Dr. Nolan Arruda Reflects On The Blessings Of An Active Faith Life

Here at St. Theresa Catholic Church, there is truly a way for every parishioner to become more engaged with parish life! With our numerous activities and ministries, there is something for everyone — our outgoing parishioners and our shy ones, our working parents and our retired empty nesters, our “doers” and our planners. Local internist Dr. Nolan Arruda, who serves on our Pastoral Council, feels blessed to have found this rewarding way to give back to our faith community.

“It’s been wonderful,” he says of his three years on the council. “I’m so busy that I have a hard time doing active things, so if I can gather and listen and lend my opinion about something, that’s something I really enjoy doing. I also enjoy getting to know the other parishioners. I tend to be on the quiet side, so this allows me to be introduced and get acquainted with others.”

Our Pastoral Council consists of 12 members who help Fr. Terry fulfill the mission of St. Theresa Parish. Members discuss the many different facets of church life, including the financial and business sides of things, community outreach, and outreach to other parishes on the island. By meeting regularly, members have the opportunity to spend time together and often develop new friendships.

As Nolan approaches the end of his term on the Pastoral Council, one thing is certain — he will soon be looking for another way to stay engaged with parish life!

“Being a member of a medical group taught me the importance of being an active participant in my own work ‘home,’” he says. “So, I extrapolated that to other parts of my life, and of course St. Theresa is a major part of that. The life of a parish is so intricate and involved. It relies on people’s help and assistance all the time, so I think it’s important for all of us to try our best to remember that and participate.”

With this sense of community in mind, Nolan has made active discipleship a central part of life in recent years. He comes from a large Maui family — his mother was one of 11 children — and feels deeply committed to the local area. Although Nolan was raised Catholic, he attended Mass only sporadically for much of his adult life. About 10 years ago, however, he experienced what he calls a “renaissance” in his faith life when he began to attend St. Theresa regularly.

“I was attracted back to the Church because some of my patients who weren’t even Catholic were participating in the Hale Kau Kau Program, having meals delivered, and I thought that was wonderful,” Nolan says. “I also saw that we have so many loving parishioners who work so hard and do wonderful things for their church, and we have also been blessed with wonderful priests who have served the community well.”

Recognizing the many blessings that have come with a vibrant faith life, Nolan would encourage all Catholics — whether they are currently active in a church in Kihei or not — to learn as much as they can about our beautiful faith. He hopes that the future will see many more Catholic families coming to Mass in South Maui and enjoying all the graces that participation in the Church has to offer.

While Nolan is not yet sure where God will call him to serve once his time on the Pastoral Council has ended, he looks forward to continuing to stay active in our faith community.

“My ultimate goal seems to be pretty simple — I just want to help in whatever way I can, because the parish is such an important part of our lives,” he says. “To be able to participate in the way I have been allowed to is very satisfying.”

Dr. Nolan Arruda