Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Hawaii Catholic schools to keep campuses closed through Easter Monday due to COVID-19

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Hawaii Catholic parochial schools will extend students’ time away from schools through Easter Monday. “This is to inform you that our parochial schools will be postponing ‘in person’ classes through Friday, April 10, 2020,” Mike Rockers, the superintendent of Hawaii Catholic Schools said in an email to school administrators and pastors on the afternoon of […]

Hawaii Catholic schools to extend spring break due to COVID-19

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After the Hawaii public school system extended all of its school’s spring breaks over worries about the spread of COVID-19, or the coronavirus, the Hawaii Catholic Schools department has announced that all Hawaii Catholic schools will also take a two-week break. All 25 parochial schools and early learning centers in Hawaii have been told to […]

Honoring Catholic school educators

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Story and photos by Anna Weaver Hawaii Catholic Herald This year’s Annual Conference of Catholic Educators on Oahu was held at Sacred Hearts Academy on Jan. 31. Marianist Father Marty Solma was the presider and homilist and spoke from his perspective as a longtime educator. After Mass, attendees cheered on honorees, who were marking milestone […]

Hawaii Catholic Schools superintendent to retire this year

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By Anna Weaver Hawaii Catholic Schools Hawaii Catholic School’s leader for close to a decade, Michael Rockers, will retire at the end of this academic year. The official announcement came on Jan. 8 via an email from the diocese’s human resources director, Dara Perreira, and an email from Rockers to pastors and school administrators. Rockers […]

School trains for security threats and emergencies

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The faculty and staff of St. John Vianney School in Kailua were privileged to attend an all-day emergency response training Oct. 29 provided by Blue Line Solutions, an organization comprised of an elite team of experts from local law enforcement units that prepares schools and other organizations for a variety of security threats and emergencies. […]

Augustine reception: A lot of love for Hawaii Catholic schools

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By Anna Weaver Hawaii Catholic Herald Some of those responsible for supporting scholarships to Hawaii Catholic Schools through the Augustine Educational Foundation gathered at the Halekulani Hotel on Sept. 26 for the foundation’s annual donor appreciation reception. This year’s featured speakers were Chantelle Luarca, the principal of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Pearl City, […]

Battling threats to religious freedom requires vigilance

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How the superintendent acted to change a bill that threatened the religious identity of Hawaii’s Catholic schools Q & A with Michael Rockers Special to the Hawaii Catholic Herald Catholics across the nation will mark Religious Freedom Week, June 22-29, celebrating the right of all people of goodwill to live and work in accordance to […]

Maui educator wins top teacher of the year

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The Hawaii Catholic Schools office along with Chaminade University of Honolulu has started a new annual “Teacher of the Year” award called “The Golden Pineapple.” The inaugural award, a localized twist on the traditional apple symbol for teachers, went to Ernest Mendoza, a longtime teacher at St. Anthony School on Maui. He received the award […]