I never imagined anything like Hawaii. When Bishop Larry Silva had recruited me in Colombia, he was looking for priests for the Hispanic ministry in Hawaii. Not knowing English, I thought the only thing I needed to do was to say Mass in Spanish. When I arrived at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Kailua-Kona, the parishioners greeted me in English. Oh my Lord! I didn’t know what to say. But like St. Paul in Philippians 4:13, I knew “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
That was my first and biggest challenge, to do everything in English. I only started studying English when I came here. Later, Bishop Larry asked me to go to Our Lady of Lourdes in Honokaa. It wasn’t easy, but I did try my best among the plantation days-of-old Portuguese community and the more recent Filipino community. My only desire was to help them to grow as a community of faith.
When I was studying in the seminary in Colombia, we were taught a few tools that could be used to enhance our sermons. I never needed to use tools there as Spanish was my first language. Here in Hawaii and in English, however, I have tried to use different methods to help show the people the shortest way to get the Gospel message across. I have learned it is very good to use tools and short examples.
For example, last Easter I put on funny glasses and a wig to look like Bob Marley. I was trying to help people recognize the face of Jesus. Because after the resurrection, the disciples did not recognize Jesus in their midst until the breaking of the bread. At first, my parishioners were really surprised at what I was doing. But then they got the point and understood that we need to recognize Jesus with different faces. I try to do really short homilies, not more than five to six minutes. I find it is the best way to preach. If you speak less, God may speak more.
What keeps me going in my spiritual life is the joy of learning. I feel there is much to learn and that is the biggest blessing I have received in life — the opportunity to know many different cultures, languages and experiences. I cannot stop. I need to be open and try to recognize every single day to see at least one different person, one different story. As St. Paul was able to be changed and learn new things, so can I. Although he was very strict, he was changed and opened to the opportunity to be another person.
That is like when I was in seminary, I thought that rubrics in the liturgy needed be followed perfectly, precisely to the point. But when I came to Hawaii, I learned that things can be different. As a very small example, I don’t have to follow the rubric of wearing black shoes. There is a richness here. Yes, in Christ I can do many things. It is he who strengthens me. It is God’s ways.
Father Juan Pablo Galeano is a priest of the diocese of Jerico, Colombia. He was ordained in 2009 with six other priests including his older brother Carlos who works in Spain. He recently transferred from Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Honokaa, Big Island, to St. John the Baptist Parish in Kalihi, Oahu.
