Aloha, “We can make a difference!” These words may have been among those proclaimed by the early Christians at Pentecost when they went out to share the Good News. These words were repeated often by folks recently gathered at Catholic Charities on Oahu for a Partners in Care retreat on advocacy around homelessness and affordable […]
Office for Social Ministry: Ohana means family
Aloha, The Ohana Mass, which just celebrated its first year anniversary in our diocese, is a liturgy where most of the liturgical ministers (lectors, altar servers, eucharistic ministers) are persons with disabilities. All persons, including those who use walkers and wheelchairs, are encouraged to participate in the Ohana Mass in a variety of ways, such […]
Office for Social Ministry: One of three homeless men is a veteran
Aloha, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.”(John 15:13). It is fitting to remember Jesus’ words this Memorial Day weekend as we honor those who gave their lives in the service of our country. The passage also provides us the opportunity to thank all veterans who have dedicated […]
Office for Social Ministry: Nutrition education for everyone
Aloha, On Holy Thursday, we celebrated Jesus instituting the Eucharist at the Last Supper. At that special liturgy, the “washing of the feet” reminded us that the Eucharist is founded and grounded in service. Jesus gathers us as one ohana to be fed by his body and blood so we can then go out and […]
Office for Social Ministry: Help alleviate homelessness, sign a petition
Aloha, This Lent we’ve been talking about a lot of good work parishes have been doing for those less fortunate — like organizing the community to feed the hungry, growing food in local farms and community gardens, and supporting women coming out of prison. These efforts have several things in common. They respond to Jesus’ […]
Office for Social Ministry: Pictures to share
Aloha, We thought we would share some pictures taken by Bernadette Baraquio at recent events we attended. Enjoy! At Malia Puka O Kalani Church in Keaukaha on the Big Island, parishioners collect items to furnish a homeless veteran’s new apartment. The Mardi Gras celebration at St. George Parish, Waimanalo, was an opportunity for parishioners to […]
Office for Social Ministry: How one parish practices Lent
Aloha, Lent is that time to renew the focus of our life’s journey through prayer, fasting and works of mercy. We’d like to share an example of one parish providing special programs for this Lenten journey. Malia Puka O Kalani Parish in Keaukaha on the Big Island tries hard to link prayer, faith formation and […]
Office for Social Ministry: Talking story
Aloha, We figure you might be pretty busy getting ready for Malassada Day, March 4, but we wanted to make sure you knew about special Mardi Gras happenings this Saturday, March 1, in Waimanalo and on the Big Island in Hawi. First, in Waimanalo, St. George Parish is kicking off Lent with a “Feed the […]
A team effort: St. Ann parishioners ride a wave of volunteerism serving the homeless
“‘What have you done for me?’ the Lord is going to ask. He made it pretty clear that we need to serve one another.” Dave Reeves of St. Ann Church in Kaneohe reflects on the “Gospel imperative” that has spurred a wave of generous volunteerism at the parish. He and his wife Bernie have been […]
Island hunger pangs: Parish food ministries explore new ways to provide healthier, renewable fare
At a workshop on food insecurity Sept. 17, Bob Agres, top, discussed the causes of the problem and different ways local Catholics can address it in outreach ministries. More than 12 percent of the Islands’ population — and one in five local keiki — is “food insecure.” Beyond the problem of hunger, food insecurity […]
