Here are the stories of some of the 329 catechumens who will join (or have already joined) the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil on April 4
By Lisa Dahm
Hawaii Catholic Herald
The lives of military personnel do not fit neatly into a schedule, especially for those in the U.S. Marine Corps.
These families find an abundance of prayer and support within the diocese, with parishioners encouraging them and stepping in to make their faith journey a little easier amid stressful times — such as when a loved one is deployed.
A small act of encouragement by Father Anthony Tran, chaplain of the Vietnamese Holy Martyrs Catholic Community based at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu, made all the difference for Xavier Flores and Annie Le.
This month, with an impending deployment, the couple received a convalidation of their marriage with Father Tran officiating; Flores also completed all his sacraments before the Easter Vigil, surrounded by family and their new Catholic community.
“Seeing his growth in the past year and Annie’s growth has been a humbling experience for me, because they’re able to really say that ‘this faith belongs to me,’” Father Tran said. “They are accepting what is given to them through the grace of God, and they’re using it to live in their everyday life, which has just been so beautiful.”
Finding faith with VHM
The young couple was stationed in Hawaii about a year ago and decided to attend the Vietnamese Holy Martyrs Mass at St. Theresa. Seeing Flores and Le for the first time, Father Tran welcomed the couple and encouraged them to join the group.
Flores, who was raised Catholic, was not baptized but still had a strong faith. He said his faith life grew, and he started thinking about completing his sacraments once he began spending time with his future wife.
“I met Annie, and she helped bring me closer to God, telling me that there are other things out there (in faith) — it’s not the end of the road,” Flores said. And I felt like I was missing something that I needed to be fulfilled with God.”
After the couple started attending Mass regularly with the Vietnamese Holy Martyrs community, Flores joined its OCIA program.
“(Le) was with me almost every single class that I went to, just to tag along and help support me,” Flores said.
Based on any other timeline, their progress would have been moving along perfectly. The deployment could have derailed the sacraments, but Father Tran ensured the couple’s life in Christ remained the top priority.
“He was a very good teacher,” Flores said of Father Tran. “He helped with the scheduling of it (his sacraments), telling us what’s going on. He was just there every step of the way. The teachers from OCIA were very helpful and very welcoming, and they were able to introduce me to the community even more.”
“I know I still have work to do, and I still have more to learn, but I feel more like that longing that I was searching for was finally fulfilled,” Flores said.
Father Tran said that while a seed of faith was planted in the couple, they took the time to nurture it with a humble attitude of growing deeper in love with God by learning, so that they can be “good stewards of life and disciples in this world.”
With his impending deployment, Flores has not only the Vietnamese Holy Martyrs community holding him in prayer, but the entire diocese praying for him and for his family.
“It’s going to be hard regardless,” Flores said. “But (Le) knows that there are people within the community that she can call and depend on.”
Above: Xavier Flores was baptized earlier this month by Father Anthony Tran at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu. (Courtesy Dann Ebina)