Superintendent of Hawaii Catholic schools Llewellyn K. Young Jr. will describe how he steered the state’s Catholic educational system through the turbulence of the coronavirus pandemic as the guest speaker for the Diocese of Honolulu’s Red Mass, 9 a.m., Jan. 18, at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace.
The Mass, celebrated during the week of the opening of the Hawaii State Legislature, is the annual prayer to the Holy Spirit for guidance and wisdom for Hawaii’s civic leaders. Bishop Larry Silva will preside.
According to Young, who has been superintendent for little more than a year, the pandemic presented the schools with both challenges and opportunities.
Following a philosophy and approach he described as “thriving and not just surviving,” he said the schools experienced growth and progress in many critical areas, including significant increases in enrollment.
Young’s talk on Catholic education during the pandemic will describe some of the triumphs achieved through the integration of faith and science.
Born and raised on Kauai, Young attended St. Theresa School in Kekaha.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Hawaii-Hilo and a master’s degree and a doctorate in education from UH Manoa. Of his 30-year career in education, more than 20 years were dedicated to educational administration and leadership.
Young served as the principal of St. Joseph School in Hilo for five years before becoming the associate superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Honolulu. In November 2020, Bishop Silva named him superintendent.
The Red Mass is celebrated during the week of the opening of the Hawaii State Legislature.
The diocese sends invitations to the Red Mass to members of the state’s executive, legislative and judicial branches, city and county officials, members of the military and representatives of other religious denominations.
A 700-year-old tradition in Europe, the Red Mass was introduced in the United States early last century and has become an annual event in Washington, D.C., and other major mainland cities. It has been celebrated in Hawaii since 1955.
The Mass is named for the color of the vestments used for a Mass of the Holy Spirit.
