AUGUST/SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022
Annunciation
&
Catholic Church
Ascension Mission
RCIA PROFILE: WELCOME JAMES ANAKALEA TO THE CATHOLIC FAITH
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ou could say the COVID-19 pandemic gave James Anakalea that extra nudge to do something he has wanted to do for a long time — go through Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) classes to enter into the Catholic faith. James works at Tommy Bahama Restaurant as a chef, which takes up much of his time. Yet, with restaurants closed or being open for shorter hours during the pandemic, James found that he had more time and freedom. “All of a sudden, I had more time, and it seemed like the right time to take RCIA classes,” he says. James was certainly familiar with the Catholic faith — his wife, Andrea, and their three children are all Catholic, and James had been attending Mass with them. He just hadn’t taken that next step to fully enter the Church. As James participated in RCIA, Andrea also went through classes to support her husband. James’ sponsors were Mike and Terry Cromwell, our parish’s RCIA coordinators. “There were times when I had to get caught up
Entering into full communion with the Catholic Church has been a major step for James Anakalea — (from left) James’s sister, Renae, James, Andrea and the couple’s daughter, Mia, at the Easter Vigil.
later or listen to the class through earbuds while I was working,” James says. “But it all worked out.” The Easter Vigil Mass was very special to James as he officially entered the Catholic faith. He is already involved in several ministries and continued on page 5
65-1235 Kawaihae Rd. • Waimea, HI 96743 • www.bigislandcatholicchurch.org • 808-887-1220
Annunciation Church & Ascension Mission
The Traits OF THE
Christian Steward E
ach day, we strive to live stewardship in our lives, recognizing our roles as “God’s co-workers” in His creative, redemptive and sanctifying work. But in our quest to live as disciples of Christ, many obstacles often arise. One of the most prevalent roadblocks in living stewardship is understanding the traits that make up a good Christian steward. Surely, it would be much more convenient if we had some sort of “stewardship list” that could lay out the necessary steps to becoming a good steward. Unfortunately, it more often feels like living stewardship is a lifelong journey that we will never fully comprehend. Fortunately, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ pastoral letter on stewardship, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, gives some insight into the characteristics that make up a good Christian steward. The Christian steward should display some of the following traits: Insight — Before the disciples could live what we know as the stewardship way of life, they needed a flash of insight, or a certain way of viewing the world and their relationship to it in a fresh light. This “divine grandeur,” more than anything else, is often what sets people on the path to Christian stewardship (Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, 39). Conscientiousness — Stewards are fully conscious of their accountability in sharing of their time, talent and treasure. As caretakers of the gifts that God has given them, they have the opportunity and responsibility to use them to their fullest potential to spread God’s Kingdom on Earth (40).
Generosity — Christian stewards are generous out of love as well as duty. They should display a desire to share with and care for others based on the sacramental graces they have received. And they are also cognizant of the many warnings that the New Testament presents to those who fail in charity and authentic love (40). Joy — Christian stewards are often presented with difficult obstacles, but they should remain joyful in the face of challenges to their lives of stewardship. Like Paul, the good steward is able to say, “I am filled with encouragement, I am overflowing with joy all the more because of all our affliction” (2 Cor. 7:4). Only by serving with a joyful spirit will stewards fully reap the rewards of their service, both in this life and the next.
Indeed, living as a Christian steward is a lifelong journey with many ups and downs along the way. But if we strive to consciously incorporate each of these characteristics into our giving of time, talent and treasure, we will find that the responsibilities of a good Christian steward will become much clearer with each experience of service.
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 A Letter from Our Administrator
WE PROVIDE THE GIFTS, GOD PERFORMS THE MIRACLES Dear Parishioners,
I
t is human nature to try to neatly place things into categories. If we categorize the miracles performed by Christ, the two largest groupings might fall under the headings “Healing” and “Feeding.” This is exactly what we are about here in our faith community. At the base of all our liturgies is the Eucharist, when we come together in communion with the Lord and with one another to be both fed and healed. Even one of Christ’s most famous miracles — the Feeding of the Multitude — involved both healing and feeding from a spiritual and a literal perspective. The reason the large crowd gathered was because Jesus’ reputation as a healer had spread and grown. He felt compassion for that crowd, which is another way of saying He loved them and felt sorry that they were spiritually hungry due to their willingness to sit and be with Him for so long. He fed them spiritually with His words, and simultaneously, healed their wounded hearts by preaching a message of hope and forgiveness in the midst of a dark and hardened world. Recognizing it was late in the day and that many of them had not eaten, Jesus then, literally, fed them. The narrative of Christ taking a small amount of food and using it to feed thousands is familiar to all of us. It is reported in all four Gospels. However, I would like to highlight one aspect of that miracle. It all started with one boy who was willing to share what little he had. Because the boy made the gift of his fishes and loaves, the Lord took it and multiplied it many times over, nourishing so many more people than what that little bit initially could. Isn’t that what we as a parish are called to do? We make gifts of our time, our talent, and our treasure as good stewards — but
nevertheless, it is God who takes those gifts and performs miracles with them. Our goal is to give what we have so that Christ might use it, multiplying it to feed, to heal and draw a multitude of people closer to Him. The reality is that without the gifts, there can be no miracles, and without miracles, we are a hungry and broken people. Christ has come to renew, nourish, fulfill, and restore — and that, brothers and sisters, is what Christianity is all about. Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Anthony “Tony” Pangan, SSS
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Annunciation Church & Ascension Mission
GETTING TO KNOW NEW CATHOLIC Excited to
Derek Okabayashi received the Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Communion and Confirmation at Easter Vigil 2022.
T
o say Derek Okabayashi has had an “exciting year” would be an understatement! At the Easter Vigil, Derek entered the Catholic Church through Baptism, Holy Communion, and Confirmation, and in late May, he got married to his wife, Nohealani. Derek feels like when he entered the Catholic Church, he became part of a family. He’s so glad to now be part of the Catholic faith. “I feel as though everyone is my brothers and sisters in the faith,” he says. “I love the brother and sisterhood at the parish. There’s camaraderie between everyone.” As he prepared to enter the Catholic faith, Derek attended virtual Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults classes led by Michael and Terry Cromwell. “It was a very structured curriculum, and the instructors were very detailed and made sure we understood what was being taught,” Derek says. “I
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learned you can never learn the whole Bible, and you must always keep your mind open.” Derek enjoyed learning about the Old Testament, then moving to the New Testament. His sponsors for the sacraments were Celeste and Anthony Tanodra. Receiving the sacraments at Easter Vigil was such a blessing to Derek. “It was an astonishing experience,” he says. “I felt like I had entered into a different realm and was a part of something greater.” Derek credits his wife, Nohealani, for leading him to the faith when they met in 2018. When he was growing up, he didn’t attend any faith services or events except Buddhist family funerals. Before finding the Catholic faith, he would often pray to God when he knew he needed help. Now, he will have the opportunity to actually learn more about God, Jesus, and the faith. “Nohealani guided me into the direction of the
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022
DEREK OKABAYASHI
Become Part of Our Faith Family Church, and I thought it was something totally different and amazing,” Derek says. Derek has three step-children. His mother and father, Richard and Ann Okabayashi, live on Oahu. Nohealani runs a housekeeping business, and Derek is a recruit at the Police Academy of the Hawaii Police Department. In his free time, Derek most enjoys spending time with family. He also enjoys weight training and fishing. Derek hopes to get involved in a parish ministry when he has more time after completing the Police Academy.
“I feel as though everyone is my brothers and sisters in the faith. I love the brother and sisterhood at the parish. There’s camaraderie between everyone.” — DEREK OKABAYASHI
WELCOME JAMES ANAKALEA TO THE CATHOLIC FAITH continued from front cover
looks forward to starting as a lector soon at Annunciation. James shares a lot of his free time ensuring that the parish grounds look great at both Waimea and Puako as part of the Saturday Work Group. In addition, he serves as an usher at Saturday evening Mass — in fact, James was ushering even before becoming Catholic. “I want to set a good example for the kids that it’s important to get involved,” he says. James recalls that, throughout his adolescence and young adulthood, he wasn’t certain of what he believed about God. “I didn’t really have any kind of faith that I understood or believed,” he says. “That’s for sure all changed now.”
Entering into full communion with the Catholic Church has been a major step for James. He is glad to be practicing the same faith as Andrea, and he believes that this will help him and Andrea remain on the same page as parents. “I learned a lot through RCIA,” James says. “The most important thing is that you have to trust in Jesus Christ.” James especially wants to thank his sponsors, Mike and Terry. It was meaningful for him to have them serve as RCIA teachers and sponsors. He is deeply appreciative of everything he learned through the process. “I look forward to growing closer to God every day,” he says.
“I learned a lot through RCIA. The most important thing is that you have to trust in Jesus Christ.” — JAMES ANAKALEA
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Annunciation Church & Ascension Mission
ANNUNCIATION PARISH FINANCIAL REPORT - BUDGET VS. ACTUAL Fiscal Year 2021-2022
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022
MEET OUR SACRISTANS
Faithfully Helping to Prepare the Altar for Celebration of the Mass
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ave you ever sat in Mass and watched as the servers and priest performed what seemed to be a perfectly choreographed dance? Everyone on the altar seems to know exactly what they are supposed to be doing at any given moment during the celebration of the Most Holy Mass. Part of making sure that the Mass is performed smoothly, is the proper preparation of the altar. The altar has certain books and items that should be in specific places for the Mass to take place. The people in charge of setting up the altar are called sacristans. “We come in before Mass, about an hour, and set up everything,” shares Patty Higaki, one of the head sacristans. “We get all the books ready and make sure that the correct readings are ready. We set up the credence table in the back and we make sure that there are enough hosts that everyone will be able to receive the most precious Body of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Sacristans hold an important role in making sure that the altar is prepared for Mass. Here at Annunciation, there is a small group of sacristans who have graciously volunteered to take on this responsibility. The sacristans rotate the Sunday on which they serve, and are also responsible for helping clean up after Mass. “Being a sacristan has helped me to more fully understand the Mass,” Patty says. “It gives me a better understanding of how important all the different parts are.” Sacristans have a unique opportunity to learn all about the different items that are used in the celebration of the Mass. This can provide a better understanding of what is taking place and the importance that it holds. Being a sacristan is also a great way to get involved in the community. Patty shares that she has met many wonderful people as a sacristan. It has also helped her recognize many
Sacristans have a unique opportunity to learn all about the different items that are used in the celebration of the Mass. This can provide a better understanding of what is taking place and the importance that it holds
members of the parish who attend Mass regularly since she is there to set up often. “My family noticed a difference after I started getting involved in the parish,” Patty says. “It gives me a sense of pride. Sometimes it can be hard to see the importance of what we are doing, but other people notice. People around you — family and fellow parishioners — are watching and they see the important things that you do. They notice and it helps bring us together as a community. It gives our community a sense of pride.”
If you have any questions, or if you are interested in getting involved as a sacristan, please contact Patty Higaki at 808-938-1793.
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Annunciation Church & Ascension Mission Annunciation / Ascension Parish 65-1235 Kawaihae Rd. Waimea, HI 96743
CELEBRATING FIRST COMMUNION AND CONFIRMATION After completing two years of Religious Education, eight children from our parish received their Sacraments of Initiation on May 14 at St. Michael’s Church. Pictured are (front row, from left) Elizabeth Lasquete, Micah Camacaylan, Hayven Costa, Zaiden Ragpa, (Christian Mandac from Our Lady of Lourdes); (back row, from left) Anela Gorloff, Amelia Cook, Bishop Larry Silva, Kenneth Bartunek and Anthony Tubianosa.
MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil: 5 p.m. (Waimea) | Sunday: 8 a.m. (Waimea) & 10 a.m. (Puako) | Confession: Saturday 4 p.m. (Waimea)