With only two days between the announcement and start of a new stay-at-home order on Oahu plus confusion over the order’s directives for public versus private schools, Hawaii Catholic schools and their families had little time to figure out if they were switching to distance learning on Aug. 27. Mayor Caldwell announced the City and […]
New Oahu restrictions mean no singing or wind instruments at Mass, renewed recommendation to work at home
With a surge of coronavirus cases on Oahu in August, Hawaii Governor David Ige approved Oahu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s increased restrictions on social gatherings. These go into effect as of midnight Aug. 19 and last 28 days. While church and other religious services can continue to take place, singing is now prohibited as is the […]
The story of the statue: How Father Damien’s capitol sculpture came to be
This story first ran in the Hawaii Catholic Herald in July 2008. It is being reprinted here after renewed interest in the Father Damien statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection. A duplicate statue sits outside the Hawaii state capitol. The story of the statue It took years of grassroots campaigning, political maneuvering, artistic disputes, […]
The Hawaii Catholic Herald wins 9 Catholic Press Awards for work in 2019
The Hawaii Catholic Herald took home nine* Catholic Press Association awards this year for work done in 2019. The annual awards for those in U.S. and Canadian Catholic media were given out virtually on July 2 via a prerecorded video streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Normally the CPA announces the awards at the yearly Catholic […]
Ace Tui is ordained a deacon in a socially distanced but joyful liturgy
By Anna Weaver Hawaii Catholic Herald The seats were spaced apart and the crowd was smaller than usual at Deacon Ese’ese “Ace” Tui’s diaconal ordination. But joyous choir music, striking altar decorations and a supportive crowd filled any gaps left by COVID-19’s social distancing measures. Bishop Larry Silva ordained Tui a “transitional” deacon — so-called […]
‘Thanks be to God!’ Honolulu mayor gives go-ahead to public services
By Patrick Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald “Thanks be to God!” That was Bishop Larry Silva’s reaction to the “great news” coming from Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s office May 21 allowing public worship services with proper coronavirus restrictions starting Saturday, May 23. However, parishes will not be ready to open that soon, the bishop said, and asked […]
Email scammers prey on COVID-19 generosity and fears to get money, gift cards
Reminder: Bishop Larry Silva will never email or otherwise contact you to ask that you buy and send him gift cards, money or gifts. Recent emails circulating to local Catholic churches, schools and diocesan employees are pretending to be the bishop or perhaps another church official. The phishing emails usually ask the recipient to […]
Fellowship in times of isolation
Father Damien of Molokai and Mother Marianne of Molokai, were natives of Belgium and Germany respectively, but are best known for their care of lepers (sufferers of Hansen’s disease) of the Kalaupapa settlement. In 1866 Hawaii established a leper colony on the island of Molokai, where approximately 8,000 Hawaiian were quarantined between its nineteenth-century founding […]
Schools to continue distant learning for remainder of academic year
Anna Weaver Hawaii Catholic Herald All Hawaii parish schools will continue with distance learning for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year. The Hawaii Catholic Schools office made the announcement on April 17, shortly after the state public schools superintendent made a similar update for all island public schools. “This decision was based on our […]
Bishop celebrates Easter Vigil privately
By Anna Weaver Hawaii Catholic Herald A bright smile showed on Bishop Larry Silva’s face as the cathedral bells rang out, the altar candles were lit up and the “Gloria” was sung during the Easter Vigil at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu on April 11. The moment where Lent transitions […]