OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY
“Brothers and sisters, may we be won over by the peace of Christ! Peace is possible; peace is a duty; peace is everyone’s primary responsibility!” (Pope Francis “Urbi et Orbi,” Easter 2022)
Addressing thousands of worshipers at the Vatican this Easter, our Holy Father Pope Francis shared a challenging yet hopeful message of world peace, proclaiming the light of Christ can help us rise above the darkness and sorrow surrounding the war in Ukraine: “We need the crucified and risen Lord so that we can believe in the victory of love, and hope for reconciliation. Today, more than ever, we need him to stand in our midst and repeat to us: “Peace be with you!”
The “Urbi et Orbi” appeal also included the plight of migrants and refugees fleeing ongoing violence in the Middle East (Syria, Iraq, Lebanon), Africa (Libya, Ethiopia, Congo) and Asia (Myanmar) as well as the hemisphere of the Americas (Venezuela, Central America, Haiti). By recognizing the challenges of economic and food insecurity, the pope emphasized that their plight affects our entire human family. “In this terrible night of suffering and death, may a new dawn of hope soon appear! Amid the pain of the war, there are also encouraging signs, such as the open doors of all those families and communities that are welcoming migrants and refugees throughout Europe.”
This year’s Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl participants also contributed to shining the light of Christ here in Hawaii. Students from St. John Vianney Parish school recently held a CRS Rice Bowl ceremony to offer their Lenten donations and express their solidarity with our brothers and sisters suffering around the world. “We fasted in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who do not have enough to eat each day. We gave alms to our Rice Bowls so that our sacrifices will help the poor around the world and in our local community … we pray our Lenten sacrifices may be an offering of solidarity and a promise of continued accompaniment of the poor and vulnerable … may we always remember to love our neighbors as ourselves, and that when we encounter those who thirst and hunger, we are encountering the risen Christ.”
Meanwhile, parishioners at Immaculate Conception Parish in Ewa have been actively witnessing to Jesus shining a light of hope on vulnerable persons through its Family of Families food pantry, serving about 80 families (totaling 130-200 individuals) every week. As a recipient of a CRS Rice Bowl mini-grant this past year, the parish was able to purchase a heavy-duty ramp to assist service with vulnerable persons and provide easier access for loading and unloading two pallets of food at a time. More than 50 volunteers sort and distribute boxes of non-perishable foods plus fresh produce and baked goods from nearby St. Jude Parish in Makakilo.
Groups of team members work together to ensure every task is done with aloha, whether it be foodbank shopping, transportation and delivery, food freshness inspections and packing. On distribution day, another team of volunteers works on location to give out the food and help with breakdown and clean-up. This is clearly a sign of Christ’s hopeful presence as multi-generational families work side-by-side, feeding the hungry, and living the Gospel as One Ohana.
These are just two of many inspiring examples of ways parishioners throughout the diocese bring the dawn of Easter hope to others this year. For more information on how to spread the hope of the Risen Christ throughout the year, please visit officeforsocialministry.org. Rice Bowl donations can still be turned into the diocese. For more on Pope Francis’ Easter message, please see migrants-refugees.va. In this hopeful spirit, we share the Easter blessing of Pope Francis from the Vatican Migrants and Refugees section: “May the Light of the Risen Jesus be a source of rebirth for migrants fleeing from war and extreme poverty.”
Mahalo,
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
