The diocese’s Evangelization Task Force poses for a photo with Bishop Larry Silva and the group’s leader Domini Olaso, standing to the right of the bishop. (Photo courtesy of Dominic Olaso)
By Anna Weaver
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Evangelization has been a consistent priority for Bishop Larry Silva. Now he’s set up an official group to help prepare Hawaii Catholics to go out and be “fishers of men.”
Leading the Diocese of Honolulu’s Evangelization Task Force is Dominic Olaso, faith formation director at Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Pearl City and leader of Ke AKUA Aloha Ministries.
The group’s first goal is to teach parishes how to evangelize, which Olaso said is not preaching but witnessing to one’s faith and helping people have an “encounter with the living God.”
“We have to be targeted toward people’s hearts, not their minds, because once they can feel the presence of God … they’re going to want to learn more,” he said.
For its first gathering, the evangelization task force met at St. Stephen Church in Nuuanu on the morning of Sept. 28 for discussion and Mass with Bishop Silva.
Olaso said 26 people from 16 parishes representing 14 Catholic evangelistic organizations on four islands were in attendance.
The current task force includes 20 people, counting the bishop and Olaso, and will meet once a month over the next 12 months.
The task force will offer retreats, workshops, parish missions, days of recollection and healing services, all focused on evangelization through an encounter with God.
Initially these efforts will be for “the potential fishermen,” Olaso said. “We believe that you can’t evangelize until you encounter God.”
“Once they learn how to fish, we will be focused more on the second part of our mission which is providing those encounters to those outside the church.”
The evangelization taskforce has already begun working with one Oahu parish and one Kauai parish with a retreat in the works for the latter.
Bishop Silva told Olaso that the ultimate goal is to get people into a church. Parishes have many wonderful programs, but people have to “fall in love with God” before they will want to participate in any programs.
Olaso said the current task force members are “very strong in the fruit,” and exude love, peacefulness and kindness.
Contact Dominic Olaso if you’re interested in learning more about or joining the task force: dolaso@rcchawaii.org or via text message at 808-797-7076.
Evangelization taskforce members
- Bishop Larry Silva
- Dominic Olaso, Ke AKUA Aloha Ministries
- Sister Marykutty Kottuppallil, Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians
- April Gillia, Basic Christian Community of Hawaii
- Ron Gochenouer, Fishers of Men
- Jared Zick, faith formation director, St. Elizabeth Parish, Aiea
- Maile Domingo, Hamau I Loko Foundation
- Rose Balayan, Eucharistic Apostles of the Divine Mercy
- Kimberly Colby, St. Paul Street Evangelization
- Jessica Russell, Hispanic community
- Jeremiah Carter, Catholic Beer Club
- Bernard Carvalho Jr., Kauai
- Mark Scott, St. Damien of Molokai Parish, Molokai
- Lisa Tamanaha Santos, Perpetual Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament
- Ron Calimpong, KAAM Unbound
- Vanessa Mark, Waikiki Hungry Ministries
- Christy Nachor, St. Joseph Parish, Hilo, healing Mass
- Patricia Nevada, Holy Trinity Parish, Kuliouou, Charismatic Prayer Group
- Sister Celeste Cabral, Benedictines
- Camille Adams, Legion of Mary, St. Jude Parish, Kapolei