Father Anthony Tran celebrated Mass Dec. 21 for Vietnamese fishermen as part of the Hawaii Apostleship of the Sea Ministry. (Courtesy Deacon Marlowe Sabater)
By Deacon Marlowe Sabater
Special to the Herald
“Mahigit na isang taon na ako hindi nakakapagsimba (I haven’t been to Mass for more than a year),” said one of the fisherman from Leyte, Philippines. He was a car wash attendant back home and decided to work as a contracted fisherman in the Hawaii longline fishery to earn a decent living and provide for his family, who remains in his home country.
God is present everywhere, and the church that Jesus established on earth should also be present everywhere, reaching out to those who cannot come to its doors. One of the missions of the Hawaii Apostleship of the Sea Ministry (HAoSM) is to bring the good news of Christ to seafarers.
HAoSM set off on its maiden voyage Dec. 14 at Pier 36 off Nimitz Highway in Honolulu. Under the bright full moon, Father Manny Hewe, pastor of the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu, presided over a Eucharistic celebration assisted by Deacon Marlowe Sabater. Thirteen longline fishermen, all from the Philippines, attended Mass and received the holy Eucharist, while non-Catholics received a blessing.
The image of celebrating Mass under the moonlit sky was a proper portrayal of Hebrews 1:3 — “He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.” Just as the moon reflected the sun, showering the fishermen with light to see in the dark, Christ, through the holy sacrifice of the Mass, reflects God’s glory, showering those in attendance with his grace to joyfully face life’s challenges.
As the consecrated host was raised and Father Hewe proclaimed in persona Christi, “This is my body, which will be given up for you,” the outline of the body of Christ overlapped with the full moon, giving a sense of light emanating from it. The scene was profound — seeing that the fishermen would receive the light of Christ through the Eucharist, brightening the years of being unable to receive him sacramentally.
The celebration of the Eucharist was the peak of the evening’s event. Fishers, the co-cathedral’s Social Ministry and the Women’s Group at Resurrection of the Lord Church in Waipio shared a potluck meal prepared by Social Ministry members led by Julie Ratum. Filipino food was on the menu, but the fishermen’s favorite dish was mung bean stew with malungay leaves.
Gifts of clothing and footwear were distributed through a donation from a military service member who had already gone off-island. He intended his donation to be given to those in need. The fishers were thankful for the graces they received through the Eucharist, the fellowship and the sharing of time and treasures.
Father Anthony Tran, parochial vicar at the co-cathedral, presided over a Eucharistic celebration for Vietnamese fishermen on Dec. 21. He was assisted by Deacon Jonathan Lam. Father Tran also administered the sacrament of penance before celebrating Mass.
During Mass, Father Tran’s reflection on how the fishermen traveled long distances and worked in sacrifice for their families fit well with the Gospel reading, where Mary left in haste and traveled long distances to serve her cousin Elizabeth while she was pregnant with her son John.
After Mass, volunteers from the Vietnamese Holy Martyrs Catholic Community hosted the fellowship, serving their favorite Vietnamese cuisine. There were three Vietnamese and eight Filipino fishers who attended Mass, a testimony that there are no cultural boundaries that prevent satisfying the spiritual hunger for Christ.
In this Jubilee Year of Hope, we are called to become one family under God despite differences in national origin. We are all citizens of the kingdom of God. The Jubilee logo shows oneness despite differences in color with Christ leading the way, and we are anchored to him, providing us with stability amid turbulent seas.
The HAoSM embodies the meaning of the Jubilee Year, where Christ leads the seafarers toward spiritual stability by providing them with opportunities to worship as one community — as one church, often symbolized by a boat.
As the HAoSM ventures into deeper waters, we take comfort in the fact that Jesus is in our boat, and the Holy Spirit is our gentle wind behind our sails — pushing the ministry, along with our fishers, toward God the Father. We pray for our seafarers to remain safe as they tirelessly conduct their operations and for their families, who eagerly await their return.
Through the intercession of our mother Mary, Star of the Sea, we all will be guided in our ministry work of supporting seafarers.
Deacon Marlowe Sabater is the coordinator of the Hawaii Apostleship of the Sea Ministry at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa. To join or support the ministry, contact Deacon Sabater at mgsabater@rcchawaii.org or (808) 773-3510.