Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

A priesthood journey filled with twists and turns

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By Celia K. Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald John Jacob Akau can trace his “long and winding” journey to becoming a priest back to his childhood in Pahala, on Hawaii island. Akau, 39, would celebrate pretend Mass — “playing priest with sandwich bread,” he said, a towel tied around his neck to resemble a vestment. And […]

Planting seeds of hope

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Catholics across the country get to view and venerate first-class relics of St. Damien and St. Marianne By Celia K. Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald St. Damien de Veuster and St. Marianne Cope have touched countless lives as their legacies of selfless ministry, compassion and faith in Kalaupapa, Molokai, have been shared across the globe. A […]

Joyful return home

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Paulist Father Chris Malano congratulates graduates as he celebrates Mass at St. Joseph Church in Waipahu Hawaii Catholic Herald A special Mass honoring graduates from the class of 2025 took on greater meaning June 29 when St. Joseph Church in Waipahu welcomed back one of its native sons — who celebrated the liturgy as a […]

Change is on the way for the Herald

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To our readers: The Hawaii Catholic Herald has diligently and joyfully served the islands’ Catholic community for nearly 90 years, providing information, inspiration and connection to readers of all ages. We have seen our share of challenges, but we have been blessed throughout the decades with your support. The past couple years in particular have […]

Diocese is gearing up to celebrate 200 years of Catholicism in Hawaii

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Hawaii Catholic Herald The bigger the anniversary, the bigger the celebration. This is the Diocese of Honolulu’s plan as it prepares to mark 200 years since the arrival of the Catholic faith in Hawaii. The date is set: July 7, 2027, two centuries to the day when French Catholic missionaries first alighted in the islands, […]

Talk story: Let us be living examples of Christ’s light for others

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Office for Social Ministry “In this Jubilee Year of Hope, Christ, who is our hope, indeed calls all of us to come together, that we might be that true living example: the light of hope in the world today.” (Pope Leo XIV video message, Chicago, June 14) Recently, tens of thousands gathered at the Chicago […]

Official notices: July 4, 2025

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Bishop’s schedule July 4-7, retreat with the Hawaii seminarians, Kalaupapa, Molokai. July 9, 1 p.m., retreat for the St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii board of directors, Hale O Meleana, Honolulu. July 10, 6 p.m., Mass with confirmation and first holy Communion, Sacred Heart Church, Pahoa. July 11, 6 p.m., Mass for Bishop Larry Silva’s […]

Bishop Larry Silva: Apostles show us the power of love for Jesus

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Witness to Jesus | Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul Here is the prepared text of the homily delivered June 29 at Immaculate Conception Church, Lihue (also a celebration of Bishop Silva’s 50th anniversary of priestly ordination). Sometimes it is very difficult to serve the Lord. We would like to think otherwise, but the Scriptures […]

Answering an invitation to serve God and parish

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By Catholic Stewardship Consultants www.CatholicSteward.com Invitations come in many forms — colorful cards that arrive in the mail, a telephone call from a friend or a notice posted on social media. Some are unexpected, and some cannot be ignored. This was the case when Kathy Ferreira joined Our Lady of the Mount Church in Kalihi […]

Embodying stewardship shows our gratitude to God

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By Catholic Stewardship Consultants www.CatholicSteward.com Stewardship is not just a concept; it’s a way of life deeply rooted in the teachings of the church and our faith. At its core, stewardship is about recognizing that everything we have — our time, talents and treasure — are gifts from God. It’s a response of gratitude and […]