To the Catholic Faithful of Hawaii
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Peace be with you!
Those are the words of the risen Jesus as he breathed out the Holy Spirit upon his Apostles, sending them out in the power of the Spirit to proclaim that He is risen from the dead, and is always with us. Just as the Apostles encountered Jesus physically in the Upper Room on the night of the Resurrection, we encounter him physically in the Holy Eucharist. Now that it has been deemed safe for us to gather again in our churches to physically encounter the risen Lord in Holy Communion, we rejoice that the Spirit will open the way for us once again.
Our gathering for the Eucharist after so long a time without being able to celebrate together, while it will be a joyful event, will also have restrictions, because we want to be sure that all who attend are kept as safe as possible from infection. After consulting with the Priests’ Council, it was decided that, while the parishes are not ready to open this coming weekend (May 23/24), we will open for public worship the weekend of May 30/31, which is Pentecost Sunday. Your pastors will be making final preparations this week to assure that we can gather as safe as possible.
While each parish will have somewhat different ways of implementing the Guidelines (see page 8), we ask your patience and cooperation. Yes, these are bothersome requirements, but they are necessary for the continuing health and safety of all during this global pandemic.
Be assured of my prayers for all of you as we come together to worship our Heavenly Father, to celebrate the presence of the Risen Lord, and to allow him to rekindle in us the fire of the Holy Spirit!
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Larry Silva
Bishop of Honolulu