Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Sister Barbara Jean Wajda, Sisters of St. Francis of the Neu­mann Communities: The loving gaze between God, man

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Viriditas2: Soul Greening Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP Hawaii Catholic Herald When I was in grade school in the 1950s, I remember making leprosy bandages. We would tear up old sheets that would then be sent somewhere. As a young child, I was too young to catch the details of what we were […]

PAULINE AHULAU CHOW / 1934-2024: ‘Kalaupapa Jukebox’ was true daughter of Hawaii

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By Valerie Monson Special to the Herald Pauline Ahulau Chow, a joyful Hawaiian songbird with an adventurous spirit and a probing mind, died Sept. 22, 2024, in Honolulu following an illness. She had turned 90 just a month earlier. “Pauline gave me a true appreciation of what it meant to be Hawaiian,” said Debbie Collard, […]

Talk story: St. Marianne’s legacy endures across Hawaii and beyond

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Office for Social Ministry “At a time when little could be done for those suffering from this terrible disease, Marianne Cope showed the highest love, courage and enthusiasm. She is a shining energetic example of the spirit of her beloved Saint Francis.” (Pope Benedict XVI, canonization of St. Marianne Cope of Molokai; Oct. 21, 2012) […]

Franciscan Sisters celebrate 20 years of unity

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By Celia K. Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald Isle Catholics might recall that Mother Marianne Cope, whose tireless and loving ministry to Hansen’s disease patients in Hawaii helped elevate her to sainthood, was a Franciscan sister of the Sisters of St. Francis of Syracuse, a city in upstate New York. St. Marianne didn’t just personify the […]

Dutton’s sainthood cause seeks boost through special collection

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Hawaii Catholic Herald A special parish second collection planned for the weekend of April 27-28 aims to support the sainthood cause of Servant of God Joseph Dutton, layman, who spent more than 40 years serving the Hansen’s disease settlement in Kalaupapa. Dutton, born on April 27, 1843, in Stowe, Vermont, was a Civil War veteran who struggled […]

Kalaupapa survivor Ivy Kahilihiwa countered life’s hardships with faith and a smile

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Ivy Strong By Valerie Monson Special to the Hawaii Catholic Herald As a 9-year-old girl on the North Shore of Kauai, Ivy Laamea climbed a tree to survive the deadly 1946 tsunami that killed four members of her immediate family. Barely eight years after that, she was diagnosed with leprosy and forced to give up […]

Belgian officials visit Kalaupapa to honor beloved countryman

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By Patrick Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald A delegation of nine Belgians was in Hawaii this month to commemorate the 150th anniversary of their revered countryman, St. Damien de Veuster, stepping foot on Molokai, and to sign a “commitment statement” with Bishop Larry Silva, Hawaii’s Gov. Josh Green, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, Kalaupapa residents, representatives of […]