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
Longtime Kauai residents Ryden Williams and his mother, Takuyo Takahashi, will be fully received into the Catholic faith this Easter Vigil after embracing the peace, quiet reflection and spiritual depth they found in the Catholic faith.
Through their experience in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults program at St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in Kapaa, they have experienced a sense of coming home to a global church where they feel connected, welcomed and spiritually grounded, thanks especially to the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians at the parish.
Spiritual awakening
Williams’ faith is a result of his multiyear quest to find a spiritual home, which he discovered at St. Catherine.
Several years ago, Williams took a Christian worldview course in college that left him with a nagging curiosity about his faith and sparked a spiritual hunger in him that he had not felt before.
Still unsure, he explored spirituality through various avenues, including Buddhism, New Age practices and other beliefs.
“I was hungry for spirituality and meaning and understanding of the world, but I was looking in all the wrong places,” Williams said.
During a semester abroad in Italy, he was captivated by its art and churches. The experience had planted a seed of faith in him.
“All my favorite artists are from there,” Williams said. “I went to the Vatican, and it was beautiful.”
After returning to Hawaii for school at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Williams continued his search and tried a Greek Orthodox church.
Last year, he returned to Kauai. He decided to try Catholicism — a decision that surprised even him.
Williams emailed the church and was welcomed by Sister Luci Salboro of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, who guided him into OCIA.
“The people who stood out were the priests and the nuns, because I could tell that they were devoted enough to commit their lives,” said Williams. “It is so inspiring to see that.”
He originally hoped to be baptized immediately, but the yearlong process taught him patience and deepened his understanding of the sacraments.
“Though it frustrated me at first, I have grown to really appreciate it,” Williams said of the OCIA process.
He has since grown especially eager for baptism, Communion and entering fully into the life of the Catholic Church.
“The priest did a homily on thirsting for Christ and what he offers, and I resonated with that a lot,” he said.
Raina Bautista, a third-generation parishioner who coordinates the OCIA program, said she tries to instill in all the catechumens that their walk with Christ is a lifelong pursuit, and that their conversion is a daily, never-ending challenge.
“We really try to drive home (to them) that we’re going to be learning about our faith until the day we die,” Bautista said. “It’s all about their journey in what they’re going through. We can see God in everything that we do.”
Journey to the faith
Takahashi was born in Kyushu, Japan, which, according to her, is rich in Catholicism. She attended Catholic kindergarten and middle school, and she has fond memories of the faith-filled staff.
“I recall such gentle, kind sisters,” Takahashi said of her experience. “I remember praying to Jesus in Japanese.”
Since her family practiced Buddhism and Shintoism, she drifted from Christianity as she grew older.
Takahashi later moved to New York, where she met her husband, Peter Williams, who was Protestant but not practicing at the time. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the World Trade Center, which they witnessed from their apartment only minutes away, they decided to relocate to Kauai to raise their family.
For years, Takahashi and her husband didn’t practice religion and didn’t bring their sons to church, believing they should discover their own faith. A series of difficult events before the COVID-19 pandemic led Takahashi to seek a house blessing through a Protestant pastor. For a while, the family attended a Protestant church.
As her son began exploring Catholicism, Takahashi noticed a profound change in him.
“I saw his face light up,” she said. “I had never seen him lifted like that.”
Williams’ joy and peace brought back her childhood experiences with the sisters in Japan. Visiting St. Catherine with her son felt like a return to something familiar, contemplative and peaceful.
She joined OCIA alongside Williams and has found the Eucharist, the rosary and the quiet depth of Catholic spirituality especially meaningful to her. Takahashi’s husband remains evangelical but is extremely “supportive and open-hearted.”
For Takahashi, discernment is a daily process that fills her with gratitude and a growing appreciation for the Eucharist, which has become central to both of their faith journeys.
“My desire to receive the Eucharist is getting stronger and stronger,” she said.
Father EJ Resinto, pastor of St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish (which comprises St. Catherine as well as St. Sylvester Church and St. William Church), said he believes Williams and Takahashi will make a difference in the parish community along with the other catechumens. Already, Williams plays guitar in the choir.
“Ultimately, my hope for them is that they get to know Jesus on a deeper, more intimate level,” Father Resinto said. “Hopefully, they will see Jesus in our community, and they will feel welcomed by us. And hopefully, with the graces that come with baptism, confirmation (and) Communion, they will be filled with zeal to share the gift of salvation that they received.”
Above: Ryden Williams and Takuyo Takahashi at the Kauai Vicariate’s rite of election at Immaculate Conception Church in Lihue. (Courtesy photo)