VIRIDITAS: SOUL GREENING
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
I am not sure if renovating churches is my strength. But I have been open to it. When I was assigned to Resurrection of the Lord Parish, Waipio, the bishop was very clear that there was a building project that was very important to the parish. And that I would need to be able to shepherd the parish through it. I am happy to do that; I am not afraid. But building buildings is probably not the most important thing in my ministry. I am more interested in building people and building lives.
We are starting construction on our new parish center, putting up barricades around the perimeter to protect the church building. It is an $8.1 million project which will include office space, meeting rooms and two larger gathering spaces for parish events. There will even be an ocean view from the second floor. When that is completed then we hope to get to the renovation of the worship area of the church to increase the seating capacity along with some updating of the space.
I do stress about the project. But with the support of the bishop, various diocesan offices, the project manager and many other helpers, no one is doing it alone.
In anything we do, it is important to stay focused on Christ. The primary means to do that is through prayer. Thus, along with communal prayer such as in praying the liturgy of the hours, or participating in Sunday or daily Mass, personal prayer is important. When I first wake up in the morning I do lectio divina, praying with the Scriptures for the day. After the Mass, I say the Liturgy of the Hours and the rosary. The rosary has become a very important prayer for me as I get older.
Prayer helps us to remember that whatever God calls us to, he also equips us for. He gives us the grace needed to make up for whatever is lacking in us. He said, “My grace is sufficient for you.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) None of us are perfect; we all have our own weaknesses. But God’s grace is what we can really lean into, what we really can depend on. Taking time to just connect with the Lord in prayer makes the day go a lot better. I find that on the days I do not pray, I am less focused and less productive; the day is more difficult.
I recognized a long, long time ago, that the church’s ministry has tremendous power to touch people’s lives in moments of tragedy, in moments of celebration, and in just the ordinary day-to-day routine of life. The church can really make a difference because it is not bricks and mortar, but souls and people. This is where my real passion in ministry lies, in the building up of people to become who God has created them to be and to live their lives to the fullest.
I think our ministry together as a church and as a parish, really matters to God, and he continues to do great things through the church empowered by the Spirit.
Father William Kunisch II has been a priest for 16 years. He is the pastor of Resurrection of the Lord Parish in Waipio, Oahu.
