Tuesday within the Second Week of Lent (V09)
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[Community of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (in Kamiano Center)]

A couple of years ago, I was on the Big Island and driving from Kona to Waimea to meet one of our priests there for lunch. I set the GPS on my rental car for the destination, and, to be sure, I set it on my phone as well. At one juncture, the phone was telling me to go one way and the car’s system was telling me to go in the opposite direction. Luckily, I knew my way around enough to know that the car’s system was simply wrong, and if I had followed it, I would end up hours away from my destination.

Knowing where you are going is important. Or is it? We are introduced to Abram in the first reading today, and he was told by God to leave his homeland and to simply follow God. But God did not tell him where he was going, simply to go wherever he directed. And Abram had such a beautiful relationship with God that he obeyed him without having to ask too many questions. Read more...

Images of the Divine Mercy could be found throughout St. Joseph Church, including on one parishioner’s veil, during the Mass enshrining a first-class relic of St. Faustina at the parish. (Photo by Celia K. Downes / Hawaii Catholic Herald)

Hawaii Catholic Herald

St. Joseph Church in Waipahu welcomed a first-class relic of St. Faustina Kowalska Feb. 6, becoming the second parish in the Diocese of Honolulu to honor the young Polish nun who was instrumental in perpetuating the Divine Mercy movement.

St. Faustina’s relic was enshrined during St. Joseph’s first Friday Mass, making it a celebration on several levels, said Father Kazimierz Chwalek of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception during his homily.

Father Chwalek, director of the John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, was instrumental in bringing the relic to Waipahu from St. Faustina’s community in Krakow, Poland, and spent the weekend celebrating Mass and giving talks on the importance of St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy. Read more...

(Photo credit: CRS Rice Bowl social media)

From the Office for Social Ministry

“Lent is a time in which the Church, guided by a sense of maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life.”
- Pope Leo XIV, Message for Lent 2026

As we begin this sacred season of Lent, Pope Leo XIV calls us to create space in our hearts for compassion and conversion. Even amid the demands of daily life, the Holy Father reassures us that peace of mind and heart is possible when we intentionally listen—to God and to one another—and abstain from whatever distracts us. Lent, then, is not about merely giving things up; it is about tuning our lives to listen closely to Christ’s call to merciful love. Read more...

(Photo credit: CRS Rice Bowl social media)

Eating a simple meatless meal during Lent can helps us reflect on the hunger that many people face worldwide and make a donation to help ensure all the members of our global family have access to enough nutritious food.

Red Red Bean Stew - Ghana
“Red Red” is a beloved Ghanaian dish of black-eyed peas cooked in a red sauce and often served with fried plantains. This hearty and protein-rich meal is popular not just for its taste but also for its affordability and nutritional benefits. This dish requires soaking dried black-eyed peas overnight. You can substitute canned black-eyed peas or another canned variety, like garbanzo beans, to decrease the preparation and cook time.

See the full recipe at https://www.crsricebowl.org/recipes/red-red-bean-stew-ghana

Saturday, March 7, 2026
St. Theresa Catholic Church, Kihei

Join the Maui & Lanai Stewardship Day beginning with Mass with Fr. William Kunisch and followed by a morning program and fellowship. This year’s theme is “One Body, Many Gifts: Stewards of God’s Church”, and will welcome guest speakers Brandee Menino, CEO of Hope Services Hawaiʻi, and Fr. Konelio “Lio” Faletoi of St. Michael Church in Kailua-Kona.

This gathering is open to parishioners throughout Maui and Lanaʻi to encourage stewardship, faith formation, and engagement within our local Church.

Flyer available HERE.

All are warmly invited to join talks on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7–8 PM at St. John the Baptist Parish in Kalihi. These sessions share the Good News of Christ, who offers guidance and hope in the challenges of life, along with the gift of love and forgiveness. Through this program of Catholic formation in small parish communities, we can explore and deepen the richness of our baptism. For more information, please contact Dr. Anthony Ramos at 808-721-0557.

Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 8:00 a.m.
Blessed Sacrament Church, Honolulu

Pray and talk with like-minded Catholic Men at the Catholic Men's Fellowship of Hawaii's quarterly breakfast. This month will feature speaker Ryan Fielding.

Flyer available HERE.

Flyer available HERE.

Friday, March 20 - Sunday, March 22, 2026
St. Anthony Retreat Center, Honolulu

What does it mean to truly hold nothing back? In the hustle of daily life, we often offer only pieces of ourselves—our time, our energy, our spare moments. But what happens when we offer the whole? Join us for a transformative weekend retreat, where we will explore the profound theme: "I Offer My Life." This is an invitation to pause, breathe, and surrender the burdens of control. Through quiet reflection, guided sessions, and shared community, we will explore what it means to live a life fully offered—in service, in love, and in faith.

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1982864428884

Flyer available HERE.

June 11-23, 2026 in Greece & Turkey

All are invited to join Fr. Eric Castro on this 13-day pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey, visting the seven churches of St. Paul.

For more information, please visit trip.nativitypilgrimage.com/frcastro-2026.

Word of Life is a monthly resource from the USCCB's Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities. Each month includes resources for print and are adaptable for digital efforts including Feature of the Month, Intercessions for Life, Bulletin Quotes, and Bulletin Art. Learn more at www.respectlife.org.

Available in English: PDF | Word

Saint Katharine Drexel
1858–1955
Memorial - March 3

On November 26, 1858, Catherine Marie Drexel was born in Philadelphia to Hannah Langstroth Drexel and her husband, Francis Drexel, an international banker and one of the wealthiest men in the United States. Her mother died when Catherine was only five weeks old, so Catherine and her older sister Elizabeth were cared for by their aunt and uncle until their father remarried in 1860. Three years later, Francis and his new wife, Emma, had a daughter, Louisa. Read more...

(Image credit: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission. www.mycatholic.life

Support your local parish online! You can give directly to your parish on the Diocese of Honolulu's Offertory page at www.catholichawaii.org/offertory.

On behalf of the parishes in the Diocese of Honolulu, thank you for your gift of support. Mahalo nui loa!

NEWS

For our most recent news, visit www.catholichawaii.org.

Bishop's Homily for the First Sunday of Lent

Diocese Purchases Historic Downtown Honolulu Building

CRS Rice Bowl - Living Lent with Purpose

Meatless Recipes from CRS Rice Bowl - Ghana

Saint of the Week - Polycarp

Diocesan Guidelines for Speaker Approval

How to Order a Papal Blessing?

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