Hundreds of educators from Catholic schools statewide filled St. Ann Church in Kaneohe Aug. 2 for the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit. (Celia K. Downes / Hawaii Catholic Herald)
Keynote speakers from Hawaii and California focus on artificial intelligence in schools
Hawaii Catholic Herald
While their students enjoyed a day off from class, educators from Catholic schools statewide gathered bright and early Aug. 14 for the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit, a liturgy that helps kick off the academic year.
According to the Hawaii Catholic Schools office, more than 600 teachers, staff members and administrators attended the Mass at St. Ann Church in Kaneohe.
Bishop Larry Silva was the main celebrant, and he was joined by more than a dozen priests — many of them pastors of churches with parochial schools attached, or school chaplains.
Not all students had a free day: Children from St. Anthony School in Kailua provided the music, their bright red polo shirts standing out near the altar.
In his homily, Bishop Silva acknowledged the many obstacles and demands that educators face, from grading papers to managing extracurricular activities and anxious parents.
“If we are faithful to the Lord, (he) will lead us through all the obstacles that are in our way so that we can accomplish his vision,” he said, which is “to share the goodness of God’s creation with all of our students, to help them understand the beauty of mathematics, the wonders of science, the nobility of writing and the arts.
“All these things that we teach our children are ways of our encountering the God who is our creator, who loves us more than we can ever imagine,” Bishop Silva said.
“This is the God who doesn’t promise that there will not be obstacles in our lives, but who promises that we will reach that promised land if we are faithful to him,” he continued.
Before the conclusion of Mass, the winners of the annual Ka Ho‘oulu Innovation Award were announced. Sponsored by Hawaii Catholic Schools and Chaminade University of Honolulu, the award recognizes school employees — faculty, administrators and/or staff — who are pursuing new ideas or strategies to advance education at Catholic campuses in the state.
The winners this year came from Sacred Hearts School in Lahaina and from Mary, Star of the Sea School in Waialae-Kahala.
Groundskeeper Howard Lolesio and head of security Joe Pueschel were honored for their work in helping Sacred Hearts School adjust and thrive in the wake of the deadly 2023 wildfire that devastated Lahaina — from setting up a temporary campus at Sacred Hearts Mission Church in Kapalua to maintaining the school’s new temporary location in Kaanapali.
At Mary, Star of the Sea, sixth-grade teacher Dave Eachus — who also oversees the robotics team, STEM learning and IT needs — was honored for his implementation of a school-wide, year-round STEM program.
After Mass and a break in St. Ann’s parish hall, educators returned to the church for the morning’s keynote addresses. Cameron Carlyle, vice principal of academics at Saint Louis School in Honolulu, and Irina Raicu, director of the Internet Ethics program at Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, spoke about the rise of artificial intelligence in classrooms and how to apply it effectively and responsibly to student learning.
Bishop Larry Silva and Hawaii Catholic Schools Superintendent Llewellyn Young, second from right, joined Ka Ho‘oulu Innovation Award recipients or representatives for a photo. Sacred Hearts School Principal Tonata Lolesio, left, accepted the honor on behalf of Howard Lolesio and Joe Pueschel; Dave Eachus, center, of Mary, Star of the Sea School was the other awardee. At right is Mary, Star of the Sea Principal Margaret Rufo. In the background is Marianist Father Marty Solma, chaplain of Chaminade University of Honolulu, which co-sponsors the Ka Ho‘oulu Innovation Award. (Celia K. Downes / Hawaii Catholic Herald)