WHERE WE WORSHIP
Sense of 'ohana fills St. Patrick

By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Faith Editor

Altar server Sean Rodrigues carries the crucifix during a Sunday service at St. Patrick Church in Kaimuki. According to the church archivist, construction of the St. Patrick was begun in February 1928; the church was ready for worship a year later. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Our denomination: Roman Catholic, operated under the order of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts.

Where we are: 1124 Seventh Ave. in Kaimuki.

Our numbers: 1,200 attend weekend Masses.

Our pastor: The Rev. Lane Akiona, who also teaches religion classes for the seventh- and eighth-graders at the parish school.

What's special about us: With a monastery for 14 retired Sacred Hearts order priests sharing the same grounds with a K-8 parish school, this is a cycle-of-life kind of place.

"St. Patrick is a loving and caring community that, even in the midst of all that's going on in the church and society, we struggle for the main goal of finding Jesus in each other and be as forgiving and compassionate for each other as well," Akiona said.

Adding to the extended 'ohana atmosphere are the sounds of children at play that soothe retired priests of the monastery. In turn, it's nice for the children to have kupuna nearby, he said.

Also, the church is considered a significant landmark for Kaimuki, with its European-style architecture and towering structure.

Our history: The Catholic church is apostolic, meaning it traces its history to Christ and the apostles. Many of today's Mass rituals are symbolic of the Last Supper.

The Sacred Hearts order, to which Akiona belongs, this week celebrated its 175th anniversary in Hawai'i with a 24-hour adoration service at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace. Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo celebrated Mass at noon on Monday, followed by continuous "eucharistic adoration" (a prayer service that included solemn vespers) that ran until noon Mass on Tuesday.

It was July 7, 1827, when the first fathers and brothers of the order arrived; in February 1928, St. Patrick Church was built in Kaimuki under the guidance of the Rev. Athanasius Bous. It was blessed by Bishop Stephen Alencaster and ready for worship on Feb. 10, 1929, said Sister Rita Ferraris, the provincial archivist.

Eight years later, the school was added, though Sacred Hearts Academy across the street had been built in 1901 by the Sacred Hearts sisters. (The convent chapel had served as a place for Sunday public worship until St. Patrick was built.)

What we believe: While many rituals date to the days of the apostles, as do the seven sacraments (baptism, communion, confirmation, matrimony, penance, holy orders and anointing of the sick), the Second Vatican Council in 1962 made substantial updates in the church's doctrines.

The Roman Catholic Church still does not ordain women or allow its clergy to marry, and practicing homosexuals may not become ordained. Roman Catholics believe in the infallibility of their pope, John Paul II.

St. Patrick Church's mission statement: to celebrate faith through worship, prayer and communal action; strengthen knowledge and love of the gospel; foster a welcoming environment; invite stewardship and reach out to the needs of the community.

What we're excited about: Besides the anniversary celebration, which has just begun, Akiona said, there's the ordination of a new priest next year.

There's no firm date yet for the ordination of Johnathan Hurrell, who has a year of graduate study before he becomes a Sacred Hearts order priest and was one of five who promised last weekend to progress through religious training, the largest class of seminarians in at least two decades.

Planned for this month is a Teen Beach Blast 2002, part of the bustling youth and young adult ministry. Teens are planning to spend five hours at Ala Moana Beach Park on July 27, by the 'ewa-side volleyball courts, with other members of the East Honolulu Vicariate Youth and Young Adults group (call Phil Paragoso at 225-0463).

Contact: 732-5565.

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