October 9, 2025

This issue's header photo was taken this past Sunday at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Honolulu where they celebrated the Feast of St. Francis. Like many churches around the Diocese, they offered a Blessing of the Animals service where folks could bring their beloved pets (or photos) to be blessed. Pictured above, the Rev. Ruth Peterson gives blessings to a precious pup who seems to be loving the attention. Each pet received a St. Francis of Assisi pendant. (Photo from the St. Peter's Facebook page)

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 23

Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

IN THIS ISSUE:

FEATURE STORY:

Young Adult Retreat: Making Beautiful Connections

(See Island Happenings for more stories)

REGULAR FEATURED SECTIONS:

Bishop's Corner - Continuing Travels, Celebrations & Visitations; RIP The Rev. Peter Champion
Bishop Search & Transition - Status on the search process
Growing in Grace - Twelve Years of Grace: The Continuing Journey of the Waiolaihui'ia Center for Ministry
Kahuaola - Convention 57: Focus on Creation Care
Let's Go with Canon Sandy - SPECIAL FEATURE: Visit to the Philippines, Part 1
Island Happenings - BIG ISLAND: Congratulations Catherine McPherson-Tampos; MAUI: Family Reunion Generates Large Donation for Holy Innocents; O'AHU: The Diocese's Latest Centenarian

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPCOMING:

Convention 57 - Bishop's Report to Convention & Budget Presentation Posted; Convention Eucharist: Kalani Holokai to be Ordained to the Diaconate
It's Episcopal Schools Celebration Week!
Big Time Bell Ringing Begins this Weekend!
A Step Closer to Full Communion with the United Methodist Church
Reminder: Be a Friend for Hope (AFEDJ)
Coming Up - Check out some of the events taking place at our churches.

THE BISHOP'S CORNER

Continuing Travels, Celebrations & Visitations

Pictured below, the Bishop spent the week of September 29, at the Maritime Conference Center in Maryland. He attended two meetings: The Task Force on the Anglican Communion & Countering the Colonial Mindset, and the Standing Commission on World Mission. He was asked to serve on these two groups by Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe in preparation for the next General Convention, and to help shape the future of the Episcopal Church. (Contributed photos)

On the Big Island of Hawai'i, the Bishop ordained Catherine McPherson-Tampos to the Transitional Diaconate at Holy Apostles' in Hilo, Saturday, September 27, 2025. He is shown helping her with her collar as she prepares for this special day, and then after being ordained. Scroll down to the Island Happenings section for more pictures. (Photos from the Holy Apostles' Facebook page)

Above, the Bishop visited the Holy Cross Preaching Station in Kahuku on Sunday, September 21. He is pictured with dedicated members Sally Cole and Boyd Ready, and with the Rev. Preston Lentz (giving Communion). At far right is Bea Fitzpatrick socializing on the lanai with Failautusi “Tusi” Avegalio, Jr. Lentz has been celebrating the Eucharist at Holy Cross on the last Sunday of the month since January 2021. (Photos by Mary Ann Lentz)

RIP The Rev. Peter Champion

The Reverend Peter Champion (Vicar of Emmanuel Church, Kailua, 2001-2006) died on October 6, 2025, surrounded by his family including his wife, the Reverend Sunan Champion (Chaplain of St. Andrew’s Priory School, Honolulu, 2001-2006), their daughters, and his sister. Returning to the West Coast after leaving Hawaiʻi, Peter had been retired since 2013.

ALMIGHTY AND ETERNAL GOD, to whom there is never any prayer made without hope of mercy, be merciful to the soul of your faithful servant, Peter, being departed from this world in the confession of your Holy Name that he and all the departed may be welcomed into the company of thy saints, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rest eternal grant him, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him. May our brother, Peter, rest in peace. Amen.

The Right Reverend Robert L. Fitzpatrick

Bishop Diocesan

The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i

Be sure to stay informed with the Bishop's latest messages by clicking on the button shown. All video messages also appear on the Dioceseʻs YouTube Channel and Facebook page.

FEATURE STORY

More stories can be found under Island Happenings.

Young Adult Retreat: Making Beautiful Connections

By Carolyn Morinishi

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Young Adults from across the United States (Boston, New York, Seattle, Northern California, and Hawai‘i), representing many different ethnicities (Tongan, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and multi-racial), gathered at beautiful Camp Mokulē'ia for a Young Adult Leadership Retreat on September 11-14, 2025. Hosted by the Episcopal Asiamerican Ministries (EAM), this annual gathering had taken a pause due to the pandemic, and only restarted in 2024 at a camp in Kōke‘e on the island of Kaua‘i. READ MORE

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DIOCESE

Visit the Diocese's Calendar page HERE for Diocesan events & activities.

Aloha from the Search Committee,

Our team has pulled together the first draft of our Diocesan Profile, and has shared it with the Standing Committee for their preliminary review. There will be continuing editing through the end of this month with a view to completing first thing in November. At that time it will be published churchwide. It will be available for all to see on the Diocesan website. When it comes out, please share it with anyone you discern as a suitable candidate and see if they feel the call to apply.

Visit the Bishop Transition webpage.for more information about the search process.

Bishop's Report and Proposed Budget Presentation Posted

The Bishop's Report to Convention is now posted on the Convention 57 webpage. The report can also be viewed HERE. Also posted on the Convention webpage is the recorded online presentation of the 2026 Proposed Budget Report that was held on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, along with the accompanying presentation slideshow.

Convention Eucharist to Include the Ordination of Kalani Holokai to the Diaconate

The Diocese of Hawai'i is pleased to announce that Kalani Holokai will be ordained to the diaconate during the Convention's Opening Eucharist on Friday, October 24. Kalani will be the Diocese's newest vocational deacon. All are invited to attend this event in St. Alban's Chapel. While there is no fee to attend the service, there is a fee to attend the Aloha Reception following the service. Please be sure to register for all events and activities taking place during Convention 57 HERE.

ONLINE REGISTRATION ENDS TOMORROW, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10!

If you haven't already registered for Friday's Education Day and/or the Annual Meeting, please do so by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 10. Fees will increase after this date and anyone planning to attend will have to register "at the door." For those planning to attend Education Day activities, your options may be limited and lunch is not guaranteed.

FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO REGISTER, CLICK ON THE BUTTONS BELOW:

It's Episcopal Schools Celebration Week: October 5-11, 2025

Episcopal Schools Celebration (ESC) celebrates the ministry of the 800+ Episcopal schools and early childhood education programs throughout The Episcopal Church. Whether it is at school, the parish or cathedral, or at a diocesan-wide service or event, ESC is the time to give thanks and to proclaim to your community and the Church the good news that is your school! To learn more, visit the ESC website HERE, and be sure to view Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe's video message for this year's celebration on that same page.

Big Time Bell Ringing Begins this Weekend!

The St. Andrew's Ringing Society (STARS) with the Cathedral of St. Andrew will be hosting the North American Guild of Change Ringers Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 11–15, 2025. This gathering will bring bell ringers from across the U.S., Canada, and abroad, to Honolulu for several days of fellowship, workshops, and ringing on the Cathedral’s historic bells—installed in 1991 through the generosity of benefactor Laith Reynolds.

The event will include tower ringing, handbell sessions, social gatherings, and a formal banquet. A highlight will be the AGM Service Ringing at the Cathedral on Sunday, October 12, where the sound of the bells will be shared around the Cathedral Square in celebration.

We are delighted to welcome the Guild to Hawai'i and invite the Diocese to join us in prayer and support as we prepare to host this international group of ringers. Also, do come and listen! Grab a beach chair and come and sit on the grass. You'll hear the bells during most of Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday morning, and Wednesday afternoon. Click HERE to view more details.

For more information about the Guild and its mission to keep the tradition of English change ringing alive in North America, please visit www.nagcr.org, or for more information about the Hawai'i band and how you could learn to ring with us, email us HERE.

A Step Closer to Full Communion with the United Methodist Church

The annual gathering of the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations (SCEIR) met in early October to finalize a Resolution for the next General Convention for full-communion with the United Methodist Church (UMC). At its Conference earlier in 2025, the UMC agreed to its document of full communion with the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church has similar agreements with several churches. If adopted by General Convention in 2027, the Episcopal and Methodist Churches would be able to work more closely, share ministries and ministers, and enjoy wider fellowship. This would be especially meaningful with chaplains, and in smaller, rural communities where ordained leadership is increasingly rare and smaller congregations could benefit. (Report by Willis H.A. Moore, Member of SCEIR)

Reminder: Be a Friend for Hope

The crisis in the Holy Land has not ended. The headlines may have quieted, but for families across the region, daily life is still marked by uncertainty and hardship. As a supporter of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ), your help sustains a vital network of hospitals, schools, and centers for children with disabilities that serve the most vulnerable across the Holy Land. These institutions, operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, are long-standing pillars of hope in their communities, led by people who show up every day to serve with courage and compassion. To learn more and make a donation to AFEDJ, visit their website HERE.

Twelve Years of Grace: The Continuing Journey of the Waiolaihuiʻia Center for Ministry

By The Rev. Canon Andrew J. Arakawa, Canon for Ministry Formation

This year marks the 12-year anniversary of the Waiolaihuiʻia Center for Ministry (WCM). The number 12 is an auspicious number in our Judeo-Christian tradition. We can recall the Tribes of Israel, the apostles, and the 12 gates and 12 foundations described in John’s Revelation. 12 is a powerful symbol of divine authority, completeness, unity, and spiritual and communal perfection.

Alongside God’s perfection, the number 12 also symbolizes a “work in progress.” This is especially apparent when seen in the context of an ongoing mission, developing leadership, or spiritual journey. The foundation stories of the 12 tribes and 12 apostles are narratives of unfolding covenant and mission, not static completion. The tribes went through long periods of wandering, settlement, and spiritual growth, while the apostles sometimes struggled, learned, and only gradually embodied their calling. READ MORE

CONVENTION 57: FOCUS ON CREATION CARE - If you haven't already done so, register for Convention 57's Education Day on Friday, October 24, that focuses on our caring for the ʻāina and all of creation. There will be off-site opportunities to put your hands to work, and activities on-site at 'Iolani School too. BUT REGISTER BEFORE MIDNIGHT TOMORROW, Friday, October 10, or fees will incease and you will have to pay "at the door." For more information and to register today, click HERE.

SPECIAL LET'S GO FEATURE: The Philippines, Part 1

In this issue, we share a very special trip that Canon Sandy Graham took with a contingent from the Diocese of Hawai'i to the Philippines this past summer. This is his description of the video:

There is a full Concordat relationship between The Episcopal Church, the Philippine Independent Church (IFI), and the Philippine Episcopal Church (PEC). The Diocese of Hawai‘i has a relationship with the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Luzon (EDNL) and the IFI Diocese of Batac, both in the northern area of the Philippines (historically, Filipinos in Hawai‘i came from the Ilocos Norte region). In this video we will visit Manila, the Presiding Bishop of the PEC, the Obismo Maximo of the IFI, their National Cathedrals, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Seminary, and then travel to the north to Tuguegarao, visit Bishop Hilary of EDNL and his cathedral before traveling with him up into the mountains for the beginning of the 100-year anniversary celebrations at St. Paul’s in Balbalasang (Kalinga) and enjoy the cultural programming offered by St. Paul’s school. Click HERE to watch Part 1 of the trip on YouTube. Enjoy!

OPPORTUNITIES

ORDAINED POSITION OPENINGS:

(Visit the Diocesan website HERE for more information.)

Part-time Vicar - Grace Episcopal Church, Ho'olehua, Moloka'i
Full-time Priest-in-Charge/Rector - St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church, Honolulu, O'ahu

LAY POSITION OPENINGS:

(Visit the Diocesan website HERE for more information.)

Full-time Office Administrator - Christ Memorial Episcopal Church, Kilauea, Kaua'i

CONVENTION 57 (Education Day & Annual Meeting): October 24-25 - Register now!

ISLAND HAPPENINGS

Visit the Diocese's Community Calendar page HERE for ongoing activities in your neighborhood.

AT THE CATHEDRAL...

AGM 2025

October 11-15

STARS and the Cathedral hosts the North American Guild of Change Ringers Annual General Meeting (AGM). Click HERE for more info.

ALI'I SUNDAY CHORAL EVENSONG

Sunday, October 19

5:30 p.m.

Celebrating Princess Ka'iulani

ALL SAINTS' SUNDAY

Sunday, November 2

We invite you to participate in our celebration by placing photos on our Table of Remembrance. Paper/pens (for writing names) and tealights will be provided.

The Cathedral of St. Andrew: 229 Queen Emma Square, Honolulu, HI 96813

www.cathedralhawaii.org

HAWAI'I ISLAND - Congratulations Catherine McPherson-Tampos!

On her continuing journey to the priesthood, Catherine McPherson-Tampos was ordained to the Transitional Diaconate on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at Church of the Holy Aposles' in Hilo. This is a significant step towards McPherson-Tampos becoming a priest. She is a graduate of the Diocese's local formation program, Waiolaihui'ia Center for Ministry, and has been serving as Holy Apostles' chaplain. Congratulations to the Rev. Deacon Catherine, and prayerful blessings to you going forward! (Photos from Holy Apostles' Facebook page)

MAUI - Family Reunion Generates Large Donation for Holy Innocents

On September 13, 2025, the Farden Aluli Family held a family reunion on Maui. They celebrated the legacy of Irmgarde Farden, noted composer of many beautiful pieces, including the song “Puamana.” Hula Grill has a foundation, E Ola Mau Ka Mele, which honors a person who preserves and perpetuates Hawaiian culture through mele. Aunty Irmgarde Farden was the recipient of this year’s award. The honoree selects a non-profit organization to give the monetary award to, and the Farden Aluli family selected Holy Innocents. We were thrilled to be included in their celebration that included joyful music and hula, and we are deeply grateful to Hula Grill and the Farden Aluli family for the donation. Read about the event in MauiNow HERE. (Pictured are former and current Trinity By-the-Sea/Holy Innocents' clergy and spouses with Holy Innocents' members, and the Diocese's Community Relations Coordinator, Kalani Holokai, in blue at right. Photos and story from the Holy Innocents newsletter)

O'AHU - The Diocese's Newest Centenarian: Happy Birthday Bill Eng!

Congratulations to Bill Eng, who turned 100 on Saturday, September 20. Uncle Bill has been a member of St. Elizabeth’s Church since 1949! He moved to the islands from Spokane, Washington to work at the Nu’uanu campus of ‘Iolani School. Bill was an active part of the group that raised funds to build the church building where we worship today. Over the decades, he has taken on roles such as the Senior Warden, Treasurer and trusted counter of Church Offerings. Happy Birthday, Uncle Bill (Photo and story from the St. Elizabeth's newsletter)

COMING UP...

THIS SATURDAY! OCTOBER 11

Halau Wa'a, 91-1122 Kama'aha Loop, Kapolei, O'ahu

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17

St. Clement's, 1515 Wilder Ave., Honolulu, O'ahu

St. Clement's would love to team up with and invite other churches to join them for the Pride Eucharist and parade the next day. Please contact the Rev. Brian Rallison to coordinate HERE.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31

St. Columba's, 43-1425 Hauola Rd., Pa'auilo, Big Island

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1

All Saints', 4-1065 Kuhio Highway, Kapa'a, Kaua'i

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8

St. John's, 8992 Kula Highway, Kula, Maui

Does your church have an upcoming event you'd like posted? Send your graphics to diocesan Communications HERE.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8

Emmanuel, 780 Keolu Dr., Kailua, O'ahu

The Episcopal Church & Beyond...

London Bishop Sarah Mullally chosen as next archbishop of Canterbury

(10/3/25) London Bishop Sarah Mullally has been chosen as the next archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to serve in the historic leadership role for both the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion. READ MORE

(Photo: Anglican Communion News Sservice)

Reminders (Previously Announced)

United Thank Offering Invites 2026 Annual Grant Applicants - The United Thank Offering Board is delighted to announce the opening of applications for its 2026 annual grants, seeking projects that focus on justice through bridging divides. The deadline to apply is 5:00 p.m. (ET). January 9 2026. for Anglican Communion partners and 5:00 p.m. (ET) January 30, 2026, for Episcopal Church applicants. For more information and details on how to apply, visit their website HERE.

Required Safe Church Training - This is a reminder that Safe Church training is mandatory for all clergy, employees, vestry members, and most volunteers. Please read The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i Safeguarding Policy and the Diocesan Safe Church Training Webpage. This training needs to be renewed every three years. Contact your church's Safe Church Administator or priest for more information, or if you have questions, email Nani Carroll.