Catholic Native Hawaiian Summitt II
Fr. Michael Carson | Assistant Director, Native American Affairs
For two days, January 29-30, 2024, there was a gathering of the leadership of Catholic Indigenous peoples from the Hawaiian Islands at the St. Stephen Catholic Center, Honolulu, Hawaii. This gathering was a follow-up and a continuation of the Catholic Indigenous Summit we held in 2022 at the same location. This second summit was developed to build specific steps in a pastoral plan for all the issues raised from the first summit. Because developing strategic planning requires more in-depth discussion, it was decided that this second summit would be two days rather than one as the first summit had been. As with the first summit, the second summit greatly benefited from the presence, direction, and insight of Bishop Larry Silva of Honolulu.
After two days of intense discussion and work, the Catholic Native Hawaiian leaders came up with four specific areas needed to implement their vision of Catholic Indigenous Hawaiian ministry. They started by working to develop a structure and template for their strategic plans which would work within the Native Hawaiian culture.
The first area of concern was the Hawaiian language or Ōlelo Hawai'i. The use of Hawaiian language in prayer and liturgy and other important aspects of inculturation were the focus of the first break-out group. They sought ways that the Hawaiian language can be used and disseminated in prayer and liturgy not only in the parishes that have a large Hawaiian Native population but also within the wider Hawaiian Catholic Church, so they may have a chance to appreciate Hawaiian culture. Also, the leadership worked on appropriate ways for Native Hawaiian cultural practices to be integrated into the liturgy.
The second area of concern was educating seminarians and priests on the richness and vitality of Native Hawaiian culture. The team worked on ways to help both priests and seminarians understand and appreciate the spirituality and history of the Native Hawaiian people.
The third area of concern was how the traditions, language, and other cultural elements are taught to the wider communities, especially through our Catholic schools. Many Catholic schools in Hawaii already teach the Hawaiian language and the Native Hawaiian culture. The participants worked on ways to expand this important aspect of Hawaiian Catholic education.
The fourth area of concern is to find ways to keep all the projects on track and how to evaluate their success. The last group of Native Hawaiian leaders worked on the possibility of forming a Catholic Native Hawaiian Pastoral Association. A group of elders and leaders from each of the Hawaiian Islands will meet periodically to discuss and evaluate how, once promulgated, the Catholic Native Hawaiian Pastoral Plan is going and what remains to be done. They will also help elevate the concerns of Catholic Native Hawaiians within the diocese.
The second summit was a great success thanks to the Catholic Native Hawaiian leadership and their passion not only for the Native Hawaiian culture but also for the Catholic faith.