Marianist VILAC (Valley Isle Liturgy and Arts Conference) and LILAC (Lanai Island Liturgy and Arts Concert) made their successful debuts in April.
The two cultural events take their inspiration from their like-sounding parent conference — Marianist BILAC (Big Island Liturgy and Arts Conference) —celebrated annually on the Chaminade/Saint Louis School Campus in Honolulu.
All three events find their roots in the Hawaiian culture and the Marianist tradition of communitarian experiences in prayer, liturgy and spiritual growth.
VILAC opened April 12 at St. Anthony Church in Wailuku, Maui, with a lively concert by nationally-noted composers of liturgical music Marty Haugen and Bobby Fisher. Local composer Joe Camacho also sang several of his own hymns. Camacho later danced a hula to a Haugen composition.
Maryknoll Sister Yoo Soo Kim performed original liturgical dances to a number of songs. Bobby Fisher wowed the crowd with his guitar prowess. The Big Island’s Paulette Ching, known for singing liturgical hymns, brought the house down with a rousing gospel-jazz rendition of a new song from Fisher’s latest CD.
After morning prayer on April 13, Father James Orsini delivered a keynote talk on the relationship between creation and the liturgy. Workshops followed offering topics from “Piano Technique” with Marty Haugen to “Intersections of Hawaiian and Catholic Spirituality” with Kumu Hula Kapono’Ai Molatau.
The day ended with a prayer service, after which the presenters led the music for St. Anthony’s 5 p.m. vigil Mass.
On Sunday, April 14, the artists took the ferry to Lanai where they were overwhelmed by the hospitality of the vibrant Sacred Hearts Parish in Lanai City. Parishioners gave their visitors a tour of the island before they performed an evening concert in the packed church.
The congregation responded with enthusiasm, especially enjoying the invitation to accompany some of the hymns with sacred gesture.
Hopes are high for both events to return annually. Proposed dates for 2014 and 2015 are March 21-23 and March 20-22 respectively. This year’s events were made possible by local parish staff and volunteers and the Diocese of Honolulu for funding the trip to Lanai.
