OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY
“A synodal church is a church which listens, which realizes that listening is more than simply hearing. It is a mutual listening in which everyone has something to learn.” (Pope Francis, Oct. 17, 2015)
People throughout the Diocese of Honolulu are gathering to talk story as part of the current synod process, listening and learning. Bishop Larry Silva has invited all to join the diocesan effort to listen and learn from each other by addressing the question, “How can members of the Catholic Church be more effective in proclaiming the living Jesus Christ to the world.”
The diocese will collate the responses in a summary document and submit it as feedback for the two-year synod process. According to Pope Francis, key to this synod process is the actual “listening to one another and above all the Holy Spirit” with an open heart. So far recent parish social ministry listening sessions in West Hawaii, Kauai and Maui vicariates are proving to be engaging, heartfelt and fruitful!
For example, the listening sessions discovered that despite greater demands and a shortage of volunteers due to COVID, parish social ministries continue to rise above numerous challenges and witness to Jesus by feeding the hungry during this pandemic. St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Kailua-Kona reports harvesting more than 15,000 pounds of fresh produce through its Giving Garden at Immaculate Conception Mission in Holualoa where the parish food pantry provides fresh produce to supplement non-perishable food items through “drive up” distribution in the church parking lot. Meanwhile, Annunciation Parish in Waimea continues to host large food distribution days in Waimea and is actively pursuing grants and partnerships with local farmers to keep up with the demand, while a husband-wife team at St. Benedict Parish in Honaunau maintains a small pantry providing personalized food delivery.
On Kauai, where landslides, floods, road closures and a pandemic slowed operations, the volunteers representing St. Catherine Parish in Kapaa and St. William Mission in Hanalei have only grown larger and stronger. The Hawaii Food Bank provides a trailer to move food from the pantry in Hanalei to Kapaa for distribution. The two churches give out nearly two tons of food each week!
Immaculate Conception in Lihue provides food and outreach to the homeless, even in remote areas, while Holy Cross Parish in Kalaheo coordinates their Shared Blessings ministry feeding the hungry in Kalaheo. This summer they’ve partnered with the Department of Education’s mobile summer program for under-privileged students. They also make special meal deliveries to food insecure kupuna. St. Raphael’s spacious location made it possible to host large distributions with the Hawaii Food Bank serving several hundred families in the area, to include support to families impacted by job loss due to hotel closures during the pandemic.
Social ministries in Maui county parishes are also booming. Volunteers at Maria Lanakila in Lahaina have been busy with outreach to the homeless and kupuna in need, while also donating “mahalo baskets” to frontline workers at Maui Memorial Hospital. The Kula Catholic community has been collecting food and school supplies to share with St. Joseph Parish pantry in Makawao and St. Anthony School in Wailuku. Christ the King Parish in Kahului, along with its youth ministry, continues to be a strong partner with the Maui Food Bank, hosting drive-thru distributions the second and fourth Fridays of the month. On Molokai, St. Damien Parish remains committed to the Keiki Backpack program that feeds hungry students in seven schools; and distributes senior food boxes to vulnerable kupuna.
On Lanai, Sacred Heart Parish receives the primary Maui Food Bank shipment for the island and coordinates distribution to partner organizations such as Maui Economic Opportunity, Women Helping Women, the Youth Center and more. The Maui Police Department also helped with the distribution of food bags prepared by Sacred Heart parishioners and made deliveries to hungry families across the island.
By sharing challenges and highlights of their social ministry, participants replied to Bishop Silva’s key question about how to effectively proclaim the living Christ to the world. Many responses included the following: “Being present to others; being involved and not stopping; serving others; taking action, seeing Jesus in our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable; sharing with humbleness, our time and talent.”
For more information on these and other social ministries listening sessions, please visit the Office for Social Ministry website, www.officeforsocialministry.org.
Mahalo!
Your friends in the Office for Social Ministry