By Lisa Dahm
Hawaii Catholic Herald
The Diocese of Honolulu on June 17 formally announced the start of its yearlong celebration of the 200th anniversary of Catholicism’s arrival in Hawaii, which will culminate on the exact date of the bicentennial in July 2027.
Missionary priests and brothers from the French Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary reached Honolulu on July 7, 1827.
The diocese held a press conference at Sacred Hearts Academy in Kaimuki, drawing a diverse in-person audience — ranging from clergy and religious women and men to diocesan staff members to laypeople from the wider community. A livestream provided virtual access.
Media outlets across Hawaii as well as international news network EWTN covered the event.
Before the press conference, attendees were given brief tours of Sacred Hearts Academy’s campus, viewing areas such as the historic chapel and a state-of-the-art multimedia center.
The yearlong celebration will begin with a special Mass July 9 at 6 p.m. at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu. The date also marks the feast of Our Lady of Peace, the patroness of the Diocese of Honolulu.
The liturgy, at which Bishop Larry Silva will preside, will be accompanied by Masses at neighbor island parishes: St. Raphael Church in Koloa, Kauai; St. Theresa Church in Kihei, Maui; St. Damien of Molokai Church in Kaunakakai, Molokai; and on Hawaii island, St. Michael the Archangel Church in Kailua-Kona and St. Joseph Church in Hilo.
Join the festivities
The press conference, emceed by former journalist Kim Gennaula Hagi, began with a prayer by Bishop Larry Silva and brief remarks from Sacred Hearts Academy President Brandy Sato.
Bishop Silva; Sacred Hearts Father Lane Akiona, provincial superior of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, U.S. Province; and Deacon Mike Browning, chair of the bicentennial steering committee, then spoke about the significance of the bicentennial.
Deacon Browning said the yearlong agenda of events is ever growing, and he encouraged Catholics as well as the wider community to develop their own ways to celebrate the bicentennial.
“Whatever you do and participate through the year as the ordinary, look at this year and make it extraordinary,” Deacon Browning said.
“We’re coming together as one diocese community while spread amongst the different islands,” he said. “We come together in prayer and celebration.”
Deacon Browning told press conference attendees that they are all called to be saints.
Father Akiona noted his unique stance as a Native Hawaiian leader within the Sacred Hearts order.
“(It is significant) that a Native Hawaiian is a superior at this time,” Father Akiona said in response to a question from Gennaula.
“If you look at our history, there are always Europeans. So, it’s a privilege for me to be at the helm to see that this celebration is really a true celebration of the spirit of those first missionaries that came. And I’m grateful to represent all of them at this time as well.”
Father Lane said he hopes to have a good international turnout for the official bicentennial celebration next July, since Sacred Hearts missionaries came from various countries including Spain, France and Belgium.
Major events
The main event marking the bicentennial next year will be a three-day convocation July 7-9 in Waikiki. It will begin with a Eucharistic procession and end with Mass; more details will be available soon.
Following the Waikiki festivities, a “heritage pilgrimage” will take place in October. The two-week journey will include stops in France and Belgium — the home countries for the Sacred Hearts order and for St. Damien de Veuster, respectively. Father Akiona, Bishop Emeritus Silva and Bishop Michael T.T. Castori will lead the pilgrimage.
“There are many who have not yet heard of Jesus Christ here in Hawaii, who only know him as a person from the history books,” Bishop Silva said at the press conference.
“It is my greatest hope that this celebration of the bicentennial will not just be fun and renewal for our parishioners, our faithful, but that it will be a way for all of us to be recommitted and remotivated to go out and share the good news with others so that Jesus may be known, may be loved, may be honored in the Lord’s eyes,” he added.
For a full list of bicentennial events as they evolve, go to catholichawaii200.org.
Top: Deacon Mike Browning, left, Bishop Larry Silva, center, and Sacred Hearts Father Lane Akiona spoke June 17 during a press conference at Sacred Hearts Academy in Kaimuki. (Celia K. Downes / Hawaii Catholic Herald) Middle: The press conference in Sacred Hearts Academy’s auditorium began with a video featuring members of the bicentennial steering committee, including Father Akiona. (Courtesy Dann Ebina)