November 9, 2023

This issue's header photo of the Church of the Holy Apostles congregation in Hilo, was taken during their 120th Anniversary celebration this past weekend. It is one of our feature stories in this issue further below, or go directly to the news website for the full article HERE now. (Contributed photo)

Proper 27

O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

From the Bishop

RIP Simeona Geston

Mrs. Simeona Geston, the widow of the Rev. Alejandra Geston Aiona, died on October 30, 2023. Many will remember that Alex only died this past June.

A service is being scheduled for St. Timothy’s Church, ʻAiea. The day and time are pending arrangements by the family.

Please keep their daughters and the entire Geston family in your prayers.

O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered: Accept our prayers on behalf of your servant Simeona, and grant her an entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Rest eternal grant her, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen.

The Right Reverend Robert L. Fitzpatrick

(Pronouns: he, him, his)

Bishop Diocesan

The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i

Be sure to stay informed with the Bishop's latest messages by clicking on the button shown. All video messages also appear on the Dioceseʻs YouTube Channel and Facebook page.

FEATURE STORIES

Holy Apostles Celebrates 120 Years!

By the Rev. Katlin McCallister

On the Feast of All the Saints, 2023, Church of the Holy Apostles celebrated its 120th year. The earliest recorded baptisms were of five on September 8, 1903, in the home of a Puna resident. At the time, our mission congregation worshipped in homes and in the Hilo Hotel. James Hind of Kohala funded the building of a parish hall that was so named after him and the congregation in its earliest mission days was known as St. James, Hilo.

READ FULL ARTICLE (with photos)

A Tribute to Father David Gierlach

By Stuart Ching

Saint Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church marked the retirement of the Rev. David J. Gierlach with a grand lūʻau on Sunday, October 15, 2023. Hearts were filled with gratitude for a beloved rector and faithful servant of God, who has led the parish for the past 14 years. Parishioners, family members, community partners, and fellow clergy gathered to honor a man who has exemplified, in large and small ways, the true meaning of being a disciple of Christ. READ FULL ARTICLE (with video)

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DIOCESE

Visit the Diocese's Calendar page HERE for Diocesan events & activities.

Special Edition CONVENTION 55 CHRONICLE:

Thank you for your patience as we gather and prepare all documents, information, and photos for our special edition coverage of Convention 55 which has been delayed. Look for its release tomorrow! Mahalo!

Special Liturgical Observances Coming Up in November

November is an important time in the Diocese of Hawai'i, as we commemorate Queen Lili‘uokalani and the Holy Sovereigns, King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma.

On November 11 (or the Sunday after this date) we remember Queen Lili‘uokalani (the date of her death), although many in the community observe her birthday in early September.

On November 28, The Feast of the Holy Sovereigns (King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma) - The diocesan wide observance of our patrons' feast is always transferred to the Last Sunday after Pentecost (Christ the King Sunday) except by special permission of the Bishop. All congregations of this Diocese are expected to somehow commemorate the Feast of the Holy Sovereigns on Sunday.

For details and more information about our Liturgical Observances, read the Diocesan Customary (Item #15) that can be found on the Diocesan website's Forms and Documents page under Sacraments, or click HERE now to view the document.

Camp Mokulē'ia: Always a Blast!

Pictured here is Camp Mokulē'ia's Halloween Stay-Cay where families dressed up for the Saturday night Halloween Carnival! Coming up are two great opportunities for families to enjoy:

Families-Can-Survive, November 17-19, 2023 - This special weekend camp experience is for families who have been impacted by childhood cancer. The whole weekend is only $25 per person, thanks to a generous grant from the First Hawaiian Bank Foundation.
Christmas 'Ohana Stay-Cay, December 8-10, 2023 - A weekend getaway to Camp Mokulēʻia is the festive way to start the Christmas season! With cookie decorating, brunch/photos with Santa, ornament making, caroling at the campfire, zip-lining, paddle boarding, an outdoor movie showing of the Santa Claus, and keiki story time!

Click HERE to go to the Camp website and register today to secure your spot before it fills up!

Clergy Spotlight: The Rev. Chris Golding

The Rev. Christopher Golding, our Chaplain at Seabury Hall on Maui, is featured on the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) website HERE. Golding, who was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia, moved to O'ahu in 2015, where he served at St. Clement's and Emmanuel. He later moved to Louisiana before returning to the islands in 2021, and has been enjoying his time as the Chaplain at Seabury Hall since then. Along with his wife Julia and two children, Phoebe and James, they enjoy exploring their beautiful island of Maui. Congratulations Fr. Chris!

Retired Clergy Families Updates

Our Retired Clergy Families team has been busy trying to keep up with all our retired clergy, their spouses.. and sadly, funerals as well. DId you know that they meet every month for lunch "somewhere" and the ministry has a full team of correspondents? We invite you to keep up with our retired clergy who stay active and involved, by reading their quarterly newsletters on their webpage HERE (scroll to the bottom). Also on that page is a link to visit their Talk Story project that features stories by our retired clergy, their spouses, and widows.

Reminder: Alcohol Policy & Church Events

As the holiday season approaches, we take this time to remind everyone about the Diocese's policy on alcohol. While some churches may choose to serve beer and wine at special events, they should be aware of the policy's provisions and limitations. For example, "No hard liquor will be served at congregational events in the Diocese of Hawaiʻi" and "The serving of alcoholic beverages at church events should not be publicized as an attraction of the event, e.g. “wine and cheese reception,” “cocktail party” and “beer and wine tasting,” or photos/drawings of bottles, wines glasses or beer steins." To read the Diocese's Alcohol Policy, click HERE or visit the Diocesan website, Forms and Documents Resource page HERE.

FOOD WASTE: A MESSY PROBLEM AND THE GOOD NEWS - The New York Times recently reported on an initiative taken by the South Korean government to eliminate food waste (see HERE). In 2021 the Hawaiʻi State Legislature noted that nearly 523 million pounds of food is wasted each year here in Hawaiʻi, approximately 26% of the stateʻs total food supply. Though the bill introduced by the legislature in 2021 did not ultimately pass, food waste is a pressing and important issue to address in Hawaiʻi. The good news is while the state is not yet taking action, others are. The City of Honolulu is conducting its own pilot program to test a different path for food waste (https://www.resilientoahu.org/ocp). A second project builds on the first pilot, taking the food waste from seven Windward schools and converting it to compost. Here are some ways to reduce or recycle food waste:

Shop Smart - Be mindful of how much food you purchase and store, that spoils or goes uneaten - multiple small trips to the store may be helpful.
Learn to Worm! - Learn about vermicomposting HERE.
Countertop Composting - No backyard? Check this review of the 5 best countertop compost systems.

2024 FORMA - January 22-25, 2024, Virtual watch parties TBA

2024 Clergy Retreat - January 29-31, 2024, Camp Mokulēʻia, O'ahu

2024 Vestry Orientation (New or not!) - February 10, 2024 (Virtual)

2024 Spring Training - March 23, 2024, The Cathedral of St. Andrew, O'ahu

ISLAND HAPPENINGS

Visit the Diocese's Community Calendar page HERE for ongoing activities in your neighborhood.

O'AHU: At The Cathedral...

This Sunday: Honoring Queen Liliu'okalani - Blessing of the Peace Chapel & Choral Evensong

On Sunday, November 12, 2023, there will be two opportunities to honor Queen Lili'uokakani.

8:00 AM, Diocesan Feast Day of Queen Lili'uokakani - During this service, Bishop Fitzpatrick will bless and dedicate the Queen Lili'uokalani Peace Chapel
5:00 PM Choral Evensong - The Cathedral Choir will premiere a new setting for Evensong taken from the translation of the Book of Common Prayer prepared by King Kamehameha IV. This new musical setting was commissioned especially for this occasion and was composed by Sean Kalanimoku Rodan, a member of the Cathedral Choir.

O'AHU: St. Luke's Welcomes New Vicar

As St. Luke's prepares to bid the Rev. Ray Woo a fond aloha when he retires at the end of the year, it has been announced that their new Vicar, the Rev. James Loughren will be joining their church 'ohana. Fr. James is currently the Assisting Priest at Grace Church on Moloka'i, where he has served for the past seven years. He has followed his passion for connecting church ministries and mission to community needs by starting a food pantry, a thriving thrift store, and a hugely popular Saturday market, which highlights local vendors and artists.

He is originally from the Adirondack mountains of northern New York. With degrees in Sociology, Economics, Divinity, and Systematic Theology, he has worked in banking, and in many churches as a Roman Catholic, then Episcopal priest. He is very active, and enjoys hiking, biking, paddle boarding, and holds a black belt in martial arts.

He loves coming alongside and working with the people of God, and together stepping out in faith and watching as God blesses those efforts in the most amazing ways! He can’t wait to see what God has in store for St. Luke’s!

O'AHU: Tomorrow! Holy Nativity Celebrates 25 Years!

Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Aina Haina will be celebrating their 75th anniversary, TOMORROW, November 11, from 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM. It will be an evening filled with music and entertainment! Along with a slideshow of the church, Holy Nativity School and the Church Choir will be performing. There will also be a Dance Bomb performance, Karate exhibition, Ukulele by Amie Lawyer, and music by Gary Pacarro. Plus there will be food trucks to fill up your tummies and the Thrift Shop to satisfy your shopping itch. Holy Nativity is located at 5286 Kalaniana'ile Highway.

MAUI: Coming Up! St. John's Market Place

St. John's Episcopal Church in Kula will be holding a Market Place event on November 17 & 18, 2023, from 9:00 AM-3:00 PM. There will be crafters, a silent auction, quilt display, baked goods, plants, produce and gift shop! A portion of the proceeds will be going to UpCountry Wildfire Relief. Get an early start on your holiday shopping! St. John's is located at 8992 Kula Highway, Kula.

KAUA'I: Celebrating a New Deacon

The Rev. Deacon Mary Margaret Smith, the Diocese's newest deacon, was ordained during Convention 55 last month. She is pictured here right after the service with members from her home church, All Saints'. Most flew over just for the service and didn't even have time for the delicious Aloha Reception buffet afterwards! From left (seated): Jean Nakamoto, Chris Wataya, Kahu David Jackson, Deacon Mary Margaret, Faith Shiramizu and Diane Sato. (Photo from the All Saints' newsletter)

LAY POSITION OPENINGS

(Visit the Diocesan website HERE for more information.)

OʻAHU: The Cathedral of St. Andrew - Seeking Volunteer Docents
OʻAHU: St. Stephen's Church, Wahiawa - Organist (Part-time)
HAWAI'I ISLAND: Holy Apostles - Minister of Music (Part-time)

The Episcopal Church & Beyond

Presiding bishop says ‘stop the killing’ in Middle East as death toll rises from Israel-Hamas war

[11/07/23] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry issued a statement on Nov. 7 decrying the reported killing of 10,000 Palestinians in Gaza so far by the Israeli military in response to Hamas’ massacre of Israelis a month ago. Curry called for an end to all killing in the region while acknowledging the conflict’s complexities. READ MORE

Photo: Reuters