By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald This weekend, something will sound different at every Catholic Mass throughout the Diocese of Honolulu. For the first time, during the Eucharistic prayer, many island Catholics will hear the words, “Leo XIV our pope and Michael our bishop.” It may seem like a small change in a familiar […]
Reflection: More than ‘the Maestro’
By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald For as long as I can remember, I simply knew him as “the Maestro.” My first memory of Robert Mondoy dates back to 2005. I had just turned 12 years old and was serving as an altar server at my aunt and uncle’s wedding at the Cathedral Basilica […]
Reflection: Sent out two by two
By Father Jaroslaw Skrzypek Special to the Herald Under a soaring Roman sky on June 16, an extraordinary spiritual mobilization began as roughly 800 priests from Redemptoris Mater seminaries across the Americas descended upon the Eternal City. Representing every nation where these seminaries operate — spanning from Canada to Uruguay, with special guests from Asia, […]
Reflection: A year to reflect, prepare
By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald A year from now, Catholics across Hawaii will celebrate 200 years since the arrival of the Catholic faith in these islands. Yet the bicentennial begins not next year, but now. Important celebrations rarely begin on the day they are observed. The church has long understood that moments of […]
Reflection: On holy transitions
By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald There are seasons in life when it seems as though everything is changing at once. Students close their textbooks and step into summer, carrying both relief and uncertainty about what comes next. Families celebrate graduations and prepare for new beginnings. Another school year gives way to a different […]
Reflection: Through thick and thin, family remained faithful to God
By Chad and Ree Decosta Special to the Herald Our names are Chad and Ree Decosta, and we are parishioners at Holy Rosary Church in Keaau. Ree is a cradle Catholic, while Chad, a Hilo native, did not grow up in any particular faith or religion. Although Chad believed in God, he did not yet […]
Reflection: On long Lenten journey, steadiness is key
By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald As Lent settles in, something quiet often shifts. The clarity we felt on Ash Wednesday softens. The sacrifices we chose now meet the steady rhythm of daily life. What once felt purposeful can begin to feel ordinary. And somewhere along the Lenten path, enthusiasm gives way to something […]
Reflection: Choosing proximity over power
By Dr. Shirley Tamoria Special to the Herald Violence today rarely looks like violence. It arrives quietly — through interfaces, policies and systems designed to keep human beings out of view. People are no longer confronted; they are processed. Harm hums in the background, efficient and sanitized. What has disappeared is not cruelty, but proximity. […]
Reflection: Strive for true surrender during Lent
By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald We tend to approach Lent the way we approach a new year: with plans, goals and quiet strategies for improvement. We decide what to give up, consider what we might add, and resolve to pray more faithfully or to fast more seriously. There is nothing wrong with these […]
Reflection: Who is our outcast?
By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald In the Gospels, those afflicted with leprosy are not only ill; they are also outcasts, pushed to the edges of society and kept at a distance. They are often reduced to a condition rather than welcomed as people. When Jesus encounters them, what is most striking is not […]