Milestone of faith: ‘Gifted to Give’
By Father Edmundo N. Barut Jr.
Special to the Herald
As we gather for the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines — Hawaii Celebration, it is with joy that we recall the Philippine archipelago being discovered by Europeans on March 16, 1521, because thereafter was the story of the spread of Christianity in the country, thanks to the first Spanish missionaries. A fitting historical summary, expressed in the preparatory years for this milestone anniversary, said: “We look forward with gratitude and joy to March 2021, the fifth centenary of the coming of Christianity to our beloved land — PHILIPPINES. We remember with thanksgiving the first Mass celebrated in Limasawa Island on Easter Sunday, March 31, that same blessed year. We remember the baptism of Rajah Humabon who was given his Christian name Carlos and his wife Hara Amihan who was baptized Juana in 1521. Our eyes gaze on the Santo Nino de Cebu, the oldest religious icon in the Philippines, a gift of Ferdinand Magellan to the first Filipino Catholics that same year.” (Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Pastoral Letter on the Era of New Evangelization)
As we celebrate in Hawaii, let us reflect on the theme: “Gifted to Give,” which is the same theme of the celebration in the Philippines. It is locally adapted verbatim to show that what we intend to do here in the islands is rooted in the same milestone achieved in our motherland.
It was on Nov. 28, 2017, that Bishop Larry Silva sent us an email asking these questions: “Should we start thinking of ways we can celebrate this special anniversary in the Hawaii Filipino community? Has anyone already come up with ideas?” Bishop Silva was referring to the “500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines.” To answer these questions, research and brainstorming were done by Filipino religious and lay leaders representing different groups.
Participation in the jubilee
The blessing of Bishop Silva was disseminated in a letter dated Dec. 3, 2019, addressed to priests and parishioners, which called for “our participation in that great jubilee, but [that] our celebration be done locally in our islands. And we will call it ‘500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines — Hawaii Celebration.’” Plans were presented to the Presbyteral Council in meetings in 2019 and 2020.
We announced our local celebration at the 2019 Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi Masses. The activities lined up in the plan, but were canceled due to the pandemic (except for the March 16, 2021, celebration), included a launching activity at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa on April 4, 2020, with full participation of various Filipino groups; the Diocesan Congress of Filipino Catholic Clubs on Maui Nov. 13-15, 2020, where the Most Rev. William Antonio, Bishop of Ilagan (Isabela) in the Philippines had accepted the invitation to be the guest speaker; a grand celebration that included a Thanksgiving Mass on April 17, 2021, to commemorate the first Mass; and a pilgrimage to the Philippines April 20-29, 2021, under the auspices of “Pathfinders: Journeys of Faith, Culture and History.”
In spite of the pandemic, Bishop Silva continued to give guidance “to have at least a Mass of Thanksgiving on March 16.” A video then was produced showing those who responded to the call to mission and played in our 2020 Misa de Gallo and Simbang Gabi Masses. And now, here we are. We look forward to our gathering at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, with the proper protocols and regulations to be followed in celebrating a Mass. It is with historical value that we celebrate in the same venue where St. Damien of Molokai was ordained 157 years ago on May 21, 1864. And the annals of the cathedral basilica will record that Bishop Larry Silva is the main celebrant of the Mass of Thanksgiving and Father Pascual Abaya IV, rector of the Cathedral, as the homilist of this milestone.
Bishop Silva envisioned that our gathering would lead to the widening of our work of evangelization and the deepening of our sense of mission in Hawaii. And so, there will be pastoral reflections shared monthly in virtual gatherings by local Filipino speakers composed of priests, a nun and a lay leader. Their reflections will be based on the 2021 pastoral letter “Missio Ad Gentes” issued by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on Nov. 29, 2020, and contextualized within our pastoral experiences in Hawaii. Details will follow.
We still look forward to a grand celebration in 2022 or when we are allowed to gather in person. In the name of the executive committee of the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines — Hawaii Celebration, I express our gratitude for all your support and participation.
Father Edmundo N. Barut Jr. is the pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Ewa Beach.
