Hawaii Catholic Herald
In celebration of the Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi, Catholics from across the Diocese of Honolulu will participate in a Eucharistic procession Oct. 3 from Ala Moana to the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in the Kalihi-Palama neighborhood of Honolulu.
“People will be joining from different parishes and we invited all the schools,” said Father Arnel Soriano, pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, where the procession will begin. “This will be an opportunity for the community to witness our faith.”
The Jubilee Year of St. Francis, which began Jan. 10 and continues through Jan. 10, 2027, marks 800 years since the saint’s death.
The day will begin with Mass at Sts. Peter and Paul Church at 8 a.m. followed by the 3.2-mile Eucharistic procession slated to start at about 9 a.m. Isle priests will take turns carrying the monstrance along the route.
Confessions, prayers and benediction will begin at the co-cathedral around 11:30 a.m., the procession’s estimated arrival time.
People who cannot participate in the Eucharistic procession can also head to the co-cathedral to hear a presentation at 10:30 a.m. by Franciscan Sister Alicia Damien Lau, who serves in the Hansen’s disease settlement in Kalaupapa, Molokai.
In her talk, “Franciscan Hearts in Kalaupapa: The Witness of St. Damien and St. Marianne Cope,” Sister Lau — a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities — will discuss St. Francis and how St. Damien and St. Marianne were inspired by his example to serve Hansen’s disease patients sent to live on the isolated peninsula.
To prepare for the long procession, participants should bring water and snacks and wear sturdy walking shoes and sun protection.
Participants will complete the route on sidewalks rather than in the middle of the road for safety. The Honolulu Department of Transportation Services and Honolulu Police Department will assist with traffic management and guide participants at street crossings. Procession marshals will also be stationed along the route.
“With the leadership of Father Paul (Aguilar, parochial vicar) we’ve really made sure that we follow all the safety protocols in order to coordinate with the police, with the medical team and especially the priests who are hearing confessions during the day,” Father Soriano said.
Because the co-cathedral is also a designated jubilee year site, Catholics who take part in the procession may receive a plenary indulgence — a “remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven,” according to EWTN.
To gain the indulgence, a person must be in a state of grace and be detached from sin; they must also have sacramentally confessed their sins, received the Holy Eucharist and prayed for the intentions of Pope Leo XIV.
“Anyone who cannot safely complete the walking portion is warmly encouraged to participate instead in the prayers, confession and celebration,” Father Soriano added.
To register for the event, visit https://sspeterpaulhawaii.org/eucharisticprocession.