VIRIDITAS: SOUL GREENING
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Crafts have been my life, and my religious life ever since I was 10 years old. My grandparents started me on sewing. We made everything. When I was in high school at St. Joseph School in Hilo, we had our bazaar and I had a craft booth. One year I had a whole booth of baskets — all kinds of covered baskets. I made almost $5,000 that year. Now, the proceeds of my crafts are split three ways — to help in the construction of the St. Marianne Cope Building in the Kupuna Village, and to assist in the upkeep of St. Marianne’s statue at Kewalo Basin, with a little portion going to the St. Francis Healthcare Foundation.
Every Wednesday, I am here at the Paiko Building on the complex of St. Francis Healthcare System in Liliha where I make available my crafts to the public from 9 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.. There is a large selection to choose from, such as hand towels, clothes pin bags, refrigerator and freezer handles, microwave mittens, scrubbies, table cloths to fit a six-foot table, microwave bowls, quilts, baby blankets, pillows, slumber mats, angels, energy bars for people who can eat peanut butter, bags and baby blankets. Sometimes people also donate items which are added to the inventory.
At 79 years of age, I do feel great. How do I stay in tip-top shape? In the morning I wake up at 4:30 a.m. and spend an hour in my personal prayer and meditation. I find that helps me for the entire day. Then, I do my exercise, always. By 6:20 a.m. I am over at work at the St. Francis Healthcare System. Following Mass at 7 a.m., I greet people at the front desk until 8:30 a.m. After that, I begin my ambassador duties.
Meaning, I visit each of the buildings on the campus, one at a time. In a month, I can cover all the buildings. How do I do this? Each week, I work with one building and visit all of the offices in it. It is “Good morning. God bless you. Have a good day.” Everyone loves it as I spread some Franciscan joy and wish them well.
My motto for my whole life as a Franciscan sister has been, “To Love. To Serve. To Share.” It is not based on any particular Scripture. I made it up. It is what I fashion my life around doing. After teaching for 33 years, and being vice-principal of St. Joseph School, working at Our Lady of Keaau in Waianae for five years cooking for and feeding the poor, the ministries I currently engage in at St. Francis Healthcare Systems are a continued extension of my commitment to love, to serve and to share.
Next year, as I look forward to my celebration of 60 years of being a religious, I also look forward to the day when I will be moving into the St. Marianne Cope Building. Of life, I can only say, “If you live one day for the Lord, one day at a time, you are doing fine.”
Hilo-born Sister Patricia Rapozo is a Sister of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities. She is 59 years professed and resides at Griffin House in Liliha.
