Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick penned an editorial that appeared in the Star-Advertiser, February 11, 2022, in support of the minimum wage increase. Bishop Larry Silva of the Catholic Diocese of Honolulu and the Rev. Dr. David Popham of the United Church of Christ, joined their voices with the Bishop in this effort:

As Christian leaders in the islands of Hawaii, we write to urge the Legislature and governor to raise the minumium wage as proposed for the current legislative session in Senate Bill 2018. Our faith demands concern for the poor that is the tap root of the Christian ethic of economic justice. Our biblical heritage teaches us that caring for the poor, the least among us, the stranger, and those on the edge of society is central to our understanding of the mercy and love of Christ Jesus, and to our responsibility to love our neighbor as ourselves... To view the full ediorial, click HERE.

Join us for the Diocese's annual Chrism Mass & Spring Training 2022 event being held at The Cathedral of St. Andrew in Honolulu. We are looking forward to gathering together in-person for this year's event. The theme for Spring Training 2022 is from our Diocesan “Anthem” commissioned from Joe Camacho: "Pili Pa’a - We stand as one"

The day will begin at 9:00 AM with a Chrism Mass and Eucharist that will include the Renewal of Clergy Vows and Renewal of Baptismal Vows. Immediately following the mass will be Spring Training 2022 sponsored by the Racial Reconciliation Task Force, and will include a variety of workshops. For more information and to register, visit the event webpage HERE.

Applications are now being accepted for two Diocesan Scholarship funds that are available to students for the 2022-2023 school year.

The submission deadline is Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at 4:00 PM (HST). For more information, eligibility requirements and to download the application packet, click HERE. Should you have any questions, please e-mail Denise Esposito.

March 9, 2022, is Ash Wednesday and the start of the Lenten season. The Diocese's Prison Ministry has a special Lenten series that is being used in Oahu prisons and also around the Diocese. "The Seven Sundays of Lent and Easter" are written in English and Hawaiian and is available to download HERE.

The Episcopal Church has a number of resources to help you and your church observe Lent that can be found on their website HERE. Also, visit Godly Play: The Faces of Easter for more Lenten offering ideas and activities.

Itʻs that time of year when Lent Madness fans are gearing up for another season of learning, engaging and voting! For well over a decade, people of faith the world over have been filling out bracket forms and rooting for their favorites in the annual “saintly smackdown.”

For those who are new to Lent Madness, it is a unique blend of competition, learning, and humor, allowing participants to be inspired by the ways in which God has worked through the lives of saintly souls across generations and cultures. Throughout Lent, thirty-two saints will battle to win the coveted Golden Halo. Based loosely on the NCAA basketball tournament of a similar name, this online devotion pits saints against one another in a bracket as voters choose their favorites throughout this penitential season.

OF NOTE: Back in 2012, our very own Queen Emma made the impressive climb to the final Golden Halo round, just barely losing to Mary Magdalene. Many around the globe who never heard of our Queen were able to learn about her many compassionate deeds worthy of a saint! QUEEN EMMA IS BACK IN 2022! Get ready to cast your vote on March 21 when she will be up against Hugh of Lincoln.

Visit the Lent Madness website HERE to learn more and get ready to learn and cast your votes!

During the month of March, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) will focus on climate change and environmental and disaster risk. You are warmly invited to join Episcopal Church-hosted virtual events, with the participation of our wider Anglican family and the UN faith-based community. For a full list of events, and for registration links shared closer to the dates, visit the Episcopal Church UNCSW page HERE.

With the recent passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the world in a battle with itself, both human and nature, The Cathedral of St. Andrew's screening of Mission: Joy, was a timely breath of fresh air.

The film, Mission: Joy - Finding Happiness in Troubled Times, is a documentary that brought together His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Described as their "final joint mission, they share their wisdom to help us live a joyful life despite the challenges we face.

On Sunday, February 13, fifteen turned up for the limited in-person screening in the Von Holt Room of The Cathedral, while others around the Diocese tuned in online or made arrangements to view it at different times. To learn more about this film, visit the Mission: Joy website HERE.

Holy Nativity School's Student Council is leading a donation drive in support of Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai'i, beginning March 1 through 11, 2022. They will be collecting canned and dry non-perishable goods, diapers, and personal hygiene items. There are various drop off locations around the church and school campus. Questions? Email Holy Nativity School HERE.

As part of their Makana Mele Concert series, All Saints' Episcopal Church in Kapa'a will be welcoming guest organists for two very special concerts in March. For more information, visit their website HERE.

At a recent visitation to St. John's Episcopal Church in Kula, Bishop Bob and Bea were greeted with a heartfelt message written in chalk on the sidewalk. In a post on Facebook, the Bishop remarked, "Most visitations include a wonderful welcome from God’s people and sometimes I get a great view of God’s creation. When I go to St. John’s Church on Maui, I get both!" (Photo from St. John's Facebook page)

The Good Shepherd Women in Ministry will be holding a bazaar on Saturday, March 12, 2022, from 8:00 AM-1:00 PM. They will be selling household items, baked goods, and bentos. Proceeds will go towards various ministries including the A Cup of Cold Water, a Diocean ministry. For more information, contact the church office at (808) 244-4656.

St. John's Episcopal Church in Kula is excited to announce that they are now receiving names for the next Priest-in-Charge/Rector! Wonderful people in a beautiful location, St. John's has strong and healthy lay leadership with an eye toward the future and connecting with the larger community (in many cases re-connecting, given pandemic realities). This is a full-time position with rectory. For more information, please visit the Diocesan website HERE

Mark your calendars for St. Augustine's Shop & Go Event taking place on Saturday, March 19, 2022, from 9:00 AM-1:00 PM. There will be lots of great items from their Thrift Shop and Boutique, loads of ono food, baked goods, plants and produce. St. Augustine's is located at 54-3801 Akoni Pule Highway in Kapa'au. For more information, click HERE.

[February 14, 2022] At a memorial service for Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City on Feb. 13, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry remembered the former primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa as a relentless optimist who saw the promise of Easter even when it looked like Good Friday. READ MORE

[February 22, 2022] When John Christian Phifer talks about his work at Tennessee’s first conservation cemetery, he first provides context by describing the mainstream funerals familiar to many Americans, which he used to coordinate. “You walk into a large fancy room and there’s a casket and people are all dressed in formal clothing, and you feel this kind of velvet rope between you and everything else that’s happening, and you don’t know what to do, you don’t know how to feel,” Phifer, now executive director of Larkspur Conservation...

[February 18, 2022] Bishops and deputies are considering a General Convention resolution that calls on the church to study the feasibility of creating a fund to support under-resourced congregations in paying their clergy pension assessments. READ MORE

[February 15, 2022] For Prism staff and volunteers, the need to be companions and to share Communion with those in local jails and detention centers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has never been more urgent or more rewarding. “People are daunted by the issue of incarceration, but that’s not what we’re doing,” says Ann Noble, program coordinator of Prism, the restorative justice ministry of the Diocese of Los Angeles. READ MORE

Register Now for Camp Mokule'ia's 2022 Programs Camp Mokule'ia announces its popular Family Stay-Cay dates and Youth Summer Camps. Registration is now open! Click HERE for more info.

The Diocese has made available two very special publications for purchase: The Hawaiian Book of Common Prayer, with over 400 pages of translated biblical scripture, liturgical prayers and orders of service, including King Kamehameha IV's preface as translated by him into English, and Nā ‘Euanelio Hemolele - This lectionary-sized book contains the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, in the Hawaiian-language. To order your copies today click HERE.

Be sure to stay informed with all the latest COVID-19 updates in Hawai'i through the State's portal HERE. You'll find latest news updates, stats, media resources, information on Safe Travels, Vaccination sites, and much more. Quick links to separate County vaccine webpages are shown below:

County of Kaua'i City & County of Honolulu Maui County Hawai'i County