June 26, 2025

This issue's header photo was taken during a special Liturgy for Peace service at the Cathedral of St. Andrew, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. As tensions escalate around the country and the world, the Bishop asked all to say a prayer for peace at noon. View his special message and Prayer for Peace HERE. (Photo: Nani Carroll)

Third Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 8

Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE BISHOP'S CORNER

Bishop's Visitation to St. Stephen's, Wahiawa

On Sunday, June 22, 2025, the Bishop visited St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Wahiawa, O'ahu, for a joyful service that included two adult baptisms and several receptions/reaffirmations. The service also included the blessing of the Diocese's Prison Ministry "BacPacs" which are given to those being released from incarceration. It is a ministry that St. Stephen's Vicar, Kahu Kaleo Patterson, helped start-up over a decade ago, and remains deeply committed to. (Contributed photos)

Celebrating 50 Years at Trinity By-the Sea

On Saturday, June 14, 2025, the Bishop and Bea attended the 50th anniversary of Trinity By-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Kihei, Maui. Pictured from left are the Rev. Bob Nelson, retired priest living on Maui; the Rev. Austin Murray, former Vicar of Trinity and now retired and living in New Jersey; the Rev. Hau'oli Tomoso, current Vicar; the Bishop; the Rev. Heather Mueller, retired priest living on Maui; the Rev. Amy Crowe, Maui Recovery Disaster Spiritual Care Program Coordinator; and the Rev. George Wong, Rector of St. John’s Church, Kula. Look for an expanded special feature of the celebration in an upcoming issue of the Chronicle. (Contributed photos)

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

Congratulations Class of 2025 & Bishop's Award Recipients!

Enjoy photos and videos of the graduating Class of 2025, from our Episcopal Church Schools in the Diocese of Hawai'i, along with this year's Bishop's Award recipients. We've also scanned church newsletters and social posts to share your graduates! If we missed someone from your church, please submit it to the editor HERE with details and photo credits, as we will be updating this page. SEE SPECIAL ARTICLE HERE

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DIOCESE

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

Update: Retreat with Search & Transition Consultant

On Saturday June 21, 2025, members of the three committees involved with the search for a new bishop met at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Honolulu, for an in-person retreat conducted by the Rev. Anne Kitch. Anne is a Bishop Search and Transitions Consultant from the Presiding Bishop’s Office. In addition to serving as our Consultant, Anne is Rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in New Jersey. (Pictured above from left with Anne is the Standing Committee, Search Committee and Transitions Committee.)

The purpose of the retreat was to build camaraderie and foster fellowship amongst the members, to pray together, discern the calling of the sixth bishop, and receive required training such as anti-bias, and other procedural instruction. The retreat was well attended by members from all counties within Hawai’i, as well as our newly joined congregation in Guam.

In addition to the training and instruction, open discussion helped to answer many questions about the timeline and events over the next year. The retreat, which began at 7:30 a.m. and ended after 4:00 p.m., included our monthly governance meetings. After the retreat on O'ahu, Anne traveled to Maui and concelebrated at Trinity By-the-Sea with the Rev. Hau’oli Tomoso. Anne later visited the site of Holy Innocents and the Hale Aloha Cemetery in Lahaina, for prayer and reflection.

The Search Committee has begun to gather input, comments, and suggestions from various congregations and groups within the Diocese. Look for more information from the Search Committee in the coming weeks as they seek input for the Diocesan Profile from everyone within the Diocese.

Prayer for the Search for Our Next Bishop

The Search Committee urges the use of the following prayer in all congregations of our Diocese as the concluding collect of the Prayers of the People. This prayer should be used throughout the duration of the search process and until the scheduled election on May 16, 2026. This prayer may also be offered at other times as appropriate. Please share it on your church websites and in newsletters, and encourage its use by all members of the Diocese in their private prayers for the next 11 months.

Gracious and loving God, we seek your provision as we search for the next bishop for the Diocese of Hawai'i. Help us recognize your divine plan and call a leader who will shepherd us along that path, a bishop who will embody and foster in us the wonders and excitement of discipleship. Grant us the wisdom to elect a bishop who will journey with us through challenging times and bring us ever closer to your eternal dream for humanity. Keep the Standing Committee, Search Committee and Transitions Committee focused on their mission, providing them with strength and determination to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit and to hear the voices of all the people of the Diocese. Finally, send your gracious Spirit to the members of the Convention of our Diocese who in faithful discernment will elect the next bishop. We ask all of this in the name of your Son, our loving Savior and ever-present Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Seeking Asian American and Pacific Islander Young Adults: Join Episcopal Leadership Retreat

The Episcopal Asiamerica Ministry (EAM) Young Adult Convocation invites Episcopalians of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) descent, ages 20 to 32, to a leadership retreat at Camp Mokulē'ia on the island of Oahu, September 11-14, 2025.

Centered around the theme “Pilina Nani No” (“Beautiful Connection”), the retreat will feature the Rev. Malcolm Keleawe Hee as keynote speaker. There will be team-building workshops, daily compline, meditation, hiking, a historical tour, and Sunday service at St. John’s Episcopal Church in 'Ele'ele. The Rev. Jo Ann Lagman, the Church’s Asiamerica missioner, will take part in the programming with Hee.

The retreat is limited to 30 participants, so early registration is encouraged. The registration fee of $125 helps cover lodging, ground transportation, and meals. Click HERE for details and to register.

Retired Clergy Families: Keeping Informed and New Talk Story Project Entry - The Rev. Dr. Gerald "Jerry" Gifford

The Retired Clergy Families met for its monthly June gathering, having the Rev. Keleawe Hee, a member of the Standing Committee (standing at far left with lei), who reviewed and highlighted the Bishop’s Search & Transition process with the group. (Contributed photo)

The latest installment in the Retired Clergy Families Talk Story Project is now posted on the Diocesan website HERE. This posting, from an article by Dan Masunaga, "An 'Iolani Moment," talks about the Rev. Dr. Gerald "Jerry" Gifford and his meeting with Malcolm X. The Talk Story Project is a (growing) collection of stories from Diocesan-related retired clergy, spouses, widows and their families.

Happy Birthday, Nicene Creed!

By The Rev. Erin Richardson Severin

Every Sunday and feast day, Episcopalians across the Church stand and proclaim the words of the Nicene Creed. Did you know this profound statement of faith turns 1,700 years old this year? Yes, this Creed arose from the council of Nicaea in the year 325, as Christianity was just finding its footing after being legalized in the Roman Empire and spreading rapidly throughout the ancient world.

However, because we say it every Sunday, it is easy for these amazing words to become a matter of rote recitation, an unthinking habit we do without awareness. In celebration of the Creed’s 1,700th birthday, we will return our awareness to this wonderful profession of faith not as mere rote, but as a love song to God, an expression of tender loving care for our faith and for the world. READ MORE

CHECK OUT CONVENTION 57'S EDUCATION DAY OPPORTUNITIES!

The Huli team invites all to participate in the final phase of Huli Ka Lima I Lalo project, during Convention 57's Education Day. Participation is limited at the different sites, so be sure to register early for your desired choice! Click HERE to go there now and learn more.

OPPORTUNITIES

ORDAINED POSITION OPENINGS:

(Visit the Diocesan website HERE for more information.)

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

LAY POSITION OPENINGS:

(Visit the Diocesan website HERE for more information.)

Part-time Childcare and Christian Formation - Parish of St. Clement, Honolulu, O'ahu
Full-time Office Administrator - Christ Memorial Episcopal Church, Kilauea, Kaua'i

ADDICTION AWARENESS WORKSHOP - July 5, The Cathedral of St. Andrew, Honolulu, O'ahu - Register HERE
TALK STORY LISTENING SESSIONS WITH THE STANDING COMMITTEE - July 18-BIG ISLAND (EAST) Holy Apostles, Hilo; July 19-BIG ISLAND (WEST) St. James', Kamuela; September 20-MAUI, Trinity By-the-Sea, Kihei
HULI SUMMER SPEAKER SERIES (Virtual) - July 26, with Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton, August 2, with Robin Wall Kimmerer
CLERGY CONFERENCE: August 25-27, Grand Naniloa, Hilo HI - Register now!
CONVENTION 57 (Education Day & Annual Meeting): October 24-25 - Save the date!

ISLAND HAPPENINGS

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

AT THE CATHEDRAL...

THURSDAY, JUNE 26

5:30-7:30 PM, Davies Hall

Join Will White, Hawai'i Appleseed Director, Kim Bartenstein from the Hawai'i Food Bank, and the Rev. David Gierlach for this important discussion about the effects of budget cuts to those most in need.

MONDAY, JUNE 30

6:00 PM

The next bi-monthly Run Club meet-up will be on June 30, at 6:00 PM, in Kapi'olani Regional Park. We will meet at the Queen Kapi'olani statue prior to setting out on our run/walk. Email: cathedralrunclub@gmail.com.

SATURDAY, JULY 5

10:00 -11:30 AM

The Diocesan-wide Addiction Awareness Workshops led by the Rev. Deacon Bill Heran, Ph.D, are opening minds and hearts to subject matter that can be painfully personal and difficult to talk about.

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

www.cathedralhawaii.org

BIG ISLAND: Celebrating Juneteenth

By The Rev. Deacon Alberta Buller

Last Sunday, June 22, 2025, we recognized and celebrated Juneteenth. The altar party was gifted beautiful ribbon lei in Kente cloth colors (gold: status/serenity, yellow: fertility, green: renewal, blue: pure spirit/harmony, red: passion, black: union with ancestors, spiritual awareness) made by our parishioner, B.J. Saito.

The Episcopal Church recognizes the holiday as a significant day for both celebration and repentance. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, finally delivering the news that enslaved people were free, two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Why the delay? Texas had been the farthest Confederate state.

The Episcopal Church has acknowledged that through the institution of slavery, the legalization of Jim Crow laws, lynchings, redlining, mass incarceration, police brutality, and other systems of oppression in the United States, it has benefited from this systemic injustice.

The celebration and remembrance of Juneteenth is a call to repentance for the sin of racism and a renewed commitment to dismantle, not rebuild, systems of white supremacy. This aligns with our church’s broader initiative, “Becoming Beloved Community.”

(Pictured are Chaplain Catherine McPherson-Tampos, the Rev. David Glaser, the Rev. Deacon Alberta B. Buller, Contributed photo)

COMING UP:

THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 27

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

JULY 7-AUGUST 25

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

SATURDAY, JULY 5

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

SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2025

St. Augustine's, 54-3801 Akoni Pule Hwy, Kapa'au, HI

August 5: Book Signing Event with The Rev. David Gierlach

Retired clergy, Fr. David Gierlach, recently published his book, Jesus Christ! He Still Matters, and will be holding a book signing event at Logos Bookstore in Honolulu, located at the Ward Centre, 1200 Ala Moana Boulevard. Book signing will take place on Tuesday, August 5, from 11:00 AM-Noon. Logos Bookstore will be offering a 20% discount off the retail price of the book. If you are unable to attend and want to order the book, you may still receive the 20% discount, but you must order BEFORE August 5, by going to Logos Bookstore or calling the store at (808) 596-8890. Take a peek at Fr. David's book through this Amazon link HERE.

The Episcopal Church & Beyond...

Church leaders pledge to meet ‘challenging times’ with Christian witness, financial prudence

[June 23, 2025] The Episcopal Church must remain committed to Christian witness in increasingly troubling times, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe said June 23 in his opening remarks to Executive Council, and the church’s new chief financial officer outlined accounting upgrades to help bolster the church in that mission. READ MORE

Photo: David Paulsen, ENS

Reminders (Previously Announced)

REGISTER NOW! ANNUAL CLERGY CONFERENCE ON THE BIG ISLAND - All clergy in the Diocese are invited to attend the annual Clergy Conference being held August 25-27, 2025, at the Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo, on the Big Island. We are delighted to have as our guest speaker, the Rev. Canon C. K. Robertson, Ph.D., who has served for many years as Canon to the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, as well as Distinguished Visiting Professor at General Theological Seminary. Special hotel group room rates have been secured. Visit the event webpage HERE for more information and to register.

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.