Hawaii Catholic Herald
Catholic educators from across the diocese gathered in Kaneohe Aug. 20 to mark the start of the academic year with the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit.
Bishop Michael T.T. Castori, SJ, was the main celebrant of the liturgy at St. Ann Church. He was joined by Bishop Emeritus Larry Silva and the pastors and associate pastors of the diocese’s parochial schools.
Hundreds of faculty, staff and administrators represented a wide range of grades, from preschool to university. The Mass was a celebration of Catholic schools, from the student altar servers representing Sacred Hearts Academy in Kaimuki to the choir comprising music teachers and directors from several campuses.
In his homily, Bishop Castori thanked the educators for their devotion, hard work and professionalism in their daily work. He also highlighted the “extraordinary support” that educators provide to students in their quests for knowledge.
At the conclusion of Mass, Hawaii Catholic Schools and Chaminade University of Honolulu announced the recipient of this year’s Ka Ho‘oulu Innovation Award, which honors individuals or a team who pursues new and creative ways to teach students while exemplifying the Catholic worldview.
Maryknoll School’s Dr. Rosita Leong Mandarin Immersion Team was selected as this year’s winner. The school’s approach to teaching one of the world’s most-spoken languages — introducing it at the elementary school level (kindergarten through eighth grade) during the school day, the first such program statewide — was celebrated not only for its innovation, but also for embodying the founding Maryknoll Sisters’ missionary spirit.
Following the liturgy and a short break, educators reassembled in the church for the morning’s keynote presentation. The featured speaker was Dominican Sister John Dominic Rasmussen, co-founder of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, and executive director of Openlight Media, which develops multimedia educational resources to “bring the truth of Jesus Christ into the world,” according to its website.
