LETTER FROM THE BIG ISLAND
Jill Mattos, center, and Bola hold some of the 500 pounds of ground beef she and Roy Mattos (not pictured) of Hawaii Beef Producers LLC shared with Our Lady of Lourdes Parish social ministry, represented by Mel Bumanglag, left. (Photo courtesy of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish)
By Dale J. Hahlbeck
Special to the Herald
Our Lady of Lourdes is the name of our parish in the rural town of Honokaa on the Big Island of Hawaii. Nestled along the Hamakua Coast, this quiet little town was once a bustling sugarcane plantation community. The majority of our active parishioners belong to the “baby boomer” generation. We are known as the parish that does more funerals than weddings in the West Hawaii Vicariate.
God always takes care of his people. Yes, he does. About three years ago, a few of our parish ministries began using text messaging and emails to distribute meeting agendas, minutes and meeting reminders. In 2018, high school student Mark Rebellon volunteered to create an “official” parish webpage and joined our newly formed media ministry. Little did we know that all of this was God’s way of preparing us for the changes to come with the coronavirus.
Gov. David Ige announced his stay-at-home mandate on March 26. The next day, Bishop Larry Silva issued his “Updated General Directives and Liturgical Guidelines Due to the COVID-19 (Update #4)” informing us of the closure of all churches until further notice and other important instructions. It noted, “The faithful are encouraged to keep the Lord’s Day holy. Some ways to do this include reading the Scriptures of the day, especially the Gospels, praying with your families, and to joining yourself to the sacrifice of the Mass by making an act of spiritual communion.”
It added, “Sacramental confessions will not be offered for the safety of penitents and priests, Confessions by phone or via the internet are not permitted.”
What followed in our parish was truly inspiring. We used the already established text message groups, emails to the ministry coordinators, phone calls and an old-fashioned letter from our courageous parish administrator, Father Anselmo “Jun” Bobier, along with a copy of Bishop Silva’s mandate, to disseminate information to every registered parishioner. Our webmaster, Mark, worked with Father Jun to keep our website current. (Visit us at honokaaoll.weebly.com.)
With the help of essential ministers and dedicated parishioners, we livestreamed on Facebook our very first Mass, 7:30 a.m., Palm Sunday, April 5. This event belongs in our history books. Mahalo to deacon-candidate Keoki Wood and his wife Lisa, Elena Agdeppa and her daughter-in-law Kristine, Guadalupe Tabios and her granddaughter Micah, Danny Nachbar, Marie Ho and Mark Rebellon for bringing us this momentous event. This was such a wonderful success that we livestreamed Easter Sunday Mass on April 12 and have been doing it every Sunday since. (To join our livestream 7:30 a.m. Sunday Masses, visit facebook.com/Our-Lady-of-Lourdes-Parish-Honokaa.)
Starting on Monday, April 27, our parish secretary Elena Agdeppa has been in the parish office to answer questions by phone and refer people who need help to the appropriate person or agency. No more than two adult visitors are permitted in the office in order to maintain the recommended six feet of physical separation. Everyone must wear a mask. Bring a pen and paper in case you want to write down information.
Putting into practice these and all the now-familiar government guidelines and restrictions, our parish will move forward. I believe the coronavirus doesn’t really prevent us from living out our parish life, it just changes how we do it.
With that in mind, it is time to honor our graduates. The Diocesan Youth Commission will be putting together a video of the 2020 graduates. Youth ministers Vicky Aten and David Lee are now coordinating this act of honoring our eighth grade, high school and college graduates.
The lockdown also provided an opportune time to do some parish repair and maintenance. The old leaking pipeline that supplied water from the meter to the parish hall and church was replaced with a new one thanks to Bobby and Virgie Gonzalves, brothers Norris and Nathan Gonzalves and Mel Bumanglag. Likewise, our parking lot became more spacious and looks good because of the great help of Edwin De Luz Trucking and Gravel, and Melvin and Eva Miranda. A fallen electric wire was also fixed and reinstalled by Waldo Cabel and Kimo. Indeed, our parish continues to get going.
Above all else, I’d like all of us to remember that a prayer is a simple conversation with God. Right now, we need to have many conversations with God throughout the day. Praising him when we get up in the morning. Thanking him for all that we have in our lives. Asking him for help with our needs and the needs of others. Don’t worry if you can’t remember the specific words to a special prayer. Talk to God every day, several times a day and trust that his will is done.
I believe that God is using COVID-19 to heal the earth. It has become a time for us humans to stay in and allow the sky to clear, the ocean to become plentiful again and the animals to reproduce. There is no denying that there is a cleansing going on. In God’s own time and with the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes we pray that everything will be put in order again.
Dale J. Hahlbeck is the chairwoman of the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish stewardship committee.
