Kimberly Likiche and her children, the Nethon siblings, with Deacon Joseph Albert (at right), most of whom are becoming fully initiated into the Catholic church this Easter at St. Theresa Parish in Mountain View. (HCH Photo | Anna Weaver)
Chuukese deacon helps reconnect fellow Micronesians to east Hawaii Island Catholic community
By Anna Weaver
Hawaii Catholic Herald
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Hawaii — If you browse the names of those entering the Catholic Church in Hawaii this Easter, you’ll spot one of the longest lists of names under the small St. Theresa Parish in Mountain View on the east side of the Big Island. And that doesn’t even include those already baptized but receiving their confirmation and first Communion this Easter.
Most are from the Micronesian island of Chuuk or of Chuukese descent and have come to join the church through the help of St. Theresa’s newest deacon, Joseph Albert.
Deacon Joe, as he’s known, is also from Chuuk. While he was formally assigned to the parish in March, during the last year, he has been helping many non-Catholics or not fully initiated Catholics reconnect with the local Catholic community thanks to his fluency in both Chuukese and English and his background in sacramental preparation.
St. Theresa Mountain View’s Deacon Jim Dougherty said that Deacon Albert has been working with Roquita Kaisen, the parish’s religious education assistant coordinator, over the last nine months or so to prepare many Chuukese for the Sacraments of Initiation.
“Deacon Joseph has also been primarily responsible for more than 40 baptisms and six marriages in that time, as many Chuukese families found it difficult to secure sacraments since Chuukese Deacon Julio Akapito died in August 2015,” Deacon Dougherty said.
Deacon Albert has made this distinct community feel welcomed, and the more people have heard there is a Chuukese deacon at the parish, the more people have started coming to church.
Densiann, Donson and Ferden Suda with Deacon Joseph Albert. (HCH photo | Anna Weaver)
Bringing the faith to them
At the home of Donak and Febronia Suda in Hilo town, over cans of Coke and Punaluu Bake Shop sweet bread, the couple and their grandchildren, who are receiving first Communion and Confirmation this Easter — Densiann, 18, Donson, 13, and Ferden, 9 — spoke about what it meant to have Deacon Albert at St. Theresa.
Donak, who has lived in Hawaii for about 10 years, said he is glad to have “Deacon Joe” rebuild connections between Chuukese and the local Catholic community saying he’s helping them have a “relationship to the church” again.
Later, another Chuukese family, the Nethons, stopped by to meet with the Hawaii Catholic Herald. They also sat down with Deacon Albert to review printouts of the Nicene Creed, one of their assignments for the week.
Kayleen, 14, Kitaro, 13, Oisemen, 12, Kaila, 11, Kaylenamin, 9, and Kayanna, 7, dutifully read the creed together as their toddler sibling chattered nearby and the Hilo rain poured outside.
Their mom, Kimberly Likiche, who was raised Catholic, said that she’s glad her kids can now “get more familiar with their faith” thanks to Deacon Albert.
Deacon Albert usually goes to the Nethons’ house in Keaau for an hour on Sunday afternoons to help the family with their sacramental preparations. He does this with many of the Chuukese preparing to receive sacraments, in part because St. Theresa is not always centrally located for many of the catechumens and there isn’t a very big meeting space at the parish.
Deacon Albert study the Nicene Creed with the Nethon siblings: Kayleen, Kitaro, Oisemen, Kaylenamin and Kaila. (HCH photo | Anna Weaver)
He hopes to gather more Chuukese Catholics together, reactivate their parish council and meet other parish leaders, and hold regular prayer meetings in the Chuukese language.
“I want to start out with that to motivate them to come to church every Sunday and on special occasions,” Deacon Albert said.
Beatrise Bakin, whose kids Jaysabell, Jaysiann and Kesalinda are becoming Catholic this Easter was herself raised Catholic. “To me, Catholic is everything!”
Bakin said she’s glad to have Deacon Albert prepare her children for the sacraments.
“My kids are full of questions!” she said. “Every day they have all kinds of questions, and that’s why, to me it’s good that [Deacon Joe] is there every week. It’s almost like Sunday school.”
Bakin said her kids are really looking forward to receiving Communion too.
A young adult understanding
Under a tent on the expansive lawn fronting of their house in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision of Puna, as Coqui frogs chirped in the background, Nethon siblings Giselle, Kef, Curtis, Neth, Nethania, and Shallahila, talked about becoming Catholic.
“As young adults, we understand more about the Catholic faith rather than being a little child, who doesn’t understand anything,” said eldest sibling Shallahila, who goes by Shahiah and is 22.
Shahiah said she’s glad she now understands more about Catholicism.
“I want to know everything about it,” she said, adding with a gentle laugh, “and what Communion tastes like!”
Her sister Giselle said she was looking forward to the relief that comes from confession. Kef liked learning more prayers and his brother Curtis said he liked knowing more about all Catholic beliefs. With some prompting, 11-year-old Nethania said she wants to help in the church community.
The Nethon kids were raised Baptist but because of Deacon Albert’s reaching out to their Catholic-raised father, the children are now joining the church. The Nethon patriarch was eager not only for his children to become Catholic but to get other Chuukese more involved in the local Catholic community.
“I think they’re ready to receive the Sacraments of Initiation,” said Deacon Albert said of the mostly young adult Nethons.
Deacon Joseph Albert at left with Shallahila, Giselle, Nethania, Kef, Curtis, and Neth Nethon, who are becoming Catholic is Easter, and two other family members. (HCH Photo | Anna Weaver)
A new deacon ministry
Deacon Joseph Albert is from Uman Island in Chuuk State. He graduated with a political science degree from the University of Guam and was an educator for many years besides working in office administration. He attended the Southeast Asia Rural Social Leadership Institute at Xavier University in the Philippines for a year.
He and his wife Kristina had 12 children, and he was ordained a deacon for the Diocese of the Caroline Islands in 1988.
He helped the Diocese of Caroline Islands’ diaconate program by translating materials from English into Chuukese and also taught diaconate classes and parish sacramental preparation. He was the first Marriage Encounter president in Chuuk and led both Marriage Encounter and Engaged Encounter programs for many years in Chuuk.
His wife passed away in 2009. When he required special medical treatment, Deacon Albert came to the Big Island where he had family members who could help him as he received care. He’s gotten much healthier in the years since and decided to remain.
The parish is planning a celebration during the Easter season for the new members of the church and to formally welcome Deacon Albert as a very valuable member of their community.
The Chuuk-Hawaii connection
Those of Chuukese descent make up almost half of the population of the Federated States of Micronesia.
Due to the Compacts of Free Association treaties that were made and renewed between the U.S. and the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, residents of those island states can travel to and live, work and study freely in the U.S. without a visa and have access to U.S. social services and health care.
The treaties are reparation for the environmental and health impact that U.S. nuclear weapons tests 60 years ago had on the area and its residents.
Many Micronesians that travel under the treaties’ guidelines end up in Hawaii, as well as Guam and American Samoa.
The majority of Micronesians are Christian according to a 2019 U.S. State Department Report on International Religious Freedom. Of those, 55% are Catholic. In Chuuk, 60% are Catholic.
