Hawaii Catholic Herald VOLUME 78, NUMBER 26 | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2015 | $1 Christmas issue HawaiiVOLUME 78, NUMBER 25 CatholicFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015 Herald$1 CNS/Bridgeman Art Library Mary and the child Jesus are depicted in a 17th-century painting by Il Sassoferrato. 2 HAWAII HAWAII CATHOLIC HERALD • DECEMBER 18, 2015 Hawaii Bishop Larry Silva Catholic 2015 CHRISTMAS MESSAGE Herald Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu Founded in 1936 Published every other Friday PUBLISHER Bishop Larry Silva e left the splendors and the glories of heaven (808) 585-3356 [email protected] to come to us here on earth. He humbled himself to EDITOR Patrick Downes become one of his own creatures. He, who existed (808) 585-3317 for all ages in eternal love with the Father and the [email protected] REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER HHoly Spirit, came down to earth to be despised, rejected, and a man of Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz (808) 585-3320 sorrows. He who was sinless took on the flesh of sinners. Such was the [email protected] ADVERTISING love of God for all of us human beings that Jesus became one of us, born Shaina Caporoz (808) 585-3328 in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary. [email protected] We gather Sunday after Sunday in the splendor of our churches, with CIRCULATION Donna Aquino wonderful people, beautiful music and inspiring words. We gather to re- (808) 585-3321 [email protected] member what we so easily forget: that Jesus became one of us, died for HAWAII CATHOLIC HERALD (ISSN-10453636) Periodical postage us, and rose from the dead. At his first coming he was laid in a manger, paid at Honolulu, Hawaii. Published ev- ery other week, 26 issues a year, by the the feeding trough of animals in the town of Bethlehem, which means Roman Catholic Church in the State of Hawaii, 1184 Bishop Street, Honolulu, HI House of Bread. Now he comes to us every Sunday and every day, laid 96813. upon the altar so that he can become our Bread of Life and remind us ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES Hawaii: $24 that we are not mere animals, but share in the very life of God. Mainland: $26 Mainland 1st class: $40 But once we gather to be nourished by the Bread of Life, we, too, must Foreign: $30 POSTMASTER leave the splendors and glories of worship to serve our families and our Send address changes to: Hawaii Catholic Herald, 1184 Bishop communities in the real world. We who were made little less than the Street, Honolulu, HI 96813. angels must humble ourselves to reach out to those who have forgotten OFFICE Hawaii Catholic Herald their own dignity or whose human dignity has been robbed from them by 1184 Bishop St. Honolulu, HI 96813 the cruelty or neglect of others. 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Letters must A blessed Christmas to all! be signed and include an address and phone number for verification. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Send them to Letters to the Herald, 1184 Bishop Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 or to [email protected]. MEMBER Catholic Press Association ADDRESS CORRECTIONS To make corrections to your subscription name or ad- dress, cut out the address label from the front page Official notices (reverse side). Please correct my name. Bishop’s calendar de Gallo, St. Catherine Parish, de Gallo, St. Anthony Parish, Ka- Announcements/Appointments Please correct my ad- Bishop’s Schedule [Events Kapaa.(Deacon E.J. Resinto will lihi. Bishop Silva has appointed Mi- dress. preach the homily.) indicated will be attended by December 24, 5:00 am, Misa chael Magaoay to a membership We are receiving two Bishop’s delegate] December 21, 5:00 am, Misa de Gallo, Our Lady of Good Coun- on the Board of the Hawaii Cath- copies. Please cancel this one. de Gallo, St. Theresa Parish, sel Parish, Pearl City. olic Conference for a three-year December 18, 4:30 am, Misa Kekaha. Please cancel this sub- December 25, 12:00 am, term, effective January 1, 2016 de Gallo and Adult Confirma- December 22, 5:00 am, Misa through December 31, 2018. scription. tions, St. Joseph Parish, Waipahu. Christmas Midnight Mass, Cathe- de Gallo, Co-Cathedral of St. The- The diocesan offices will be MAIL TO dral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, Donna Aquino December 19, 5:00 am, Misa resa, Kalihi; 9:30 am, Bishop’s closed on December 24-25, 2015 downtown Honolulu; 10:30 am, Hawaii Catholic Herald de Gallo, Immaculate Conception Administrative Advisory Council, in observance of the Christmas 1184 Bishop Street Parish, Lihue; 10:30 am, Ordina- Chancery, downtown Honolulu; Christmas Day Mass, Co-Cathe- holiday. Honolulu, HI 96813 tion to the Transitional Diaconate 7:00 pm, Simbang Gabi Mass, dral of St. Theresa, Kalihi; 3:00 The diocesan offices will be QUESTIONS? Call Donna, 585-3321 of E.J. Resinto, Immaculate Con- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Par- pm, Christmas Day Mass for closed on December 31 - January ception Parish, Lihue. ish, Ewa Beach. Chuukese Catholic Community, 1, 2016 in observance of the New December 20, 5:00 am, Misa December 23, 5:00 am, Misa St. Philomena Parish, Salt Lake. Year holiday. DECEMBER 18, 2015 • HAWAII CATHOLIC HERALD CHRISTMAS 3 Our mission of mercy Bishop Larry Silva opens Hawaii’s door to the global year of consolation, pardon and hope Story and photos by Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz Hawaii Catholic Herald “What if you were told that you had been selected by God to bear the savior (the world) needs so desperately?” Bishop Larry Silva posed that question to an evening congregation gathered at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception and the opening day of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. “Would you be greatly troubled?” the bishop asked. “Would you ultimately make the response, ‘I am the servant of the Lord’?” Reflecting on the response of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the bishop encouraged local Catholics to model her obedience and courage. We are all called in service to God, he said, to be unafraid to “share the good news of his merciful love to all who have strayed away.” The Dec. 8 Mass at the cathedral was the first of two ceremonies celebrated by Bishop Silva to begin the Year of Mercy in Hawaii. Pope Francis declared the jubilee year, focused on compassion and love, to run until Nov. 20, 2016. About 200 Island faithful Bishop Larry Silva blesses the Door attended the local Year of Mercy of Mercy at the Cathedral Basilica of opening liturgy. Themes of mercy Our Lady of Peace before its official were woven into the Mass music, opening Dec. 13. homily and prayers. Bishop Silva during the Mass connected the Dec. 8 celebration Rome — either at St. Peter’s or one of the Feast of the Immaculate of the other three papal basilicas Conception with the Year of Mercy. — is a requirement for pilgrims The solemnity commemorates to obtain special graces during a the conception of Mary without jubilee year. original sin, an essential part For the Year of Mercy, Pope in preparing her to become the Francis asked the world’s bishops to mother of Jesus. open Holy Doors at the cathedrals Mary’s “great mission” in God’s and other churches in their own plan of salvation, the bishop said, dioceses. still resonates with us today. On Dec. 13, at the regularly “We are in Mary’s shoes,” Bishop scheduled 10:30 a.m. Sunday Silva said in his homily. “You are Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the ‘highly favored one’ that God Our Lady of Peace, Bishop Silva has chosen to bear the savior the opened the downtown Honolulu world so desperately needs.” church’s “Door of Mercy.” “God’s mercy restores us so The bishop has also designated we can have the strength and a Holy Door for at least one church the courage” to “make the Word on every island: St.