Bishop Castori, center, greeted the faithful who sat outside after the Episcopal Ordination Mass on July 28th with Bishop Silva, left, and Bishop Barber. (Lisa Dahm / Hawaii Catholic Herald)

Tuesday within the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (V28)
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“Let the islands rejoice!” (Psalm 97)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we enter the bicentennial of the arrival of the Catholic faith in Hawaii, the uplifting prayer of Psalm 97, “Let the islands rejoice!” captures the moment. Two centuries after Holy Mass was first celebrated on Hawaiian soil by missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, let us recall why King David sang of “the islands’ joy” in composing this inspired Psalm, and why the joy which he envisioned can truly be said to be ours. David foresaw that the furthest reach and ultimate sign of the Kingdom of God on earth would occur on “distant isles,” where the Lord God would be joyfully acknowledged as Sovereign of all peoples and His justice and righteousness would reign supreme.

A thousand years after the Psalm was first sung, when Jesus Christ, Son of God, was born to us, Jesus revealed that in His teaching, life, death and resurrection, the Kingdom of God had arrived — it is “at hand,” He declared as He called the disciples — and that all who followed Him would be graced to share in the life of His Father and enlighten the world with the Good News of salvation. Read more...

Bishop Castori gave his final remarks and acknowledgments at the conclusion of Mass. (Celia K. Downes / Hawaii Catholic Herald)

By Celia K. Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald

“E hiki mai kou aupuni” — “Thy kingdom come.”

The episcopal motto of Bishop Michael Thomas Tupou Castori, SJ — taken from the Our Father recited in olelo Hawaii — anchored a liturgy rich with culture and symbolism in which the Jesuit priest was ordained and installed as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Honolulu.

The July 28 Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu was a testament to joy, faith, community and steadfastness. The threat of a tropical storm passing close to Hawaii — realized somewhat with gray skies and rain that cleared up as the Mass got underway — did little to quell the enthusiasm of those in attendance.

In the true aloha spirit of the island state, the many hundreds who saw Bishop Castori’s ordination and installation in person represented a wide range of places, cultures and traditions. Read more...

(Photo courtesy of Dann Ebina)

Homily of the Most Reverend Larry Silva, Bishop Emeritus of Honolulu

Vespers on the Eve of the Episcopal Ordination and Installation of the Most Reverend Michael Thomas Tupou Castori, SJ as the Sixth Bishop of Honolulu. [Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa, Honolulu]

Father Michael, tomorrow you will receive a ring, and when he presents it to you, Archbishop Cordileone will say: “Receive this ring, the seal of fidelity; and adorned with undefiled faith, preserve unblemished the Bride of God, the holy Church.”

Unblemished? The holy Church? We are dealing with shameful scandals; with conflicts and possible schisms. The Church is divided between left and right. There are many legitimate critiques and many critiques that are simply whining. We bishops spend much of our time and energy dealing with a Church that is hardly unblemished. Yet despite all these very real problems and marks of unholiness, we dare to call the Church the “unblemished Bride of God,” a “holy Church.” This kind of romantic innocence is what must be the mark of a bishop, who is given the grace of God to see beyond the obvious. It is our task to deal with all the blemishes, yet to never forget that God sees the Church as his beloved, spotless Bride, whom he loves with what seems the most insane love one can imagine. Read more...

Coat of Arms
An episcopal heraldic achievement, commonly known as a bishop's coat of arms, consists of three principal elements: the shield with its heraldic charges (symbols), a motto displayed on a scroll, and the external ornamentation that signifies episcopal rank. At the heart of every heraldic achievement is the shield, which serves as its central and most significant element, conveying the personal and spiritual symbolism of the bishop.

The heraldic achievement is completed by its external ornaments, consisting of a gold processional cross positioned behind the shield and extending above and below it, together with a green, broad-brimmed bishop’s hat, known as a galero. Suspended from the galero are six green tassels on each side of the shield, arranged in three descending rows. The coast of arms joins together the coat of arms of the Diocese of Honolulu and Bishop Castori's personal coat of arms. The joining indicates that he is wed to the diocese.

The Shield
The upper quadrant of Bishop Castori’s shield displays the seal of the Society of Jesus (“the Jesuits”), the religious congregation to which he belongs. The three letters at the center of the seal, IHS, are the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek, while the surrounding sunrays represent Christ the Light of the World. The three nails below the monograph symbolize the nails of the Cross as well as the religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. In Church heraldry, argent, the color of the quadrant’s background, conveys purity and innocence. Read more...

Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi helps Troy reclaim his life—and his family's Waikīkī Beach Boy legacy

From Catholic Charities Hawaii

For nearly three years, Troy called Aala Park home.

By day, he watched the waves roll onto the shore where he once worked as a Waikīkī Beach Boy. By night, the park became the place where he slept. Years of alcoholism had cost him his home, his identification documents, and nearly his future.

"I didn't want help," Troy admitted. "I thought I didn't need it when I really did."

Troy comes from one of Waikīkī's well-known Beach Boy families. His father, Erroll "Skeezo" Hind, was a longtime Waikīkī Beach Boy who spent decades teaching surfing and sharing Hawaiʻi's ocean culture with visitors from around the world. Inspired by his father, Troy followed the same path, making a living introducing people to surfing and the aloha spirit. Read more...

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From the Office for Social Ministry

“God always loves us first. The beauty of the sea, this island and your faces is a reflection of his gratuitous initiative: love precedes us, surrounds us and brings us together. The Gospel resounds where peoples meet, people welcome one another, their lives intertwine and different cultures engage in dialogue.” - Pope Leo XIV, Homily at Lampedusa July 4, 2026

Sharing a meal with others is deeply rooted in the Gospel. Jesus gathered people around meals. There Christ welcomed the stranger, restored relationships, forgave sins, and reminded everyone that all are invited to the table of the Lord. Throughout the Gospels, meals became moments of encounter, healing, reconciliation, and hope.

In this Gospel spirit, on July 11 one week after celebrating Eucharist with migrants and refugees on the island of Lampedusa, Pope Leo XIV welcomed 200 poor and vulnerable guests to a special summer celebration in the Borgo Laudato Si papal gardens of Castel Gandolfo. Pope Leo’s pastoral ministry is continually encountering and celebrating with persons suffering on the margins, reminding the world that the Gospel comes alive when we are compassionately accompanying one another with dignity, gratitude, and love. Read more...

For two hundred years, the Catholic faith has taken root and flourished across these islands. Your gift to the Bicentennial sustains the celebrations by defraying the costs of speakers, venues, and events, so that we can better carry this mission into its third century.

Every contribution – of any size – will help us all to be better motivated and equipped to help write the next chapter of the Catholic faith in Hawai’i.

Give today at https://catholichawaii200.org/donate

Flyer available HERE.

The journey of a lifetime awaits. Save the Date!

In 2027, retrace the sacred roots of 200 years of Catholic faith in Hawaiʻi — from the cobblestone streets of Paris to the birthplace of St. Damien in Belgium. Join Bishop Emeritus Larry Silva, Bishop-Elect Fr. Michael T. T. Castori, SJ, and Fr. Lane Akiona, SS.CC., Provincial Superior, on a once-in-a-generation Heritage Pilgrimage to France & Belgium — a living celebration of Two Hundred Years of Faith. One Family. One Hawaiʻi. Contact Deacon Mike Browning to reserve your place on the interest list: mbrowning@rcchawaii.org. Pricing and registration available after January 1, 2027.

Learn more at https://catholichawaii200.org/#pilgrimage

Flyer available HERE.

World Youth Day 2027 Pilgrimage to Seoul, South Korea
July 31 – August 10, 2027

Registration is open for our diocesan pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Seoul, South Korea. This once-in-a-lifetime experience invites young adults to encounter Christ, celebrate the universality of the Church, and be inspired alongside millions of young Catholics from around the world.

Flyer available HERE.

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 John Vianney
1786–1859
Memorial - August 4

John Mary Baptiste Vianney was the fourth of six children born to devout Catholic parents in Dardilly, a village near Lyon in eastern France. John was born three years before the start of the French Revolution, during which the Church came under ferocious attack. The Vianney family hid priests and attended clandestine Masses at nearby farms. The witness of the priests who risked their lives to offer the Sacraments inspired young John and later motivated him to become a priest. Read more...

(Image credit: George Desvallières, Public domain, 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!

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