Hawaii’s permanent deacons By Dr. Charmaine Bissen Special to the Herald “Many are called but few are chosen.” Our family’s journey to the diaconate was filled with dreams and aspirations of helping our Maui community thrive more spiritually. In 2000, my husband Ken Bissen Jr. and I were approached by the deacon at our former […]
A once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage
Hawaii’s permanent deacons By Deacon Joel Narusawa Special to the Herald This past February, my wife, Lily, and I journeyed to Italy for the Vatican’s Jubilee of Deacons (part of the Jubilee Year) with Deacon Renier “Rey” and Roxanne Torres, our friends and classmates from deacon formation. I am a deacon in the Diocese of […]
God creates many pivotal moments in our lives
Hawaii’s permanent deacons By Deacon Marlowe Sabater Special to the Herald “A leaf floating along the gentle stream.” That is how my wife, Maggie, and I described our lives and our journey in diaconate formation. For some reason, we found ourselves being carried by the steady flow of God’s providence. Both Maggie and I are […]
A lifetime of support leads to a life of service
Hawaii’s permanent deacons By Gwenda Mapa Special to the Herald My name is Gwenda Mapa, and I am the wife of Deacon Charley Mapa of St. Joseph Church in Hilo. Deacon Charley and I have been married for 53 years. We have two children, our son Charley Jr. and our daughter Brenna. Both are married, […]
Hawaii’s permanent deacons: Fulfilling a lifelong call to serve
By Deacon David Bruce Special to the Herald My journey started in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on May 19, 1960, when our loving God blessed my parents (William Arthur Bruce Sr. and Frances Cvercko Bruce) with their third and youngest child. My name is David Gene Bruce. This is my life story, according to God’s plan. I was born a […]
The journey of a deacon’s wife: Embracing the call to serve
By Lani Wong Special to the Herald My life started in San Pedro, California, where I was born and baptized at Mary Star of the Sea Church. I attended first through third grade at Mary Star of the Sea School and received my first holy Communion at the same location. I grew up with and […]
Hawaii’s permanent deacons: My wake-up call from the Lord
By Deacon Derek Wong Special to the Herald It took me 59 years to become a member of the Catholic faith. Why so long? One would think that graduating from a Catholic high school (Damien Memorial, 1975) and a Jesuit college (Loyola Marymount University, 1979), I was already a Catholic. My parents always wanted my […]
God’s love shines brightest in darkest times
Hawaii’s permanent deacons By Deacon David Watson Special to the Herald I was born in Washington, Iowa — a small farming community in southeast Iowa where my parents owned a dry-cleaning business. Neither my brother nor I were baptized as infants, and we did not attend church. Our family was not religious in any way […]