"If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so, faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself."

— James 2:15-17

In modern terms, James teaches us that true faith is reflected not in our words but in our actions. The Bible makes clear that believers must do more than "talk the talk." We are called to "walk the walk." I learned this from the Marianist brothers and priests at Saint Louis School. I have tried to heed James' words, but I fear my church and my school may have forgotten them.

I am referring to the sale of the Kukui Gardens affordable housing project to Carmel Partners. If the sale goes through, I fear many families who live in Kukui Gardens will be displaced and join the growing number of homeless.

My father, the late Clarence T.C. Ching, established Kukui Gardens Corp. to own and develop housing for families of limited financial means. Its board is composed of 15 directors — five representatives from each of the following: The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation, the Marianist Center of Hawaii (which operates Saint Louis School and Chaminade University) and St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii and its affiliates.

My father was a quiet, generous and humble person who had a vision, a belief in hard work and a strong commitment to the welfare of the community. He was very grateful for his success and wished to give something back to his community. Kukui Gardens was his legacy to the community.

Working under my father, I participated in the planning, development, construction and property management of the project from its inception. We created a safe and secure environment that many residents are proud to call home. I feel honor-bound to uphold my father's vision.

Over the years, countless residents have expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to live at Kukui Gardens, making it possible to provide higher education for their children, save enough money to purchase their own homes or make ends meet. While some residents may be over-income, that number is nominal, especially in proportion to the number of residents who cannot afford to pay market rent. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development permits over-income residents to remain in the project by paying over-income market rents.

As a director of Kukui Gardens Corp. and a trustee of The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation, I am concerned that the needs of the residents and the community have not been addressed. The sole focus of the Kukui Gardens directors was on a fast sale. There was no interest in ascertaining the buyer's plans for the project, or examining any alternatives that could have yielded the same money but would have guaranteed that Kukui Gardens stayed affordable for the nearly 3,000 people who call it home.

It saddens me that the sale of Kukui Gardens is being driven by the expected financial benefits that may accrue to the Marianist Center (including Saint Louis School and Chaminade University) and the St. Francis Healthcare System and its affiliates — organizations that have already received millions of dollars from The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation. I was appalled when one director told me I needed to support the sale because Saint Louis School needed the funds.

Even the trustees of The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation who were Kukui Gardens directors had conflicting loyalties. At the time they approved the sale, two of the foundation trustees were regents of Chaminade University and one was a trustee of Saint Louis School and former longtime law partner of the school's president. I was the only who opposed the sale (one position was vacant).

I was disheartened when the Most Rev. Clarence "Larry" Silva, who presently serves as a director for St. Francis Healthcare System, ignored the obvious impact of the sale on the residents. I requested his assistance in dissuading the Marianist Center and the St. Francis Healthcare System from supporting an action that would further disadvantage the residents. Bishop Silva refused, stating in a letter that he was "not convinced that their actions would in fact be disadvantageous to the Kukui Gardens families."

This is not credible. Carmel's investment strategy, as stated on its Web site, is to focus on acquiring "underperforming multi-family assets" that "exhibit favorable near-term prospects for improving rents and property values through active property renovation and repositioning."

It was the Catholic Church that instilled in my father the faith that fueled his deep commitment to Kukui Gardens. In the face of rapidly rising rents and increasing homelessness, it is wrong for the church and its related institutions to profit from the loss of 857 affordable rental apartments.

I respectfully urge the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, the Marianist Center (Saint Louis School and Chaminade University) and St. Francis Healthcare System to go on record refusing to share in any of the proceeds from the sale of Kukui Gardens. Life is filled with hard choices. I hope and pray that Bishop Silva and the leaders of these Catholic organizations will heed the words of James and do what is right, not what is profitable.

Wallace S.J. Ching is a director of Kukui Gardens Corp. and trustee of The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.