Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Msgr. Owen F. Campion: Overcoming death, the Lord lives

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The church celebrates the Easter Vigil late in the evening on Holy Saturday. These readings are those read during Masses on Easter Sunday itself.

For its first reading on this extraordinary feast of Christian faith, the church presents us with a passage from the Acts of the Apostles. Acts is in effect a continuation of St. Luke’s Gospel. Scholars say that this Gospel and Acts were the work of the same author. Beginning with the Ascension, Acts reports what life was like for the infant community of Christians in Jerusalem, and then it recalls the initial spread of Christianity.

Father John Catoir: Fondness for a former first lady

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The March 6 passing of Nancy Reagan saddened many Americans. I know it affected me more than I expected. She had an endearing smile and a quiet dignity.

Everyone knew the role she played in the life of President Ronald Reagan, and how important she was to him. He claimed that his success was directly related to her presence in his life. He had faced a particularly bad year, including a long hospital stay. “And then along came Nancy Davis and saved my soul,” he is said to have told his biographer.

Kathleen T. Choi: Jesus prayed

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As I contemplate the events of Good Friday, I marvel at Jesus’ ability to pray while enduring fear and pain. I believe that inner strength came from the hours he spent in prayer in quieter times. Prayer had become his habitual response to every situation.

Father Napoleon Andres, Missionaries of our Lady of La Salette: Closer to the heart of God

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I remember that whenever any one of us seven children did something wrong at home, we would all hide and not say anything. My parents would ask, “Who broke this glass?” But, because we were ashamed, we couldn’t look straight at them. We were afraid to admit our fault because our pride was hurt that we did something wrong. Because of this, there were times when we turned our hearts away from our mom and dad feeling far away from them. Little did we understand that they still loved us.

Mary Adamski: As salaam alaikum

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VIEW FROM THE PEW “If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough.” That’s just one of the uncountable adages, proverbs and witticisms that come frothing to the top of the deep pool of ethnic memory as St. Patrick’s Day approaches. The poetry and music, the long-winded blessings concluding with “May the good Lord […]

Manaolana | Christina Capecchi: The nun who kissed Elvis, ditched Hollywood and found her home

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TWENTY SOMETHING Dolores Hart was 19 when she filmed her first movie scene: kissing Elvis Presley. The aspiring actress was dressed in a polka dot dress with her honey-brown hair swept in a ponytail. He wore a denim jacket with the collar turned up, his glossy bangs grazing his brow. They were directed to kiss […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Can my marriage get a Catholic blessing?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: I am a Catholic who will be marrying a Methodist (baptized and confirmed) who now attends a Christian church. We have decided to have her Christian pastor marry us at a “neutral” venue outside of either faith’s church. However, it is still very important to my family and to me to receive […]

Kathleen T. Choi: Failing Lent

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IN LITTLE WAYS How’s your Lent going? Mine’s been … unexpected. My plan was to refrain from sweets and donate money to a food-focused charity. I would read up on hunger issues and attend at least one extra worship service a week. I give myself a B- on sweets. I haven’t had dessert or forbidden […]

Father William J. Byron SJ: Service and sacrifice

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LOOKING AROUND Lent is a time to think about sacrifice and service. The generation of Americans who were kids during the Great Depression and in uniform during World War II tended to equate service with time in the military. As returning veterans, many went to college under the GI Bill of Rights and moved into […]