Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Archives for August 2020

Laicization of George DeCosta Jr.

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George DeCosta Laicization Announcement – August 31, 2020, 2:35 p.m. Bishop Larry Silva announces that Mr. GEORGE DE COSTA Jr., who previously served as a priest of the Diocese of Honolulu, ordained in 1964, was laicized by Pope Francis on July 29, 2020.  The then-Father De Costa retired in 2002, but in 2009, when an allegation of […]

Hawaii Catholic schools remain open after confusion about Oahu shutdown restrictions

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With only two days between the announcement and start of a new stay-at-home order on Oahu plus confusion over the order’s directives for public versus private schools, Hawaii Catholic schools and their families had little time to figure out if they were switching to distance learning on Aug. 27. Mayor Caldwell announced the City and […]

New Oahu restrictions mean no singing or wind instruments at Mass, renewed recommendation to work at home

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With a surge of coronavirus cases on Oahu in August, Hawaii Governor David Ige approved Oahu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s increased restrictions on social gatherings. These go into effect as of midnight Aug. 19 and last 28 days. While church and other religious services can continue to take place, singing is now prohibited as is the […]

Bishop extends Mass attendance dispensation through Oct. 31

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By Patrick Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald For the third time since the coronavirus epidemic hit, Bishop Larry Silva has given to Hawaii Catholics an “extension of dispensation from Sunday Mass obligation.” This time it is through Oct. 31. The dispensation is for “all the people of the Diocese of Honolulu and all visitors to the […]

60 years after JFK, wait continues for the second Catholic president

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By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — Thirty-three men between George Washington and John F. Kennedy served as U.S. president. Until Kennedy, all were white Anglo-Saxon Protestant men. It took 172 years for a Catholic to win the presidency. The wait for the next Catholic president sits at 60 years — and could be […]

Pearson Place, at new location, helps those with crisis pregnancies

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By Ava Montes Special to the Herald In 1970, three years before the Supreme Court’s infamous Roe v. Wade decision, Hawaii became the first U.S. state to legalize abortion on demand. The Aloha State’s claim to shame only worsened after the high court’s ruling. The Hawaii State Department of Health estimated nearly 5,000 abortions in […]

Americans have wide support for COVID-19 worship restrictions

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PEW SURVEY By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — Americans overwhelmingly back pandemic-related restrictions on worship services, saying houses of worship should not be exempt. Americans, by a 4-to-1 margin, said houses of worship should be subject to the same social-distancing rules as other organizations. The ratio backing this view was 3-to-1 for Christians, […]

International stewardship conference to be enhanced virtual experience

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By Patrick Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald You won’t have to get on a plane or book a hotel room to attend a major Catholic gathering this year. That should be an extra incentive to sign up for the all-virtual International Catholic Stewardship Council’s annual conference, Sept. 28 to Oct. 8, to hear dynamic plenary speakers […]