Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Parish feels like home for couple active in ministry

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By Catholic Stewardship Consultants www.CatholicSteward.com For Marcelino Ulep and Dr. Clementina Ceria-Ulep — Marc and Clem for short — being part of parish life at Our Lady of the Mount Church in Kalihi has shown them how involvement strengthens both faith and community. Their advice to anyone unsure about getting involved is simple — come […]

Mass attendance continues to rise across diocese

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By Lisa Dahm Hawaii Catholic Herald The Diocese of Honolulu is continuing its steady increase in Mass attendance, with several parishes reaching numbers higher than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the most recent October count results. Each October, parishes throughout the diocese manually count the number of people attending all weekend Masses […]

Islands join worldwide celebration of St. Francis

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By Lisa Dahm Hawaii Catholic Herald Though 2026 saw the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of Hope, it also marked the beginning of another jubilee year — the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. From Jan. 10 to Jan. 10, 2027, Catholics are invited to celebrate a Year of St. Francis, […]

Big Island Youth Day roots young people in Christ

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By Lisa Dahm Hawaii Catholic Herald For more than 25 years, Catholic youth on Hawaii island have been gathering for a unique day to strengthen their faith and meet new friends from across the diocese. Known as Big Island Youth Day, this year the event included participants from Hawaii island, Molokai and Oahu: 101 middle […]

Talk story: A Lenten call for peace

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Office for Social Ministry “Today we lift up our prayer for peace in the world, asking that nations renounce weapons and choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy.” (Pope Leo XIV, prayer intention for March 2026) As bombs were falling in the Middle East this month, Pope Leo XIV lifted his hands and spirit in […]

Father Roland Pacudan / 1957-2026: ‘Singing Priest’ shared creativity, faith with all

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Special to the Herald Father Roland Emmanuel Duterte Pacudan, affectionately remembered by many as “the Singing Priest,” passed away suddenly on Feb. 16 at age 68. He was born on Oct. 21, 1957, in Alicia, Bohol, Philippines. At age 9 he moved to Hawaii, where his life of faith and service would ultimately flourish. Father […]

Damien students walk in the footsteps of a saint

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By Kiara Kam Special to the Herald Mountains of colorful cans, stacks of Cup Noodles and cases of Vienna sausage greeted Damien Memorial School students earlier this year when they walked into the cafeteria to get their lunch. The new year often inspires people to enact meaningful change in their lives — something that Damien’s […]

Former CRS leader makes case for hope in dark times

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By Scarlett Rose Ford Special to the Herald Since the Jubilee Year of Hope concluded in January, recent global events have left many people longing for a renewed sense of hope, while others feel overwhelmed and discouraged by just how hopeless the world appears. This tension formed the heart of Carolyn Woo’s presentation Feb. 22 […]

Couple finds fulfillment, family at Maria Lanakila

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By Catholic Stewardship Consultants www.CatholicSteward.com For more than two decades, Carmela and Joseph Esser vacationed in the Lahaina area. They fell in love with the Maui town, the people who lived there and Maria Lanakila Church, as well as the parish’s Sacred Hearts Mission Church in Kapalua. When the couple officially moved from the Chicago […]