By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald The year was 2005. I was a 12-year-old altar server at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in downtown Honolulu. One Sunday while preparing for Mass, our altar server coordinator, Jonathan Farinas, shared that Pope Benedict XVI had appointed a new bishop for the Diocese of Honolulu: […]
Reflection: Celebrating unity and gratitude on Fourth of July
By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald Happy Independence Day, dear readers of the Herald! Although Independence Day is meant to be a day of celebration and festivity, recent events around the world have caused the words of the hymn “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?,” composed by my friend, Tony Alonso (who borrowed the title […]
Reflection: Finding rest and inspiration in rural Hawaii
By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald As a local boy born and raised in the hustle and bustle of urban Honolulu, I must admit that I sometimes yearn for the “old Hawaii” that our kupuna often reminisce about. In search of a taste of what life as a Catholic in rural Hawaii was like, […]
Reflection: Sharing the pope’s blessing with all
By Maricel and Mark Sebastian Special to the Herald Maricel and Mark, who were married at Immaculate Conception Church in Ewa in 2016, received an apostolic blessing from Pope Francis the same year. Maricel Sebastian: When a friend mentioned we could get a newlywed blessing from the pope, there were no other honeymoon plans but […]
REFLECTION: The power of connection, community
By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald Some longtime readers of the Hawaii Catholic Herald might remember my past reflections which were written while I was pursuing my undergraduate studies at Chaminade University of Honolulu and later my graduate studies in San Antonio, Texas. Given that my last reflection with the Herald was in 2019 […]
Reflection: Hard work, community, faith helped St. Jude thrive
By Althea Estillore Rodrigues Special to the Herald We settled in Makakilo in 1963. Pilipono Street. There were no traffic lights. No stores. Just fields and fields and fields of sugar cane. My dad would take us on the roof to watch the jets take off and land at Barber’s Point (now Kalaeloa). At night […]
Local ministry to host 2 events
Hawaii Catholic Herald A local independent ministry that helps guide people in their awareness of God’s love is planning two opportunities for people to gather in reflection and faith. Scrub Bucket Gospel Ministries, which was founded in 2000 by Maxine Pollock and Pat Tom, offers presentations and retreats so that, according to its website, it […]
Celebrating 5 years of spiritual nourishment
REFLECTION By Christian Raquepo Special to the Herald What do you ask of God’s church? Faith. What does faith offer you? Eternal life. Our Blessed Lord Jesus has always been to me a faithful friend and brother since the moment I can remember. My grandmother, who turns 94 blessed years on Holy Saturday, taught me […]
Reflection: My leaps of faith
One small journey, one huge blessing By Chris Naputi Special to the Herald Upon returning from errands on a beautiful Friday morning in Hawaii, I began having flu-like symptoms and lay down to rest. By Sunday, I was still in bed and self-medicating. Several days passed with no signs of improvement. On one of […]
My retirement: Sweet fragrance of ministry
This reflection is by the diocesan Director of Faith Formation, formerly the Director of Religious Education, who is retiring on Sept. 1. By Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy Special to the Herald During a moving symphony performance, there is an exquisite moment of silence at the end of each movement just prior to the applause. That quiet time […]