Sharing: 2017 Maryknoll Sisters Asia East World Section Meeting

I left for Honolulu on September 27, 2017, to attend our Young Cohorts and Asia East World Section Meeting.   Our sisters in Hawaii decided to join our Asia East World Section because their ministries are being with the Asian people.

Sr. Aurora and I visited Bishop Museum (https://www.bishopmuseum.org/) after the Sunday Mass at St. Anthony’s Church.  The young cohorts went to Valley of the Temples and Botanical Garden after the young cohorts meeting.

There were twenty-nine sisters from Hawaii, China, Philippines, Japan, Korea, USA and two Maryknoll Affiliates.   Sr. Rosario, MM gave a brief history of St. Stephen’s Diocesan Centre after the Oli Aloha, E Ho Mai and introduction of the meeting. 

There were presentations about “Hawaiian Culture, History and Spirituality” by Dr. Manulani Meyer and Fr. Alapaki Kim, “The Hawaiian Renaissance: how history, culture, language, and spirituality are being lived today” including making a lei from flower and tea leaves and watching “Kapu Aloha: Mauna Kea” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7EQ2--BA0A&t=1383s) by Toni Bissen, Mikie Medeiros, Blanche McMillan and team.  

We visited the Bachelot Hall, where the first six Maryknoll sisters lived for the first few years, at the Maryknoll School compound.  Maryknoll School prepared the Thanksgiving Mass of 90^th Anniversary of Maryknoll Sisters' mission presence in Hawaii followed by lunch at the Maryknoll Community Center.  There were more than 300 people attending the Mass, which was celebrated by Mgr. Gary Secor, alumnae of one of our schools.  We went by bus to see the several places, where the early Maryknoll Sisters in Hawaii lived and worked. 

We had the opportunity to watch “Moana” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKFuXETZUsI), “Hawaiian Journey” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rsFmFDczYQ) and “Ha Breath of Life” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpHOr_44WHg) in the evenings.

Several sisters and I attended Sunday Mass at Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace and then went to Northshore Drive followed by BBQ at our Lanikai House.

Srs. Teruko and Anastasia, our Congregational Leadership Team, and Sr. Lourdes, our Vocation Team, gave updates on our Community Day, followed by the sharing of young cohorts meeting by Sr. Margaret.

There was English Hawaii Mass by Father Alapaki Kim on October 9, the feast day of our Foundress Mother Mary Joseph.  One of our alumnae Mrs. Olivia and her family donated Hawaiian meal: kalua pork, chicken long rice, squid luau, poi, laulau, and lomilomi salmon.  Srs. Norma and Abby organized simplicity night jubilee celebration of Srs. Cecilia Santos (70^th jubilee), Liz Kato and Ardis Kremer (60^th jubilee) and Lourdes Fernandez (golden jubilee) and also the birthday celebration for Srs. Joan and Abby.

The last agenda was an evaluation and closing ritual.  We agreed to change our name to Asia Pacific World Section.

 It’s a moving and insightful meeting as it gives me a better understanding of Hawaiian culture, history, and spirituality and also our sisters’ presence in Hawaii besides the opportunity to exchange stories with the rest of the group.   Thank you very much! 

          Here is the link to an article about the 90^th anniversary of Maryknoll Sisters mission presence in Hawaii: http://www.hawaiicatholicherald.com/2017/09/21/maryknoll-sisters-celebrate-90-years-of-ministry-in-hawaii/ and the pictures (mostly taken by Sr. Aurora) : https://www.flickr.com/photos/11848830@N02/albums/72157686355696342

           

Hong Kong, October 19, 2017

         

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

Let’s do simple things with simple love to make God’s love visible

Sharing: 2017 Pilgrimage to Macau

Several volunteers of Holy Family Church and I organized a pilgrimage to Macau to celebrate 100^th Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima on October 13-14, 2017. It was planned as a youth gathering but then many parishioners were interested to go, several of them for the first time go to Macau.   

More than 110 parishioners including Fr. Lu, several volunteers and I left Holy Family Church on Oct 13 morning after the special Mass for the Our Lady of Fatima.  The Church was full during the Mass.    Mr. Liu was the MC for the youth bus and Ms. Deng was the MC for the middle age bus.  Fr. Lu led the singing together. 

We had lunch at Zhuhai and the walked to the Gongbei Port of Entry.  We stayed in a hotel near Our Lady of Fatima Church and a hotel near Cathedral except for two parishioners and I stayed in our convent.  

            We walked to St. Francis Xavier Church.  The pastor Fr. Dedi, SCJ from Indonesia asked a parishioner to give an introduction to the Church after prayer together.  

We walked to Our Lady of Fatima Church before supper at a nearby restaurant and then walked back to the Church to attend the Mass.  There was a long procession after Mass.  

Fr. Lu celebrated Mass at Cathedral for us followed by going to Ruin of St. Paul in a small group.  We went back to the hall in the Cathedral for lunch, prepared by several volunteers.

We walked to Bishop Hill.  Sr. Emma, OCSO gave an introduction about OCSO in Macau after finishing the prayer.  Several parishioners wrote their prayer intention and several parishioners went to buy homemade cookies, religious articles, and T-shirt.

We walked to St. Lorenz’s Church to pray together for a while and then walked to Cathedral.  They went to Cotai Checkpoint by bus and then went to Shenzhen.  I stayed overnight in Macau but then left earlier by the last ferry to Hong Kong due to typhoon signal no. 8.

Here is the link of the pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/11848830@N02/albums/72157687469145020

Hong Kong, October 18, 2017

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

Let’s do simple things with simple love to make God’s love visible