By Anthony Selvanathan
Special to the Herald
As the Catholic Church in Hawaii prepares to celebrate 200 years of faith in the islands, members of a Christian order whose origins date to the Crusades are preparing to gather in Honolulu for four days of prayer, fellowship and service.
The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem’s Hawaii cadre will host its investiture weekend Jan. 7-10, 2027, welcoming members from across the United States and beyond.
The event, whose theme is “In the Footsteps of Saints,” will commemorate the bicentennial of the arrival of the Catholic faith in Hawaii, honor individuals whose lives exemplify Christian service and welcome new members into the order.
Among the highlights of the Thursday-Sunday gathering will be the presence of relics of St. Damien de Veuster and St. Marianne Cope, both honorary members of the order and its Hawaii cadre, during the Jan. 8 evening investiture and Jan. 9 morning Mass.
The public is invited to attend these celebrations at St. Augustine by-the-Sea Church in Waikiki, as well as a welcome reception and dinner at Honolulu Country Club.
Ancient roots
The Order of Saint Lazarus traces its origins to Crusader-era Jerusalem, where a community dedicated to St. Lazarus cared for people suffering from Hansen’s disease (also known as leprosy). The term “hospitaller” refers to the Christian tradition of providing hospitality, shelter and care to the sick and vulnerable.
Although the order developed military and chivalric traditions during the Crusades, its distinctive mission centered on caring for people affected by Hansen’s disease, many of whom experienced profound social rejection.
Today, the order continues that tradition as an ecumenical Christian organization, bringing together members of different Christian denominations through prayer, fellowship and charitable service.
Its historic mission has particular significance in Hawaii, where St. Damien and St. Marianne dedicated their lives to caring for people affected by Hansen’s disease in Kalaupapa. Both saints were posthumously invested as honorary members of the order and its Hawaii cadre during the cadre’s first investiture in 2022.
Their example continues to inspire the cadre’s charitable activities and its enduring relationships with the Kalaupapa community.
Over the past decade, the Hawaii cadre has donated more than $100,000 to support patient-residents in Kalaupapa, continuing a tradition of compassionate care closely associated with St. Damien and St. Marianne.
Its charitable activities have also included fundraising for the restoration of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, support for the Joseph Dutton Guild, and assistance to Aunty Carmen’s Kitchen at St. Augustine Church.
Members have also responded to humanitarian emergencies throughout the islands, providing assistance following the 2023 Lahaina wildfires, the Kona low storms earlier this year and hurricane-related emergencies across the diocese.
The Hawaii cadre is led by Chevalier Steve Brock, Knight Commander, and includes among its members Bishop Emeritus Larry Silva, Sacred Hearts Father Lane Akiona, Father Dario Rinaldi, Father William “Pila” Tulua and Franciscan Sister Alicia Damien Lau.
A cadre is the order’s smallest organizational unit. The Hawaii cadre is expected to be elevated to a delegation during the January investiture, reflecting its growing membership and charitable activities.
The order’s international leadership has strong ties to Hawaii. Its second highest-ranking international officer, known as the Grand Commander, is Rear Adm. Kenneth P. Moritsugu, a Hawaii native raised in Palolo who twice served as acting surgeon general of the United States.
Hawaii is also represented in the order’s international spiritual leadership through Father Tulua, who serves on its International Council of Ecumenism, a group of chaplains from various Christian denominations who advise the Grand Master on promoting Christian unity.
Four days of celebration
The January gathering will recognize individuals whose lives and contributions reflect the Order’s hospitaller mission.
During the Jan. 9 morning Mass, at which Bishop Silva will preside, Kalaupapa patient-resident Meli Watanuki will receive posthumous recognition and honorary membership for her friendship and longstanding support of the Hawaii cadre’s charitable mission.
The late Robert M. Mondoy, the beloved composer and liturgical musician whose sacred music has enriched worship throughout the islands for decades, will also receive posthumous recognition.
The weekend begins Jan. 7 with a bicentennial welcome reception and dinner from 6-9 p.m. at Honolulu Country Club.
The next day will bring a welcome Mass at 8:30 a.m. at St. Augustine and, in the evening, the Hawaii cadre’s investiture ceremony — which will be open to the wider community. (Investiture ceremonies of chivalric orders are often reserved for members and invited guests.)
Beginning at 6 p.m. Jan. 8 at St. Augustine, the ceremony will provide a rare opportunity for the public to witness the traditions, prayers and solemn commitments through which new members are received into the order.
Relics of St. Damien and St. Marianne will be present during the investiture and again at Mass the following morning, offering a tangible connection to the saints whose lives continue to inspire the order’s charitable mission.
The weekend concludes Jan. 10 with St. Augustine’s 10 a.m. Mass.
An invitation to serve
The order welcomes inquiries from practicing Christians who want to put their faith into action through charitable service and fellowship.
Those interested in joining the order and being considered for investiture in January 2027 should contact the Hawaii Cadre at hawaii@st-lazarus.us by Nov. 15. Membership is subject to the order’s application and approval process.
The wider community is also invited to participate in the celebrations.
Tickets for the Jan. 7 bicentennial welcome reception and dinner at Honolulu Country Club are $120 per person.
The Jan. 8 prayer vigil and investiture, Jan. 9 Mass and other liturgical celebrations at St. Augustine by-the-Sea Church are open to the public without charge. The $150 Friday-through-Sunday registration fee applies only to order members and postulants.
For additional information and registration, visit st-lazarus.wildapricot.org.
As Hawaii prepares to mark two centuries of Catholic faith, the Order of Saint Lazarus hopes its January gathering will serve as both a celebration of the past and a renewed commitment to the future.
For its members, the enduring lesson of Christian chivalry remains simple: Faith finds its fullest expression not in titles or ceremonies, but in service to others.