Operation Rice Bowl - source: orb.crs.org
Spiritual practices for the Season of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Each year, we distribute little cardboard rice bowls for you to contribute money from your sacrifices. In many ways it makes it easier to give on a daily basis for those in the world who are suffering from lack of food, housing, education, etc. It is our custom to collect the rice bowls at the end of Lent and send the money to Catholic Relief Services. A percentage of the money remains in the Diocese to be used by the Office for Social Ministry to support projects for the poor of Hawaii. This year, I continue to remind you of our Preferential Option for the Poor, but we will have one collection for Operation Rice Bowl and that will be on Holy Thursday (April 1). Put your offerings in a safe place until then.
Last Saturday, I went to Waimea to be with the nine Catechumens and their sponsors for the Rite of Election. Bishop Larry officiated. They are now in the final stages of preparing to receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. This is their time of purification and enlightenment. Beginning next Sunday, March 7th and the two following Sundays, they will go through the Scrutinies (or exorcisms). Please pray for them and with them. They are now new members of our One ‘Ohana.
On May 2nd we will have the Sacrament of Confirmation administered at St. Michael’s to our 2nd-Year Confirmation Class and several adults who have not yet been confirmed. Fr. Marc Alexander, our Vicar General, will confer the Sacrament. This is a big step for our young people. They are the next generation of St. Michael’s, the living stones that will form the foundation of the Catholic Faith in Kona.
The trees that needed to come down have been cut. I am sure that most of you read the article in West Hawaii Today on February 14th about our plan for landscaping the property. There remains a number of hurdles we must cross in our planning for the new Church. As usual, we ask for continued prayer that we accomplish our goals with relative ease. - Fr. Lio
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