June 13, 2025

We apologize for the one-day delay of this issue. This issue's header photo was taken at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in 'Aina Haina, where the staff and counselors of Camp Mokulēʻia were blessed and commissioned as they kick off the 2025 summer camp program this weekend! Don't forget, Sunday is Trinity Sunday, and a date designated for the annual giving of offerings to the Camp. (Photo: Camp Mokulēʻia)

First Sunday After Pentecost: Trinity Sunday

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE BISHOP'S CORNER

Bishop's Visitation to the Episcopal Church on West Kaua'i

On Sunday, May 25, 2025, 15 youth and adults were confirmed (or reaffirmed) during the Bishop's Visitation to West Kaua'i. The service took place at St. John's in 'Ele'ele. It was a combined service that included sister church St. Paul's in Kekaha. After the service, a joyous potluck reception followed. (Contributed photo)

The Episcopal Peace Fellowship Chapter in Hawai'i

Recently the Dean of the Cathedral, the Very Rev. Heather Patton-Graham, asked if anyone was interested in forming a Diocesan chapter of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship (EPF). As Bishop, I endorse the formation of such a Diocesan EPF Chapter. I am a member of EPF. Two of our canonically resident clergy are deeply involved in EPF leadership: The Rev. Kerith Harding is the Executive Director and the Rev. George Clifford is the Board Chair.

The stated purpose of the EPF is:

The Episcopal Peace Fellowship is an inclusive community rooted in active love. Her members endeavor to follow Jesus into the world, bearing witness to injustice, while striving for justice, and prayerfully expecting that peace will follow. We offer resources to help form human beings who understand that our call to be Christ’s hands and feet compels us to live into our Baptismal promise to strive for justice and peace, and respect the dignity of every person. We cannot imagine our lives as followers of Christ without doing the work of social justice advocacy. We are about using our prophetic voices for radical peacemaking. Our places are marked by our dedication to nonviolence, and to creating peace even with those with whom we deeply disagree. Our movement is ever toward the immovable cornerstone, Jesus, who can always be found standing beside the other and the stranger, the oppressed, the marginalized, the disenfranchised, the victims of a broken justice system, the displaced, and those who are alone or who have lost hope.

Such a vision is needed today in our local communities, the nation, and the world.

If you would like to learn more about Episcopal Peace Fellowship (EPF), please check out the website HERE.

If you are interested in being part of a Diocese of Hawaiʻi EPF Chapter please send me a message though the Bishop's Jot Form HERE.

May the Lord give us all peace!

+Bob

Bishop recommends this important message from Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe:

Acting Faithfully in Troubling Times: A Letter from Presiding Bishop Rowe

Dear people of God in The Episcopal Church:

I am writing to you from Geneva, where I am meeting with global partners at the World Council of Churches and the United Nations Refugee Agency. As we have discussed how our institutions might act faithfully and boldly in these turbulent times, I have been reflecting on how we Episcopalians can respond to what is unfolding around us as followers of the Risen Christ whose first allegiance is to the kingdom of God, not to any nation or political party.

The events of the last several days lend urgency to this spiritual challenge. Earlier this week, President Trump’s executive order banning or restricting travel from 19 countries went into effect. This order impacts countries that are home to dioceses of The Episcopal Church and many of our Anglican Communion partners, and I have written to the bishops and primates in those countries to express our concern. READ FULL LETTER

FEATURE STORIES

Addiction Awareness Workshops Continue - Don't miss it!

The Diocesan-wide Addiction Awareness Workshops are taking place now, opening minds and hearts to subject matter that can be painfully personal and difficult to talk about. Led by the Rev. Deacon Bill Heran, Ph.D., the workshop's name, "Sick and Tired," resonated with several attendees who were surprised to learn that even worrying can be an addiction.

"That's me!" said Faith Shiramizu, Senior Warden at All Saints' Church in Kapa'a, where the most recent workshop was held this past Saturday. "Even over-volunteering!" she added. Faith said it was interesting and informative.

Junior Warden Ron Morinishi found the workshop especially informative. "The workshop explored the Church's dual call to proclaim salvation and promote holistic health--mental, spiritual, and physicial. Rooted in the Episcopal Church’s long-standing connection with twelve-step programs, the session addressed the often-overlooked integration between addiction recovery and congregational life."

This Saturday, June 14, Deacon Bill, will be on the Big Island at St. James' from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM. If you might be interested in attending, click HERE to register. Remaining scheduled workshops are shown below, including two on O'ahu. All are invited to attend any workshop.

In closing Ron shared, "The best piece of advice that was given in response to the question What should we do to help an addict as friends or family? Deacon Bill responded 'Attend an Al-Anon group and get the addict professional help... you are not the one that can give the addict what he/she needs.'" (Photos: Canon Sandy Graham)

Big Island, Saturday, June14, 10:00 AM-11:30 AM, St. James' Church, 65-1237 Kawaihae Rd, Kamuela. Click HERE for the informational flier, and HERE to register

Windward O'ahu, Saturday, June 21, 2:00 PM-3:30 PM, St. Christopher's Church, 93 N. Kainalu Dr, Kailua. Click HERE for the informational flier, and HERE to register.

Honolulu, O'ahu, Saturday, July 5, 10:00 AM-11:30 AM, The Cathedral of St. Andrew, 229 Queen Emma Square, Honolulu. Click HERE for the informational flier, and HERE to register.

Ignite Change: Triennial Deacon's Conference

By The Rev. Deacon Alberta Buller

The Association of Episcopal Deacons held its Triennial June 5-8 in San Antonio, Texas. The theme was “Ignite Change.” The Rev. Deacon Mary Margaret Smith and the Rev. Deacon Alberta Brown Buller represented the Diocese of Hawai'i. They won the award for “Traveling the farthest.” This Triennial is the only Church-wide conference especially for Deacons and supporters of the Diaconate in the Episcopal Church. It was the first one since 2019, just before COVID shut things down.

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe was the keynote speaker. His remarks focused on the life of the Church and the important role Deacons play. The Rt. Rev. Dr. David Read (Bishop of West Texas), the Rt. Rev. Robert Hirschfeld (Bishop of New Hampshire), and the Rt. Rev. Laura Aherns (Bishop Suffragan for the Diocese of Connecticut) held a panel discussion on “The evolving vision of the Diaconate.”

Other speakers included Sean McConnell of Episcopal Relief and Development and Kirk Mason of Church Pension Group. Some of the seminars offered were on Refugee Ministry, Building a Diaconate, Can Servant Leadership reinvigorate communities?, From Death Row to the Diaconate, Mentoring New Deacons, AI in Ministry, Human Trafficking, and much more.

For more information about the Association of Episcopal Deacons, visit their website HERE. Plans are already underway for the 2028 Triennial!

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DIOCESE

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

E Kama‘ilio Kākou (Heart to Heart): Search Committee Invites All Clergy to Attend this Special Online Gathering

All Clergy throughout the Diocese should have received an email invitiation from the Bishop Search Committee to attend a Zoom meeting on Thursday, June 26, at 10:00 AM. The purpose of this meeting is to listen to YOUR vision for our next Bishop of Hawa'i.

This “E Kama‘ilio Kākou” (Heart to Heart) Zoom meeting is for clergy only, and the Search Committee will offer additional sessions for all to join in the future. The Rev. Amy Crowe and Joseph Cascio (St. John's Kula) will host this meeting. The Bishop Search Committee is offering this opportunity for you to express your input on the characteristics, skills, and priorities you seek in the next Bishop of the Diocese of Hawai’i.

The Zoom link for this event will be emailed to all clergy on Monday, June 23, by 4:00 p.m. If you have not received the Zoom link for this event by Tuesday, June 24, please email Alofa Carpenter at acarpenter@episcopalhawaii.org

Big Island Talk Story Sessions Set

Mark your calendars and save the dates for the Standing Committee's visit to the Big Island on July 18 and 19. All clergy and church members are invited to take part in these in-person sessions to share comments and concerns, or ask questions about the search for a bishop, the Diocese, the state of the Church, or any other issue related to our common life and ministries with each other. The Big Island sessions are:

East - Friday, July 18, 2:00-3:30 PM, Holy Apostles, 1407 Kapiolani St., Hilo
West - Saturday, July 19, 9:30-11:00 AM, St. James', 65-1237 Kawaihae Rd., Kamuela

Sacred Listening: Nine Ways to De-Center the Self and Reimagine Relationship in Hawaiʻi’s Diverse Context

Have you ever been in a conversation and realized you were only half-listening—more focused on what you might say next than on the person in front of you? It’s something many of us do without meaning to, even as we express a desire for deeper connection. In the diverse, multivalent context of Hawaiʻi, where layers of culture, history, and identity meet, listening isn’t simply a tool for dialogue – it’s sacred. It is the first act of genuine relationship and a powerful pathway to healing and transformation in our communities.

In Theological Anthropology: A Guide for the Perplexed, Marc Cortez explores the complexities of what it means to be created in the image of God (Imago Dei), pushing beyond reductionist views. His relational model resonates deeply: “That is, human persons are fundamentally relational beings – related to God, to other humans, and to creation – and it is this relationality that truly images a God who is himself a relational being.”1 Rowan Williams adds to the above in Being Human: “To think of myself as a body [an enfleshed human being], to be conscious of myself as a body, is to be conscious of other people’s consciousness.” READ MORE

What's Happening at Camp Mokulē'ia...

Meet this year's camp counslors in this fun reel on social media: FACEBOOK and I NSTAGRAM

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.

SPEAKER SERIES #1 IS AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING: The Diocese's Huli team kicked off its special online Summer Speaker Series on Saturday, May 24, with Dr. Kamanamaikalani Beamer on the subject “Waiwai: Water and the Future of Hawaiʻi.” You can view the fully recorded session on the Huli webpage HEREor on YouTube HERE. There are two speakers remaining in the summer series that takes place online on July 26 and August 2, from 9:00 AM-11:00 AM.

OPPORTUNITIES

ORDAINED POSITION OPENINGS

(Visit the Diocesan website HERE for more information.)

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.)

Full-time Parish Administrator - Parish of St. Clement, Honolulu, O'ahu
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 WORKSHOPS - June 14, St. James', Kamuela, Big Island - Register HERE; June 21, St. Christopher's, Kailua, O'ahu - Register HERE; 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...

SATURDAY, JUNE 21

Kapiolani Park

The Cathedral will be sponsoring a team for the Honolulu Aids Walk, Saturday, June 21, at Kapiolani Park. You may read more HERE or register to walk HERE. To Join our team, select

"The Cathedral of St. Andrew" where the sign-up says "Join or Start a Team." If walking on Saturday is not possible you can still support by serving as a volunteer or donate to this great cause! Please email the office HERE for more information.

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 how the budget cuts will impact public services and nonprofit organizations. How will faith communities respond?

SUNDAYS IN JUNE: Window Walk and Talk (9:15-9:45 AM)

Walk the Cathedral with Dean Heather+ and learn more about the stained glass windows, their stories, their memorial dedications, and their “mini me” window up above. We will gather at the pulpit each Sunday and go from there!

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

www.cathedralhawaii.org

COMING UP:

THIS SATURDAY! JUNE 14

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

Coming up dates: July 12 & August 9

EVERY THURSDAY!

St. Peter's, 1317 Queen Emma St., Honolulu, O'ahu

JUNE 19-22, 2025

St. Michael & All Angels, 4364 Hardy St., Lihue, Kaua'i - Click HERE for details

DOES YOUR CHURCH HAVE AN EVENT TO SHARE? Send info and graphics to Communications HERE, and specify preferred posting timeline. The Hawaiian Church Chronicle is released on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. Please submit no later than the Monday before release date.

The Episcopal Church & Beyond...

Dioceses, parishes across The Episcopal Church to mark Juneteenth with events and celebrations

[June 13, 2025] Activities marking Juneteenth – June 19 – are set to take place in churches and dioceses across The Episcopal Church in the coming days, ranging from helping to restore a historically Black cemetery to concerts, worship services and speakers.

Juneteenth commemorates the date in 1865 that federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure that all enslaved people in the Confederate state were freed. This came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, but the order couldn’t be enforced everywhere until after the end of the Civil War on April 9, 1865. READ MORE

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.