By Catholic Stewardship Consultants
www.CatholicSteward.com
For more than two decades, Carmela and Joseph Esser vacationed in the Lahaina area. They fell in love with the Maui town, the people who lived there and Maria Lanakila Church, as well as the parish’s Sacred Hearts Mission Church in Kapalua.
When the couple officially moved from the Chicago area to Hawaii about 10 years ago, it was easy to decide which parish to join.
The Essers, who recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and have one adult daughter, serve on the Pastoral Council and the Stewardship Committee. They also serve as extraordinary ministers of holy Communion and are FOCCUS coordinators for engaged couples.
Carmela facilitates the Bible Club, serves as a lector and is a part-time secretary in the parish office. Joseph is a member of the Knights of Columbus.
They are also on the Spiritual Wellness Committee, which Bishop Larry Silva launched after the deadly 2023 wildfire that devastated Lahaina.
“We both love being extraordinary ministers” of the Eucharist, Joseph said. “It’s an honor to offer people the Body of Christ.”
“We help in many ways, but being able to offer the body of Christ is truly special,” Carmela added.
The couple served as extraordinary ministers at their home parish and brought the Eucharist to assisted-living homes, a hospital and homebound parishioners. They wanted to bring their love for this ministry to Maria Lanakila and Sacred Hearts, so they became extraordinary ministers here as soon as they could.
Daily Mass is a regular part of the couple’s routine, as is doing whatever needs to be done to support parish life. For them, service is a natural response to the many blessings God has given them.
They can often be found taking on tasks like doing sacristy preparations, ushering and setting up chairs.
Their schedule revolves around parish life.
“If Father needs something, he’ll ask, and we’re glad to help,” Carmela said. “We’ve been blessed, and we want to give back.”
The Lahaina wildfire did not impact the Essers directly, but they stood alongside fellow parishioners in their time of need and served in numerous ways during the recovery. It was difficult for them to process the destruction and the lives lost.
In the weeks following the fire, the parish became a place of refuge. Sacred Hearts was transformed into a food and clothing distribution hub, supported by volunteers, visiting clergy and Knights of Columbus councils.
“When Maria Lanakila was rededicated in December of 2024, that was a happy day,” Carmela said.
The Essers still think back to how people stepped up after the fire — even those who lost everything helped others.
“It feels like a very close family,” Joseph said.