will be music food, and a puppet show, as well as backpacks filled with school supplies for the children to take home.
“Sun Light, Sun Bright” is sponsored by the Prison Ministry program of the Diocese of Honolulu and made possible by many volunteers. If you would like to volunteer, contact Toni Bissen at slsb@rcchawaii.org.
For donations, go to www.catholichawaii.org/starlight, or make checks payable to Roman Catholic Church and mail them to St. Stephen Diocesan Center, 6301 Pali Highway, Kaneohe, HI 96744, attention: Star Light, Star Bright.
