Sisters Davilyn Ah Chick, William Marie Eleniki and Francis Regis Hadano, members of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities, carry the remains of St. Marianne Cope into the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. St. Marianne’s remains, encased in a zinc box and wrapped with tapa cloth, were permanently enshrined at the downtown Honolulu church July 31. (HCH photo | Darlene Dela Cruz)
January
- Bishop Larry Silva “flips the switch” at St. Theresa Parish in Kihei Jan. 5 to launch the Maui-based Catholic radio station, Immaculate Heart Radio.
- Jesuit Father James Kubicki, national director of the Apostleship of Prayer in Wisconsin, leads the diocese’s annual priests’ retreat, Jan. 6-10 at St. Stephen Diocesan Center. The retreat theme is “Having a Priestly Heart like the Heart of Jesus.”
- The diocesan finance office reports Jan. 10 that almost $200,000 was raised through local parish collections for victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
- In a Jan. 12 liturgical ceremony, 14 men publically declare their willingness to be candidates for the diocese’s eighth deacon formation class.
- The Dolores Furtado Martin Foundation awards the U.S. province of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts a $12,000 grant to develop a computerized database of historic Hawaii images from the congregation’s archives.
- Blessed Sacrament Father Robert Stark highlights homelessness and affordable housing solutions as the keynote speaker at the diocese’s annual Red Mass for local government leaders, Jan. 14 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace.
- About 100 people participate in a two-mile trek through Kakaako Jan. 18 for the inaugural St. Marianne Cope Charity Walk, a benefit event organized by St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii.
- Leaders from Hawaii Christian churches gather with Bishop Silva for a Taize Prayer service Jan. 24 at the Newman Center/Holy Spirit Parish in Manoa during the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
- Father Daniel J. Mahan of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis speaks about “spiritual giving” to more than 200 parishioners, religious and clergy at the diocese’s “Stewardship Day,” Jan. 25 at Holy Family Church in Honolulu.
- Young people make up the majority of the roughly 400 who gather at the state Capitol Jan. 25 for the annual “March for Life” marking the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision on abortion.
- The diocesan human resources office announces Jan. 31 that James Walsh, a retired HMSA vice president and parishioner at St. John Apostle and Evangelist Church in Mililani, will serve as the diocese’s new Director of Pastoral Planning.
- More than 800 Oahu Catholic school faculty and staff members gather Jan. 31 at St. Theresa Co-Cathedral for the Annual Conference of Catholic Educators. The event includes Mass celebrated by Bishop Silva and a keynote talk by Kathy Mears, executive director of the National Catholic Educational Association Elementary Schools Department.
February
- Bishop Silva undergoes knee surgery Feb. 18.
- Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA; Archbishop of Guam Anthony Apuron; and Kathy Brown, Catholic Charities USA’s senior director of mission and Catholic identity are some of the special guest speakers at the Catholic Charities USA “Partners in Excellence” conference in Honolulu, Feb. 19-21.
- Catholic Charities USA presents its “Social Innovation Award” to Catholic Charities Hawaii Feb. 19 for its Hale Wai Vista Support Housing Services program, a 215-unit affordable rental project for families in Waianae.
- Chaminade University of Honolulu announces Feb. 24 that its School of Nursing skills laboratory would be named for the late Sen. Daniel K. Inouye.
March
- About a dozen Oahu Catholic school choirs participate in the Hawaii Catholic Schools Choral Festival, March 7, at the Maryknoll Community Center in Makiki.
- More than 200 catechumens and candidates preparing to receive the sacraments on Easter Vigil sign their names into the Book of Elect during Rite of Election ceremonies across the diocese, March 9.
- The Benedictine community at Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit Monastery in Waialua blesses 14 new, full-sized Stations of the Cross on March 23.
- The diocese’s Faith in ACTion drama group performs its first major production, “The Passion of Christ,” at Paliku Theater in Windward Community College, March 27-30.
April
- Cathedral Catholic Academy announces April 4 that the school will adopt a new “project-based learning” curriculum beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year.
- Martha Hennessy, granddaughter of famed Catholic social activist Dorothy Day, visits the Islands for a weekend of workshops on the Catholic Worker Movement, April 5-6.
- Parishioners from Immaculate Conception Church in Ewa participate in a special Palm Sunday “procession” April 13, with more than 90 vehicles driving from the parish to Our Lady of Keaau in Makaha to deliver food and goods for the homeless.
- The two-year removal of the statute of limitations on cases of child sexual abuse passed by the Hawaii state legislature in 2012 expires April 24. The diocese monitors several lawsuits that were filed against it during the two-year period.
- Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary commemorate the 50th anniversary of the order’s arrival in Hawaii with an April 26 Mass.
- Islanders share their stories of meeting Popes John XXIII and John Paul II as the two pontiffs are canonized by Pope Francis at the Vatican in an unprecedented ceremony, April 27.
- Damien Memorial School students and staff break ground April 30 for construction of the new Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Building, the first major complex to be built at the school in about 30 years.
May
- Men and women religious who mark 25, 50, 60 and 70 years of profession are honored at the diocese’s annual Jubilarians Mass, May 3 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa.
- The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet celebrate the 75th anniversary of the order’s arrival on Maui with a Mass of Thanksgiving at Holy Rosary Church in Paia, May 3.
- The diocese begins centralizing payroll for employees of its offices, programs, parishes and schools. The human resources office goes from processing payroll for about 250 diocesan staff to handling paychecks and benefits for roughly 1,000 local church employees.
- More than 100 of the diocese’s priests gather at Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu May 5-9 for the annual Priests’ Convocation. The convocation includes seminars on “renewing Sunday preaching.”
- The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary celebrate the 150th anniversary of the arrival of St. Damien de Veuster in Hawaii. On May 9, more than 3,000 students and teachers from Oahu Catholic schools attend a mid-morning commemorative Mass at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena; that evening local parishioners gather at the arena for a liturgy and concert. St. Damien’s May 10 feast day is marked with Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace and a rally at the state Capitol.
- Bishop Silva confers the ministry of acolyte on the 13 men in the diocese’s seventh deacon formation class May 17.
- The former St. Francis West Hospital in Ewa Beach is purchased by Queen’s Medical Center and reopened May 20.
- Sacred Hearts Brother Ajit Baliar Singh of India is ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace May 21, the day marking the 150th anniversary of St. Damien de Veuster’s priestly ordination at the same church.
June
- Diocesan seminarian Nick Brown is ordained a “transitional deacon” June 7 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa, bringing him one step closer to the diocesan priesthood.
- Father Arnold Ortiz of St. Elizabeth Church in Aiea, a priest formerly of the Oblates of St. Joseph religious order, is incardinated into the Diocese of Honolulu June 12.
- The Hawaii Catholic Herald wins eight journalism honors at the June 20 Catholic Media Conference Awards in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- Gov. Neil Abercrombie on June 20 signs into law SB 2687, a bill which allows two more years for victims to file lawsuits for child sex abuse cases without a statute of limitations.
- Bishop Silva asks parishes to conduct voter registration drives at Masses during the weekend of June 21-22.
- Gene Pollock, who handled maintenance work at St. Stephen Diocesan Center for 34 years, retires June 30.
- The diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry launches its new “Certificate in Youth Ministry Studies” program.
- As of June 30, the Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation reports that more than $33 million has been collected for the diocese’s “With Grateful Hearts” capital campaign, which was launched almost five years ago.
July
- The diocese raises its parish assessment, a “tax” collected from the Islands’ 66 parishes and two ethnic Catholic communities, by about 30 percent starting July 1.
- Dominican Sister Malia Dominica Wong is appointed July 1 as the diocese’s new vocations coordinator. Father Bill Shannon is also appointed on the same day as director of seminarians.
- Construction continues on the new Clarence T.C. Ching Skilled Nursing Facility at the St. Francis Healthcare System campus in Liliha. Several St. Francis programs are terminated during the summer as part of an ongoing reorganization in the Islands’ only Catholic healthcare system.
- Bishop Silva announces July 18 that the Vatican has granted the honorary title of “minor basilica” to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace.
- Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Anne Bryan Smollin is the guest speaker at the diocese’s annual Deacon Summer Gathering, July 19-20 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Pearl City. The theme of the gathering is “Live, Laugh and Love!”
- The remains of St. Marianne Cope arrive in Honolulu from Syracuse July 27 and are permanently enshrined in the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace July 31. St. Marianne’s remains were previously held in a reliquary at the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities’ motherhouse in Syracuse, but were sent back to the Islands after the sisters closed the convent.
August
- Tropical Storm Iselle makes landfall with heavy rain and 60 mph winds on the Big Island Aug. 8. It is the first tropical storm to hit the state in more than 20 years. HOPE Services Hawaii and Big Island parishioners provide aid to storm victims most affected in the Puna district.
- The Hawaii Catholic Schools office holds its first retreat for principals and school administrators Aug. 10-11 at St. Stephen Diocesan Center.
- About 600 Catholic school teachers and administrators attend the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit to kick off the school year, Aug. 14 at St. Ann Church in Kaneohe. Lori Dahlhoff, executive director of the Religious Education Department of the National Catholic Educational Association provides a keynote talk after the Mass on the topic of “Catechetical Leadership and the New Evangelization.”
- Two dozen members of Hawaii’s Korean Catholic Community travel across the Pacific to witness Pope Francis’ visit to Korea, Aug. 14-18.
- The diocesan Office for Social Ministry hosts a workshop Aug. 23 highlighting ways to start cancer support ministries in local parishes.
- The special photo exhibit, “A Reflection of Kalaupapa: Past, Present and Future,” opens at Paschoal Hall in Kalaupapa.
September
- A new “Careers” section is launched on the Diocese of Honolulu website Sept. 8. Parishes and schools can now post job listings, and job seekers can create their own profiles for employment.
- Kristin Leandro, a former strategic planning manager at HMSA and parishioner at the Newman Center/Holy Spirit Church, begins work Sept. 8 as the diocese’s new director of safe environment.
- The Daughters of St. Paul celebrate the 40th anniversary of the order’s arrival in Hawaii with a Mass and gathering at their downtown Honolulu bookstore, Sept. 23.
- The Hawaii Catholic Schools office reports a net increase of 65 students over its enrollment figures from last year, reversing several decades of yearly declines in the number of students.
October
- More than 700 members — including several bishops, archbishops and cardinals — of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem gather at the Sheraton Hotel in Waikiki Oct. 3-6 for the annual meeting of the order’s Western and Northwestern Lieutenancies.
- Bishop Silva celebrates a thanksgiving Mass Oct. 11 at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in honor of its new minor basilica status. The Mass also marks the fifth anniversary of the canonization of St. Damien de Veuster.
- Two of Hawaii’s original Carmelite nuns, Mother Agnes Marie Wong and Sister Mary Caroline Chow, die 10 hours apart on Oct. 13.
- The diocesan Office for Social Ministry and HOPE Services Hawaii begin working with Big Island County officials and social service agencies to aid residents in Pahoa as a lava flow threatens the small town.
- The Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, an India-based congregation that has served in Hawaii since 2008, officially establish a “canonical house” in Aiea Oct. 16. It is the order’s first permanent convent in the U.S.
- Diocesan seminarian Vincent Anh Vu is instituted into the ministry of acolyte, one of the steps toward priestly ordination, at St. Patrick Seminary in California, Oct. 16.
- St. Jude Church in Makakilo purchases an 11-acre parcel of land Oct. 17 less than a mile from its present parish location to be used for a future expanded church facility.
- Diocesan Youth Day brings together 356 youth from 36 parishes and one Catholic high school for a fun day of faith-building and fellowship at Sea Life Park, Oct. 25.
November
- Sacred Hearts Father Johnathan Hurrell is re-elected Nov. 5 for a second term as superior of the order’s U.S. province.
- The diocesan Office for Social Ministry aids homeless servicemen and women with job placement, housing and personal care at its Veteran Stand Down, Nov. 6 at the Hawaii National Guard Bower’s Armory in Wahiawa.
- Michael P. Victorino of Wailuku, Maui, is elected Supreme Warden of the national Board of Directors of the Knights of Columbus. He is said to be the first Hawaii member of the Knights of Columbus to serve as a supreme officer.
- Hundreds of local faithful venerate the International Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima as the statue visits several parishes around the diocese.
- Holy Family Parish on Nov. 19 purchases from the U.S. Navy the 4.444-acre property where its church and school are located. The land has been used as a diocesan parish site since 1950.
- Bishop Silva kicks off the “Year of Consecrated Life” with a special Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, Nov. 30. Pope Francis has called for a 14-month celebration of the contributions of men and women religious beginning on the First Sunday of Advent and ending February 2016.
- Two Hawaii members of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament are elected to leadership positions for the order’s U.S. Province of St. Ann. Blessed Sacrament Fathers Robert Stark and John Keenan are named provincial treasurer and provincial consulter, respectively.
December
- The diocesan prison ministry hosts its annual “Star Light, Star Bright” Christmas party for inmates and their families at the Women’s Community Correctional Center in Kailua, Dec. 13.
