During October, I had opportunities to have one short pastoral visit in New York City and one longer one in the state of Hawai’i on two of the islands. October 9 – 11, I visited briefly with the leadership of the Congregation of Notre Dame, the
sisters who have worked side-by-side with the Blessed Sacrament Community in New York City’s Eglise Saint Jean-Baptiste for 123 years. We are discussing our collaboration and living situation for since 1988 we have shared our Blessed Sacrament building.
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In addition to visiting and planning with the sisters for the next five years, Father John Kamas and I visited the bishop for the vicariate of Manhattan in the Archdiocese of New York, Bishop Edward Whalen.
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From the island of Manhattan to the islands of O’ahu and Hawai’i on October 19 – 30, I came to make a pastoral visit with our American religious Father Bob Stark, who is the director of the Diocese of Honolulu Office for Social Ministry, and the two Filipino SSS Province communities. With the pastor at Mary, Star of the Sea Honolulu, Father Frankie de los Reyes SSS, away for a meeting in Manila, I assisted the parochial vicar, Father Junvic Diolata SSS, with some Masses. Father Paterno Labasano SSS is a hospital chaplain, visiting the many in Honolulu daily to assist Catholic patients. These four members live in Honolulu. Mary, Star of the Sea is a unique parish with an early childhood center, grade school to 8th grade and a senior living center all surrounding a soccer field. The field is the roof of the underground parking lot. Families come from all over the island to this very special school, with the campus located east of Diamondhead.
Photos: Top – Father Robert Stark, Bishop Larry Silva and Father John Thomas Lane
Bottom – Parish complex of Mary Star of the Sea in Honolulu