Bishop Larry Silva blesses the outdoor Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary at Sacred Heart Church in Waianae. (Photos courtesy of Glenn Klinger)
By Glenn Klinger
Special to the Herald
On Dec. 10, after celebrating the 9:30 a.m. Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Waianae on Oahu, Bishop Larry Silva, stepped outside into the bright sunlight and, accompanied by minister of ceremonies Regina Pfeiffer and the Knights of Columbus honor guard, blessed the parish’s big new outdoor prayer area.
The prayer space is unique, combining the Stations of the Cross, a rosary walk and a 14-foot crucifix with a fiberglass body of Jesus imported from Italy.
The way God works is always beyond our comprehension, and the creation of this extraordinary place was no exception.
God inspired long-time parishioner, Frank Trippett, in January 2022 to visit with friends one of his favorite places, the House of Aloha in Waianae run by the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines. On that day, three of the sisters shared their vision of creating a “rosary walk” to accompany their 60-year-old Stations of the Cross, splendidly tacked Hawaiian-style on fence posts and palm trees.
The visitors spread the word of the sisters’ request; and after many hours of volunteer labor and family donations, the first part of God’s work was completed and blessed on June 16, 2022.
Then disappointment struck — the Dominican Sisters had to sell the House of Aloha.
Parishioners at Sacred Heart Parish were saddened by the sale. They asked their pastor, Father Jaime Jose, if the rosary walk, the stations and the 14-foot empty cross could come to their church. With the priest’s support and hard work, the second part of God’s work became reality.
When you walk Sacred Heart’s Stations of the Cross, you start on the right-hand side. As you move from station to station along the perimeter of a grassy square, the mercy and love of God revealed in the sorrowful passion of Christ emanate from the images.
The 14-foot cross towers above the other stations in the center border of the prayer area. The body of Christ is displayed with a 3-D effect. The solar spotlights shining across the prayer area change their color to match the liturgical seasons. For Advent, the lights were purple.
At the end of the Stations of the Cross, you encounter an empty tomb where a statue of Christ the Redeemer, with outstretched arms, invites you to eternal life in him.
The rosary walk begins on the left side of the grass with a flower walkway that sparkles at night with tiny lights. Its design replicates the first beads on a rosary. The rosary mysteries are color illustrations arranged by decade inside a row of white wooden two-foot square niches attached to fence posts.
Benches are evenly placed throughout the prayer area to encourage visitors to absorb the peaceful atmosphere and pray.
The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the beginning of the rosary walk was originally donated by Warlita Leandro to the Dominicans Sisters at the House of Aloha. It has returned home so that her friends can pray for her soul.
We hope that you will come to Waianae to Sacred Heart Church and spend time with Jesus, Mary and Joseph in our new contemplative prayer area. We are very blessed that God found this way for our parish to be a part of his work.
