Sacred Hearts Sister Jessie Alai Kai
Kindness and joy best described Sacred Hearts Sister of 47 years
Joy and dedication are two words used over and over in describing Sacred Hearts Sister Jessie Alai Kai who went peacefully home to God on Dec. 2 at the convent of Malia o ka Malu on 4th Avenue in Honolulu. She was 80 years old and a religious for 47 years.
She served a variety of assignments over the years from religion teacher to secretary to parish pastoral minister.
Born in Hilo on Aug. 18, 1942, to Herbert Kai Sr. and Regina Aiu, Sister Jessie graduated from St. Joseph School, Hilo, and Hilo Business College, and worked at Kai Store in Hilo and at Bank of Hawaii in Honolulu, before joining the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Honolulu in 1975. She made her profession of vows on April 9, 1978.
From 1960 to 1985, Sister Jessie served at Sacred Hearts Academy as a religion teacher and lower school secretary where she was much loved for her kindness, gentle spirit and sense of joy. In 1986, she was one of the founders of a community formed to serve Sacred Heart Parish in Waianae. There she was in her element attending to the children and people of the parish with joy and dedication.
In 1997, Sister Jessie became a member of the Na Leo Hoonani Community in Palolo, serving at St. James Mission and Sacred Hearts Academy grade school.
In 2009, she was part of the group that founded a Sacred Hearts community at St. Damien Parish in Kaunakakai, Molokai, endearing herself to the people a parish secretary, religious educator and enthusiastic volunteer.
Due to failing health, she and the other sisters of the Molokai Community returned to Honolulu on March 2022. She joined the Regina Pacis Community where she spent many hours in eucharistic adoration and contributing to the joy of the community.
Sister Jessie is survived by her sister Regina (Otto) Furlow, Pauline Weddle, Diane and Victoria Kai, and three brothers Herbert (Ingrid) Kai, Thomas and Paul Kai and numerous nieces and nephews.
Her funeral Mass was Dec. 14 in Sacred Hearts Academy’s St. Margaret Mary Chapel. She was buried at Hawaiian Memorial Park in Kaneohe.
