Viriditas2: Soul Greening
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
For Silvia Burgess, faith and music have always gone hand in hand.
Originally from Guam, Silvia and her family spent years in West Virginia before settling in Ookala, Hawaii island, where they have been parishioners at St. Anthony Church in Laupahoehoe (about five miles away) for the past year.
For her, Sunday worship has always been central: “Since they were little, I taught them that if anything has to be done, it is to go to church every Sunday. Why? Because God is great. He gives us grace and gifts no matter what trials or tribulations we face.
“God’s plan is always to lead us to where he wants us to be. Even if things are hard, it is because He is preparing us for what he has in front of us.”
Silvia is the proud mother of six children. The three youngest are with her in Hawaii, while the older three are still on the mainland with their father, Jon, known affectionately as “Andy,” who is wrapping up business matters.
Each of the children is discerning their own path: Marianna is looking to return to the mainland to work with animals, Alecia is pursuing dental school and Angeline is still exploring her future career. “We ask for prayers for all of them,” Silvia says.
One of the family’s greatest blessings, Silvia says, is their gift of music. Jon has played a central role in nurturing this gift.
“Every time we are in the car and say the rosary, he sings with them. He’s the one with the good voice. On the mainland, there were always long drives, so he would say, ‘Let’s sing this.’ That’s how they became so good at harmonizing and finding their tone.”
Now, music is part of the Burgess children’s identity, especially within the life of the church. Marianna reflects, “I love praising the Lord. I always hope others feel encouraged to lift their voices too and share their gifts.
“I love God. Believing in God brings me so much peace. He gives me the confidence to sing, and to pursue anything that my gifts can help other people with. It gives meaning to life.”
For Angeline, the sense of community at St. Anthony has been a source of joy.
“I love the amount of people that just enjoy having the same community of being together, of having time together. Although there is work, it’s not stressful because it’s God who does the work,” she says.
The family’s faith and music are deeply intertwined with their understanding of parish life. “The parishioners are always family to people who will let them be their family,” Marianna adds, a sentiment that Alecia echoes with a cheerful “Bless up!” as she points and looks upward toward the Lord above.