The shells of burned cars sit amid the ruins of homes in the ravaged town of Lahaina, Maui, in photo taken Aug.15, a week after the fire. (OSV News photo/Mike Blake, Reuters)
Lahaina’s Maria Lanakila Church stands unscathed the day after the fire in photo by James Ortiz.
2023: Death and redemption
Compiled by Jennifer Rector
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Aug. 8, 2023, was the day that stunned Hawaii like never before when a roaring wildfire, fed by the gale-force winds of a passing hurricane, burned to the ground the historic Maui town of Lahaina, killing 100 people and displacing thousands more. It was also the day that stirred unprecedented charity and generosity as people from across the state and around the world reached out to help the victims and survivors of this horrendous disaster. It was also the day Lahaina’s Catholic Church was miraculously spared, emerging untouched by the conflagration. Other events of much lesser impact took place in Hawaii’s Catholic world of 2023. Here is a look back at what happened, compiled in chronological order.
January
- On Jan. 17, chief executive officer and president of Catholic Charities Hawaii, Robert “Rob” Van Tassell, spoke at the Red Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. The topic of his presentation was “75 years of hope that transforms, action that heals and charity that brings justice.”
- On Jan. 20, about 500 gathered at the Hawaii State Capitol for March for Life. It was a celebratory march after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.
- Bishop Larry Silva ordained Oahu native Michael “Maiki” Kamauoha as a priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary on Jan. 25. It was the last of six ordinations to the priesthood for the religious congregation’s U.S. province that began in the fall.
February
- Catholic educator Raymond Abregano Jr. celebrated 50 years serving in Hawaii Catholic Schools. He was honored at the Annual Conference of Catholic Educators Mass on Feb. 3.
- Visiting Bishop Julio Angkel of the Diocese of the Caroline Islands in Micronesia, celebrated Mass for Micronesian and Palauan Catholics in the East Hawaii Vicariate of the Big Island Feb. 15 at St. Joseph Church in Hilo.
Father Arrion Rosales-Llantos blesses his parents Errol and Lovette Llantos at his ordination.
March
- On Mar. 6, Bishop Silva announced that on Holy Thursday, Communion via the cup, the Precious Blood, may be offered at Mass for the first time since 2020, the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- EPIC Ministry celebrated its 10-year anniversary.
April
- On Holy Thursday, April 6, Bishop Silva brought back reception of the Precious Blood by the sharing of the Communion cup to a cautious faithful for the first time since March 2020, the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- On April 16, radiologist Lorraine Manlolo wore a wedding dress as she made her vows as a consecrated virgin at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu.
- Bishop Silva is invited to Stowe, Vermont, the birthplace of Ira Joseph Dutton for his 180th birthday. Dutton is the third sainthood candidate to emerge from the Hansen’s disease settlement in Kalaupapa, Molokai.
May
- Parishioners, friends and family of Father Alapaki Kim got together, planned and coordinated a luau-style party on May 5 to show their love and gratitude for his 25 years of service as pastor of St. Rita Parish in Nanakuli.
- The diocese commemorated the 150th anniversary of St. Damien’s historic arrival to Kalaupapa on May 10, 1873, with three days of activities remembering the Belgian missionary’s supreme sacrifice. May 10 is also Father Damien’s liturgical feast day.
- On May 19, the Diocese of Honolulu gained a new priest with ordination of Arrion Rosales-Llantos. The ordination took place at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu.
June
- On June 3, the Discalced Carmelite Secular Group of Hawaii welcomed three new members in a rite of admission ceremony in the Carmelite Monastery chapel on the grounds of St. Stephen Diocesan Center. They are Francine Fiust, Victoria Croce and Roxanne Viloria.
- The Diocese of Honolulu announced that starting in January 2024, Hawaii Catholic parishes will no longer be allowed to host Boy Scout groups.
- Catholic Charities announced that plans are in place for a new affordable housing development for seniors next to the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in downtown Honolulu.
- On June 9, Hawaii Catholic Herald received 8 awards at Catholic Media Association convention in Baltimore.
Teacher Cara Camanse teaches a class at Sacred Hearts School’s temporary site in Kapalua.
July
- On July 1, 13 parishes, one fifth of the parishes in Hawaii, received a new pastor or administrator, the customary date for yearly clergy assignments in the Diocese of Honolulu.
- Tenant applications started being accepted for the fourth and final phase of the Meheula Vista senior affordable rental housing development in Mililani Mauka, a program of Catholic Charities Hawaii.
- On July 14, Aunty Carmen’s Kitchen at St. Augustine Parish in Waikiki shut down for about a week after pressure from the City and County of Honolulu.
- The Diocese of Honolulu began planning celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of Catholicism’s arrival in Hawaii.
August
- Ohana in Christ, the diocese’s annual appeal, finished its second year, 2022-2023, collecting $1,040,205, an increase of 8% over the previous year.
- On Aug. 7, a big old banyan tree blew over at the King Street Catholic Cemetery.
- On Aug. 8, wildfires hit Lahaina town and Kula, Maui, killing at least 100 in Lahaina, destroying nearly the entire town, displacing thousands left without homes or places of employment. The Lahaina wildfire, the deadliest in the U.S. in over 100 years, prompts worldwide attention, prayers and donations.
- Maria Lanakila Church and rectory in Lahaina miraculously survived the wildfire which leveled the surrounding neighborhoods.
- On Aug 11, Bishop Silva received a letter of condolences for the Maui fires from the Vatican.
- On Aug. 13, Bishop Silva presided at Mass on Maui to grieve those who lost their lives in the fire.
- On Aug. 21, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden toured Lahaina town.
- On Aug. 22, Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa, Maui hosted Mass for 70 employees and their families affected by the fires.
- On Aug. 26, the Diocese of Honolulu held its annual Catholic Men’s Conference at St. Ann Church in Kaneohe.
- Four Hawaii Catholic schools welcomed new administrators.
September
- On Sept. 1, diocesan director of faith formation, Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy retired after 18-years of service.
- Lisa Gomes is named diocesan director of evangelization and catechesis.
- International Catholic Speaker, Chris Stefanick speaks on Oahu and Maui.
- Bishop Silva created “Maui Mercy Mission” asking deacons and priests from across the diocese to attend to the spiritual care of those affected by the Maui wildfires.
- EPIC Ministry traveled nearly every weekend since the Maui wildfires started to attend to those affected. They provided supplies and have since helped build a temporary campus for Sacred Hearts School of Lahaina at Sacred Hearts Mission Church in Kapalua.
- In the first three weeks after the Maui wildfires burned the town of Lahaina to the ground Aug. 8, donations to the Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation’s Maui Wildfire Relief fund surpassed $1 million. As of Sept. 8, 4,455 gifts totaling $1,703,221.23 were given to wildfire relief and to Sacred Hearts School, the school of Maria Lanakila Parish in Lahaina.
- The Ohana in Christ annual $1 million-plus diocesan fundraising campaign began its third year in parishes the weekend of Sept. 30-Oct. 1.
- Teachers at Sacred Hearts School, Lahaina, strive to make sure their students are safe and back in class.
- The Diocese of Honolulu installed its second columbarium at Resurrection of the Lord in Waipio.
- Carmelite Sister Agnella of the Child Jesus and the Holy Spirit Iu reached 50-year anniversary of being a religious sister.
- Catholic Charities Hawaii opened operation on Maui to provide resources for those affected by the fires.
Hawaii’s Carmelite Sisters celebrate with Bishop Silva the 50th anniversary of their founding in Hawaii.
October
- The Carmelite community of Carmel of the Holy Trinity convent celebrated the order’s 50th anniversary in Hawaii. The Carmelites arrived on Oct. 25, 1973.
- The quilt ministry of Queen of Angels Church in Kula, Maui, donated hundreds of blankets for those in most need. Each quilt is blessed in a series of weekend Masses.
- St. Anthony Church in Wailuku launched the Maui Relief Fund to offer financial assistance to fire victims.
- Knights of Columbus and EPIC ministry continue to help Sacred Hearts School, Lahaina.
- The Hawaii Knights of Columbus elected Randy Tom as new state deputy.
- The Maui Relief Fund temporarily suspended its grant application process due to an overwhelming response.
- Chaminade University received a $750,000 grant for a higher education in prison program.
- Belgian officials visited Kalaupapa to honor St. Damien, commemorating the 150th anniversary of his arrival on Molokai.
November
- Bishop Silva celebrated All Souls Day Mass in Maui to honor the victims lost in the wildfires.
- The Diocese of Honolulu celebrates the 140th anniversary of St. Marianne Cope’s arrival to Hawaii.
- Retired Chaminade professor Jon James attends historic Synod of Bishops Taize vigil.
- 20 Filipino priests from the Diocese of Honolulu attended the National Association of Filipino Priests in New Jersey.
- HOPE Services Hawaii blessed its first affordable rental housing for seniors on Hawaii island.
- Pastor at St. Elizabeth Church in Aiea launches “Adopt a tree” program.
- The Diocese of Honolulu forms a New Vitality Task Force to assist priests in the administration of their parishes.
- Donations to the Maui Relief Fund of the Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation top $4 million.
- Knights of Columbus have their annual Columbus Day dinner.
December
- Hawaii priests gathered for their annual convocation at the Prince Waikiki Hotel.
- Youth from the Diocese of Honolulu attended the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis.
- Father John Molina was incardinated into the Diocese of Honolulu.
- 8-year-old Zaya Moylan Ayson raised $500 for Maui fire victims by selling painted seashells.
- Catholic communities in Maui created the St. Joseph Kokua Emergency Center to help fire victims.
- Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations took place on Maui and Oahu.
- Mark Clark, director of the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development, retires.
2023 passings
Here in alphabetical order is a list of people with Hawaii connections who died in 2023
- Sister Anne Karen Brannick, Maryknoll Sisters
- Sister Joseph Mary Cefra, Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
- Sister Lourdes Fernandez, Maryknoll Sisters
- Sister Francis Regis Hadano, Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities
- Sister Mary Louise Hideko Higa, Maryknoll Sisters
- Sister Francis Consuelo Ibarley, Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa
- Ivy Kahilihiwa, Kalaupapa patient
- Maui’s 100 wildfire victims
- Sister Marie May, Maryknoll Sisters
- Sister Michele McQueeney, Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities
- Father Harold Kiheipua Meyer, Trappists
- Sister Maria Caridad Pinuela, Adrian Dominican Sisters
- Sister Anita Marie Rosco, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
- Sister Mary Thecla Mutsuye Tsuruda, Maryknoll Sisters