Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Mary is loving mother, humble disciple, pope says on Guadalupe feast

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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service ROME — Celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pope Francis said she reminds Catholics of her true essence as a woman, a mother and a “mestiza” or person of mixed race. She revealed herself to St. Juan Diego as a “mestiza” to show “that she is everyone’s […]

Bishop in Pearl City for feast of Christ the King

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By Naomi Amuro Special to the Herald Bishop Larry Silva celebrated the Mass of the Solemnity of Christ the King Nov. 24, the last Sunday of the liturgical year, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Pearl City. The Mass was well-attended. Concelebrating was the pastor, Sacred Hearts Father Santhosh Thottankara, and parochial vicar, […]

Early Kalaupapa Christmases

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“Christmas is coming and a New Year approaches and I send you my best wishes.” – Father Damien writing to his family in 1885 By Anna Weaver Hawaii Catholic Herald Christmas in Hawaii in the mid- to late-1800s was a much simpler holiday than today. On Molokai’s isolated Kalaupapa peninsula, where those suffering from Hansen’s […]

Vatican unveils its Nativity scene, lights Christmas tree

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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — The Vatican unveiled the Nativity scene and lit the Christmas tree with energy-saving lights in St. Peter’s Square during a late afternoon ceremony Dec. 5. The 85-foot-tall spruce tree came from the forests of the Veneto region in northeast Italy and another 20 smaller trees were […]

Call me ‘Father’: Pontiff’s priestly vocation is his favorite gift

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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — In Caravaggio’s painting of Matthew, the sinful tax collector being called by Jesus to “Follow me,” Pope Francis sees the same unexpected, grace-filled moment found in his own call to the priesthood. A 17-year-old Argentine student headed to a school picnic on Sept. 21, 1953, the […]

Bishop Silva announces local commemoration of 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines

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In anticipation of the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity to the Philippines in 2021, Bishop Larry Silva is encouraging Hawaii parishes hosting the Filipino Advent traditions Misa de Gallo and Simbang Gabi this year to follow homily themes based on the “Nine-Year Spiritual Journey of New Evangelization” implemented by the […]

Photo: Hugs and kisses

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This year’s 20th annual “Star Light, Star Bright” Christmas party for women inmates and their children at the Women’s Community Correctional Center in Kailua took place Dec. 7. The moms and their kids had a chance to decorate cookies, watch a puppet show tailored to them, play games, make arts and crafts, enjoy lunch and […]

Pope Francis returns part of relic of Jesus’ crib to Holy Land

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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — As Advent approached, Pope Francis gave a small fragment of Jesus’ crib back to Catholics in the Holy Land. In Bethelehem, West Bank, Franciscan Father Rami Asakrieh of St. Catherine Church welcomed the relic’s return and called it “a great blessing.” “This is more blessings for […]