Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

St. John Paul was a good shepherd, pope says on saint’s 100th birthday

by

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — St. John Paul II was a man of deep prayer, who loved being close to people and loved God’s justice and mercy, Pope Francis said. “Let us pray to him today that he may give all of us — especially shepherds of the church — but […]

Dozens gather virtually to sing psalms, hymns, songs

by

By Dan Meloy Catholic News Service PONTIAC, Mich. — Notre Dame Preparatory High School’s choir and alumni are bringing the world a little closer together, even when it remains far apart. On April 19, the school released a video that featured 92 singers — 67 current students and 25 alumni and teachers — singing a […]

During Laudato Si’ Week, 24 Catholic entities divest from fossil fuels

by

By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service CLEVELAND — The justice and peace commission of the Bangladeshi bishops’ conference as well as dioceses in Brazil, Indonesia and Ireland are among the latest institutions announcing their intent to divest from fossil fuel companies. The entities are among 24 Catholic and 18 other faith institutions in 14 countries […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Was author of ‘Hail, Holy Queen’ troubled? Did God create COVID-19?

by

QUESTION CORNER Q: The prayer “Hail, Holy Queen” has three phrases in it that trouble me. They are: “to thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve”; “mourning and weeping in this valley of tears”; and “after this, our exile.” The author of this prayer makes life on earth appear to be a punishment. […]

Greg Erlandson: The pandemic’s grace notes

by

AMID THE FRAY It is always impressive to hear the stories of people who rush toward danger when others are fleeing. Remember Ventura County sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus? He lost his life when without hesitation he rushed into the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, to stop a mass shooter. Remember Lt. Jason […]

Father Eugene Hemrick: The positive side of solitude

by

THE HUMAN SIDE Most people do not like to be alone. But why? Solitude comes from the Latin, “solus,” meaning alone, connoting seclusion and isolation. Loneliness has an undesirable connotation of being friendless, rejected, forsaken and forlorn. Some people embrace solitude, others find it intolerable. Examining its relation to silence and recollection reveal it can […]

Hospital chaplains talk about their ministry in the midst of pandemic

by

By Dave Guthro Catholic News Service LEWISTON, Maine — “It’s about being present to the human person in those moments of need when we come to experience how vulnerable we all are, and though I may not be able to do something to change the situation, I can still be with that person in need […]

Father Eugene Hemrick: Something missing in the Mass

by

THE HUMAN SIDE While watching Mass on television at St. Mathew’s Cathedral in Washington, I thanked God for technology, and especially its gift to shut-ins. Yet seeing empty pews made me feel something was missing. Lacking was an aging parishioner ascending church steps with difficulty. He could easily be excused, but Mass means everything to […]

Carolyn Woo: ‘Thank you’ is not enough

by

THE GLOBAL FAMILY One of my routines in the early pandemic lockdown was to shop at a big-box retailer at 6 a.m. Along with food, a key purchase was fabric and supplies that allowed me to make face masks with my very rudimentary sewing skills. Over the weeks, I struck up a rapport with the […]

Effie Caldarola: Don’t bottle up emotions

by

FOR THE JOURNEY Have you had a good cry lately? I have. I saw a Twitter post about a cheerful old fellow in an English care facility who slept with his late wife’s photo every night. So, a thoughtful staff member had a photo company create a pillow for him, one side of which displayed […]