Maui’s lay members or the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette gather for a group photo after their commissioning Sept. 19 at Christ the King Church in Kahului. (Photo courtesy of Carol A. Ursua)
Seventeen lay members of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette were commissioned at Christ the King Parish in Kahului on Sept. 19, the feast day of Our Lady of La Salette, commemorating the day she appeared 176 years ago in La Salette, France, to two shepherd children, Maximin Giraud, 11, and Melanie Mathieu, 14.
The Mass was celebrated by the pastor of Christ the King, Father Augustine Uthuppu; parochial vicar, Father Napoleon Andres; and Father Anton Nyo, pastor of the Kula Catholic Community — Our Lady Queen of Angels, Holy Ghost Mission, and St. James the Less Mission. All three priests are La Salette Fathers.
Father Uthuppu commissioned the lay members and gave each a cross to wear similar to what Our Lady of La Salette wears bearing an image of a hammer and nail pincher.
The newly commissioned lay members of the community, Hawaii’s first, are Lucy Peros, Maria Thomas, Kimberlina Atenza, Malyntha Haleyalpiy, Carole Chai, Lori Fernandez, Charlene Yamashiro, Gloria Rongcal-Gage, Ester Felipe, Wena Gazmen, Amanda Patoc, Roger Tacardon, Kathleen Sacapanio, Patricia Balinbin, Van Ho, Judy Moniz and Carol Ursua.
They were inspired by Our Lady with a desire to grow in holiness and make her message known to all people. The lay organization, found in more than 25 countries around the world, bonds closely with the spirituality, charism, ministry and community of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette in a setting of mutuality.
They come together to learn more about our Lady of La Salette and to pray unceasingly.
Their mission: “To be committed to Jesus’ mission of reconciliation proclaimed by Mary’s message at La Salette. As people of God we are called in communion of spirit with the Missionaries of La Salette to bring love, healing, justice and acceptance through our personal lives prayer, our spirituality, and our group activities to ‘all my people.’”