Priests Must Be Obedient to Church’s Precepts

Pope Benedict:Priests Must Live Saintly Lives, Obey Church Rules Including Celibacy

Read it here - Courageous Priet

Pope Benedict and Youth in Madrid, Spain

With smiles on his face, Pope Benedict XVI is seen arriving in Madrid, Spain. We pray for him, Spain, all delegates, and all youth participating in the event.

May the youth's experience in Madrid bring them a lasting hope that will keep them spiritually inflamed with God's presence, and with hearts renewed on their return to their homelands, they spread around them -- whether in church or in the society -- the Life of Christ himself. May their passion bear fruits in their future vocations; most of all, that many vocations to the church grow from that experience.

Hawai'i Catholic Herald blogs about your delegates to the WYD 2011.

Bishop Larry Silva and Fr. Peter Dumag pose with Merelyn Lubong, her daughter Chelsea, and friends from Hawai'i.

My thanks to Merelyn for sharing with us their pictures.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace Celebrates 168th Anniversary

Fr. John Berger, pastor of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace celebrates today its 168th anniversary. Fr. John Berger officiates the 12 noon Mass and is joined by more than 300 of its parishioners. Fr. John invites everyone to take part in the restoration project of the cathedral since it needs much repair, being the oldest cathedral in existence that still functions as a full church.

Because today is a weekday, the church celebrated the event in a larger scale this past Sunday, August 14. Also officiated by Fr. John Berger, the Mass at 12 noon of that day was made available through a live webcast at hictv.com. Afterwards, the assembly gathered at the Kamiano Center for fellowship, food and entertainment. Alika Cullen served as the emcee, as usual, and all enjoyed his impromptu manoeuvre for providing a relaxed yet joy-filled atmosphere.

HIVTv is owned and managed by John Fielding, with its grand opening to take place at Damien Memorial School this Thursday, August 18, from 6-9 p.m. All are invited.

Prayer to be Said at the Priest's Communion

Bishop Larry Silva

Prayer to be Said at the Priest's Communion

O Lord may Thou find shelter
and rest gently
within the heart of Thy priest...

Make him, O Lord,
a priest according to Thy Heart:
meek, humble, zealous,
so that all he does will be
for Thine honor and glory.
Mold him into a man of prayer
and labor,
insensible to earthly things
and sensible only to Thy love,
and to the graces of the Holy Ghost.
Amen.

Thank you, Esther, for sending me this prayer.

Hau`oli la Hanau Bishop Larry!

Dear Bishop Larry:

We want to wish you a very happy and blessed birthday.

May God always bless you, protect you and keep you in good health.

With much aloha!!

 The Spiritual Moms of the Diocese of Honolulu

Rest in Peace

From our Diocese's e-letter comes the sad news of Father Dan McNichol's passing. There is also an update on funeral arrangements for Father Pete Peterson who died a couple of months ago.

Fr. Dan McNichol - Passed away on Friday, July 29, 2011 at the age of 70.
Fr. McNichol was ordained a priest on May 21, 2967. Funeral
arrangements and services are as follows:
Wed., Aug.10: 6:00-8:30 p.m., Visitation, Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa
7:00 p.m., Vigil Service, Co-Cathedral
Thu. Aug. 11: 11:00 a.m., Funeral Mass, Co-Cathedral, Bishop Larry Silva presiding.
1:30 p.m. Burial, Mililani Cemetery

Photo source Hawaii Catholic Herald. Click there for full obituary.

Fr. Francis ‘Pete’ Peterson - Mass and burial of the remains of Fr. Francis ‘Pete’ Peterson, who died
April 14, 2011 and donated his body to the John A. Burns School of Medicine, will take place
Thursday, August 18, 2011. The schedule of the mass and burial is as follows:
Thu. Aug. 18: 8:30 - 9:30 a.m., Visitation at St. Peter & Paul Church
9:30 – 10:30 a.m., Mass with Fr. Dave Travers as the celebrant
11:30 a.m., Burial at Punchbowl Cemetery

Prayer for Our Priests

From Lleander of the Serra Club in Honolulu:

You are asked to pray the following prayer for your parish priest and all priests of our diocese and throughout the world as they constantly are under attacks and criticisms.

Am sure you heard the saying - "Strike the shepherd and scatter the sheep." Therefore, protect our shepherds to protect our sheep. You know who the enemy is. He works amongst us, using us against each other and our priests.

Happy Feast day to each of our wonderful priests. Thank you for your ministry to us. We pray for all those who are sick, retired, lonesome, inactive or fallen as well as those who feel unappreciated.

Divine Savior, Jesus Christ, who have entrusted your work of redemption to the priests, who take your place on earth, I offer you, through the hands of your most holy Mother, for the sanctification of your priests and future priests this whole day, all my prayers, works, joys, sacrifices and sufferings. Give us saintly priests. Grant to them apostolic hearts, filled with love for you and all the souls belonging to you, so that, being themselves sanctified in you, they may sanctify us who are entrusted to their care and bring us safely into Heaven.

Loving Jesus, bless all their priestly work and sacrifice. Bless all their prayers and words at the altar and in the confessional, in the pulpit, in the school, and at the sickbed. Call many young men to the priesthood and the monastic life. Protect and sanctify all who will become your priests. And grant to the souls of the priests who have departed this life, eternal rest.

And do you, Mary, Mother of all priests, take them under your special protection and lead them ever to the highest priestly sanctity. Amen

Feast of St. Jean Marie Vianney - Patron Saint of Priests

Picture source.

In honor of St. Jean Vianney's feast day,  and on behalf of The Spiritual Moms Apostolate in the Diocese of Honolulu,  Mass for all the priests in this diocese, Bishop Larry and our holy father, Benedict XVI, was offered. Their Mass was celebrated this morning at 7:00 a.m. at Sts. Peter and Paul Church.

The Holy Rosary was also offered for their intentions prior to Mass.

It was very fitting that we prayed the Luminous Mysteries today especially as we meditated on the last Luminous Mystery, the Institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper. As we know that is when Jesus also instituted the sacrament of Holy Orders.

St. John Vianney, Patron Saint of Parish Priests, pray for all our priests, especially our spiritual sons in the Diocese of Honolulu.

Rev. Mark J. Gantley, JCL,Taught Code of Canon Law in the Diocese of Honolulu

Fr. Mark J. Gantley presiding at Mass, giving a lecture, and posing with the deacon formation group















The course Code of Canon Law has been integrated into the curriculum of the diaconate formation program of the Diocese of Honolulu. Rev. Mark J. Gantley, who is the pastor of St. John the Baptist Church and St. Agnes Mission of the Diocese of Syracuse in New York, gave the course on the second weekend of the months of April, May, and June at St. Stephen Diocesan Center.

Designed by Fr. Mark himself, the curriculum provides basic concepts foundational to the Code of Canon Law of the Latin Church and other sources of canon law of significance to our diocese. The topics comprise structure, authority and power within the Latin Church, canonical rights and obligations of the Church and the people of God, faculties of the clergy, teaching and sanctifying functions, delicts and penalties, laws governing baptism, and a considerable amount of coverage on laws involving marriage.

Here's what Mike Weaver, one of the men in the deacon formation program has to say: "There is a richness and a depth of beauty in Canon Law that I was not aware of prior to this course. Thanks to Fr. Mark, I believe all of us in the class now see Canon Law as much more than simply a list of regulations and rules to be followed in lock step, but rather as a source of life in the Spirit of our Church."

Rev. Mark J. Gantley was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Syracuse in 1991. He earned his licentiate in canon law (JCL) in 1998 at the Catholic University of America. He has served as a judge on the Tribunal for the Diocese of Syracuse and served for two years (2007-2009) as Judicial Vicar for the Diocese of Honolulu. (Source: Syllabus for Code of Canon Law, deacon formation, Chaminade University)

Aloha and mahalo nui loa, Fr. Mark!

Pope Benedict's Vocation Prayer

Picture source

O Father, raise up among Christians numerous and holy vocations to the priesthood, to keep the faith alive and guard the gracious memory of your Son Jesus through the preaching of his word and the administration of the Sacraments, with which you continually renew your faithful.

Give us holy ministers of your altar, who are careful and fervent guardians of the Eucharist, the sacrament of the supreme gift of Christ for the redemption of the world.

Call ministers of your mercy,who, through the sacrament of Reconciliation, spread the joy of your forgiveness.

Grant, O Father, that the Church may welcome with joy numerous inspirations of the Spirit of your Son and, docile to His teachings, may she care for vocations to the ministerial priesthood and to the consecrated life.

Sustain the Bishops, priests and deacons, consecrated men and women, and all the baptized in Christ, so that they may faithfully fulfill their mission at the service of the Gospel. This we pray You through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Mary, Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

Mahalo Padre Steve!

St. Alphonsus di Liguori - Dignity and Duties of the Priest

The entire online work can be found here.