Chaminade University of Honolulu

Catholic

It’s ‘Aloha’ to Chaminade for Bro. Brandon Alana as He Pursues Master’s Degree at University of Dayton

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After tending to the spiritual needs of Chaminade University students for the past five years, Bro. Brandon Alana, SM, is becoming a student himself. He’s departing Hawaii and his pastoral campus minister assignment to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Dayton, one of Chaminade’s sister schools.

Bro. Brandon Alana“I’m going to miss how we do Family Spirit on our campus with that aloha flare,” says Bro. Alana, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies at Chaminade in 2004. He’ll also miss the culture, food and familiarity of Hawaii, where he lived until age 11 before moving to American Samoa with his family.

Looking back at his Chaminade tenure, one of Bro. Alana’s fondest memories occurred in 2012, shortly after becoming campus minister at his alma mater.

Mother Marianne Cope, who treated Hansen’s Disease sufferers on Molokai during the late 1800s, was being canonized by Pope Benedict XVI. To mark the momentous occasion, Bro. Alana organized a prayer service of thanksgiving that honored Saint Marianne’s devotion to the infirmed.

“This eventually became the Blessing of Health Care Professionals – the Blessing of Hands – we have today,” Bro. Alana says.

Looking further back to his Chaminade undergraduate days, Bro. Alana says his commitment to the Catholic Church was greatly strengthened by serving as an intern at Campus Ministry and later as a retreat minister.

Maimoa Fineisaloi and Bro. Brandon Alana
Maimoa Fineisaloi & Bro. Brandon Alana at Crunch Brunch

“In a sense, it really was in college that I took ownership of my faith,” Bro. Alana recalls. “I became involved in Campus Ministry because they helped me in my effort to be more mature in my faith.”

Directing Campus Ministry at that time was a Marianist Brother who hosted prayer meetings in his Hale Pohaku apartment. These gatherings had a “deep impact” on Bro. Alana.

“Up until this point, my faith life was simply a private matter that wasn’t necessarily shared,” Bro. Alana says. “The prayer community encouraged us to share our faith with each other.”

Upon graduating from Chaminade, Bro. Alana joined the Marianist Brothers and volunteered at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. He later worked in the rector’s office at the University of Dayton before being named minister for spiritual development at St. Mary’s.

Two years later he found his way back to Chaminade as campus minister for the Silverswords.

Looking to the future, Bro. Alana doesn’t know where his spiritual journey will lead him after earning his master’s in pastoral ministry at the University of Dayton. What is certain, however, is his continued dedication to the Society of Mary.

“Of course, returning to Hawaii would be awesome,” he says. “But I remain open to wherever God sends me.”

Chaminade University Celebrates 2017 Spring Commencement

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Hundreds of exuberant graduates celebrated their achievements with their families, friends, faculty, staff and colleagues at Chaminade University’s 59th Commencement. Approximately 429 students graduated this spring semester with nearly 335 participating in the May 15 ceremony held at Neal Blaisdell Arena.

The program featured as its keynote speaker Shelley J. Wilson, the president and chief executive officer of Wilson Homecare and vice chair and secretary of Chaminade University’s Board of Regents. In 1996, Wilson founded Wilson Homecare, one of Hawaii’s largest private-duty home health care agencies. Wilson Homecare provides in-home health care services island-wide. Also in 2013, Wilson Senior Living Kailua, a state-licensed Adult Residential Care Home opened in the Aikahi neighborhood.

Wilson inspired the audience with her story.  She found her passion during one of the most difficult times of her life.  Returning to civilian life as a wounded warrior, Wilson had to deal with the challenges of recovery in the home.  Her experiences gave her empathy for in-home-care patients. In response to those hard times, she founded Wilson Homecare.  She encouraged the soon-to-be graduates to find a cause and to dedicate themselves to that cause with a passion as a way to find purpose and meaning.

Commencement student speakers were Taylor Seth Stutsman, the undergraduate representative, and Rezettakahealani Eric Mulitalo, the post-graduate representative.

Stutsman graduated with his B.S. in Forensics Sciences, Cum Laude.  That night his family came from five different states to cheer for him. He moved to Hawaii from Pennsylvania and appreciated the diversity of Chaminade. “Hawaii has taught me more about acceptance and tolerance than I could have imagined,” he said, appreciative of the multi-cultural experiences made available to him at Chaminade.

Mulitalo graduated that night with her M.S. in Criminal Justice Administration. Raised in Western Samoa, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wellington, New Zealand. “You do not have to know what you are going to do with the rest of your life yet,” she reassured the graduating students. She advised them to remember what the Scottish scholar William Barclay had said. “’There are two great days in a person’s life –the day we are born, and the day we discover why,’” she quoted. “Watch your choices, follow your dreams and love what you do.”

The Fujitani Interfaith Program at Chaminade University Focused on Pathways to Peace

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Maya Soetoro-Ng, Ph.D., the keynote speaker, asked the crowd to reflect in silence on their personal definitions of peace and peacebuilding.  The nearly 100 people in Mystical Rose Oratory obediently paused and reflected.  They had gathered on April 28 – a Friday night – for a presentation by the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) Fujitani Interfaith Program of Chaminade University featuring “Pathways to Peace in the Workplace: How Practices of Faith Bring Peace within Diverse Career Fields.”

“All right, please share your thoughts.  We’ll do it popcorn-style,” said Soetoro-Ng.

People popped up with their definitions, ranging from personal peace, spiritual harmony, and working in harmony. She encouraged people to connect with strangers around them and share their definitions of peace.

Affirming everyone, Soetoro-Ng shared that the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution also defines peace as action and will work through public policies and innovative social projects.  The organization looks for “opportunities to nourish peace in the actions we take” as a way to develop peacebuilding leaders.

Soetoro-Ng serves as the director of Community Outreach and Global Learning at the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution and earned her doctorate at the University of Hawaii in multicultural education. She has taught multicultural education, social studies methods, and peace education for many years at the University of Hawaii’s College of Education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels

Soetoro-Ng told stories of her mother as a social-cultural anthropologist and as a bridge builder. Soetoro-Ng recalled the poignant story of her mother’s desire to have her ashes scattered in the ocean so that “Mom could share herself and connect with all the people she had ever worked with and loved in her lifetime.”

Soetoro-Ng also shared stories of compassion shown across diverse communities that she saw during her global travels. “The vast majority of the world are comprised of the faithful. What if people of all faiths mandated peace and peacebuilding as their goal? Can you imagine how expansive that embrace would be for the family of humans?” she asked.

Soetoro-Ng then turned the discussion to the respondents.

Vima Lamura had led the audience in meditation earlier that evening.  As the audience meditated aloud, she orchestrated the diverse sounds into a chorus and pulled the participants into a harmonious choir.  Lamura spoke about the value of being at peace and in harmony in work with choirs and orchestras.  She had spent her life immersed in the traditional ancient wisdom of the Vedas, chant, sacred sound and mantra, which have inspired her creative works in music, speaking and writing.  She shared how meditation was useful for her inner peace and in building peace with the people she collaborated with on music tours, concerts, studio recordings, and operas.

Pieper Toyama, the founding head of the Pacific Buddhist Academy, spoke of integrating Buddhist values in an academic setting.  The school discipline, curriculum, and relationships between students, faculty, and staff needed to reflect these values, including the fostering of peace, pursuing inner peace and the practice of peace with others. Toyama has retired from Pacific Buddhist Academy, the first Shin Buddhist high school in the Western Hemisphere, and currently serves as president of Hawaii’s organization of Hongwanji’s 34 Buddhist temples.

James P. Walsh, Jr., the director of Pastoral Planning for the Diocese of Honolulu, worked in Hawaii’s medical field from 1975 to 2009 in various executive positions at Straub Clinic and Hospital and with HMSA.  He has taught at Chaminade University from 1979 to 1999 as an adjunct Business professor. Walsh spoke about negotiating between employees and employers and practicing his faith through conflicts. He encouraged people to become more aware of what they are grateful for and challenged them to look for opportunities to correct inequities.

Soetoro-Ng asked the audience for their thoughts and questions, as well as to connect with others in the room. The discussion was robust.

In closing, Soetoro-Ng shared an Indonesian phrase she learned as a child that translates to “wash your eyes.” “Yes, wash your eyes; refresh your gaze,” she repeated. “Make a commitment to faith and peace in action. Remember small connections can build an organism that can grow to supplant major power. ”

The Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai Reverend Fujitani Interfaith Program, established in 2003, brings together the Buddhist community with all other religious communities in Hawaii to promote interfaith dialogue and provide opportunities for understanding and action for peace and justice in our communities.

Chaminade’s Religious Studies program offers the student an opportunity for in-depth reflection into the nature of religious experience, the communities which arise in response to it, and their actions. Grounded in Roman Catholic theology and Marianist educational philosophy, this reflection is ecumenical and conducted in the context of a multicultural, interfaith dialogue, exploring the meaning of the faith and working for justice among many peoples and cultures. The program fosters an understanding of human responses to the sacred that invite personal and communal commitment to faith in action and spiritual growth.

Chaminade Students Received the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Easter Vigil

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At the footsteps of Eiben Hall, a fire burned brightly into the night as Chaminade chaplain Fr. George Cerniglia, SM began Easter Vigil.

In the Roman Catholic Church tradition, the Easter Vigil, also called the Paschal Vigil or Holy Saturday, is the most important service of public worship and Masses of the liturgical year because it commemorates Christ’s rising from the dead. Traditionally at this Mass, people are baptized, and adult catechumens are received into full communion with the Church. This Easter Vigil at Mystical Rose Oratory four Chaminade students and six parishioners committed themselves to the faith and were received into that full communion.

Chaminade students Anthony Lamorena, Darynka Gomez-Cervantes, Mario Armendariz, and Jared Hernden have been studying the Catholic faith since September 2016.

Lamorena, a senior majoring in Business Administration, knew that this was the right time to be confirmed. He had been raised Catholic but had always put it off. “I believe that when God tells you it’s time that is when you should do it. I felt God drawing me to this program this year, and I thought it was the right time in my life to go through the process and attain this sacrament,” he said.

Darynka Gomez-Cervantes, a first-year student majoring in Criminal Justice, felt that this was the right time for her as well. She explained, “I chose to confirm as Catholic because I was baptized Catholic and thought to myself that I needed to continue the steps of being a Catholic and becoming closer to God. I am very glad I chose to go through this somewhat long process. In the end, it was very worth it, and I was glad I made this huge decision that will forever change my life.”

As the students went through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), they prepared themselves to receive the sacraments of initiation (baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist). The night was the culmination of an eight-month journey where they learned about the Catholic faith and then took the final steps.

“The process was a lot of fun for me,” said Gomez-Cervantes. “My sponsor was my best friend and would attend all the meetings with me, and Danny (Campus Ministry director Daniel O’Regan) would make the meetings very relatable and spiritual. We would meet every week. It was great relaxing and talking about God.”

For Lamorena, the experience grew his understanding. “The process leading up to confirmation was both educational and cleansing as I prepared myself spiritually for this new leap forward in my walk with God. It allowed me to revisit things I learned in the past, and it allowed me to learn more about God and the Church,” Lamorena shared.

The Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday, April 15, was deeply moving for the students — filled with symbols of light and hope. Friends and supporters were on hand to witness the sacraments of initiation.

“I felt a bit of sadness because my parents weren’t here to celebrate this special moment in my life and spiritual journey, but I’m glad I have great friends that came to support me,” said Gomez-Cervantes. “After the confirmation, I felt much closer to God and related more to the people of the church. I felt like a new person, a worthy person closer to God.”

Lamorena reflected that he, too, had changed. “I felt renewed because I had gone through a process that has helped me become a stronger and new person in the eyes of God and to others,” he said.

The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (R.C.I.A) is an eight-month program intended for those who are interested either in becoming Catholic or who wish to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Offered by Campus Ministry, the program opens during the first week of September and continues throughout the school year to Easter. R.C.I.A. encourages the growth of each person’s faith life through regular worship at the Sunday Mass in the Mystical Rose Chapel; participation in community service and the Awakening retreat; and mandatory weekly meetings on Sundays after church or at other mutually agreed upon times to learn about Catholic traditions and beliefs.

Students Experience Spiritual Growth through Kalaupapa Pilgrimage

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During spring break, eight students from Chaminade made a pilgrimage to Kalaupapa, Molokai to walk in the footsteps of Father Damien de Veuster, SS. CC. and Mother Marianne Cope and see the world through their eyes. Father Damien, known as “the apostle of the lepers,” and Mother Marianne, known as the “mother of outcasts,” were canonized for their work at Kalaupapa’s leper colony. Located on the northern peninsula of Molokai, isolated Kalaupapa has long been associated with Saint Damien (Contemplative Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary) and Saint Marianne (Sisters of Saint Francis).

Campus Ministry 2017 Kalaupapa Pilgrimage

The Chaminade students were eager to connect with both saints.

“I wanted to immerse myself into my culture and gain a stronger appreciation for the islands and learn about the leprosy settlement on Kalaupapa. I wanted to walk where Father Damien and Mother Marianne walked and served,” said Karinna Himan, a junior majoring in Criminal Justice.

Kimberly Rose Aguada, a first-year student at Chaminade and an alumna of Damien Memorial High School, revealed, “When I first learned about Saint Damien, I decided to model my life after him – to always act courageously and faithfully.” Aguada is studying to be a nurse making Saint Marianne also significant to her.

Flying in on a small plane with all their belongings and supplies, the students spent March 18-21 in one of the most beautiful places on earth and yet, at one time in history, one of the saddest places on earth.

“The most memorable part of this trip for me was that for so long, Kalaupapa was known to be a place of sorrow and hardship,” said Yaron Fernando, a Criminal Justice major with a Forensic Sciences minor who will graduate in 2019. “Now it is a place where people can feel joy and compassion in the heart and learn to appreciate the beauty that God has created.”

Campus Ministry 2017 Kalaupapa Pilgrimage

This was the second time that Chaminade’s Campus Ministry offered the Kalaupapa Pilgrimage to its day undergraduate students. Chaminade Campus Ministry director Daniel O’Regan took his first Chaminade group there in 2013.  He noted the powerful impact that this pilgrimage had on students’ spiritual growth.  “It’s a way to connect with the earth, God, and be inspired by the history and people living in Kalaupapa, as well as allow the natural beauty of the island to speak to us of the grandeur of God’s goodness,” he said.

Aguada recalled one of the most memorable parts of the pilgrimage for her. “We hiked up a trail and at the top was a giant white cross. It overlooked the entire settlement and a beautiful valley. When I sat under the cross, I heard the wind blowing through the trees. It was almost as if God was speaking. I remember just sitting there and feeling at peace. I truly felt like He was there with me. It still gives me chills,” Aguada said.

Campus Ministry 2017 Kalaupapa Pilgrimage

From Ohio, Shea Smith, who will graduate in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a minor in Criminal Justice, found the pilgrimage serene and meaningful. “I walked around by myself to reflect and focus on my spiritual side. Nature for me is calming, and it helps me see God. The beauty of the earth helps me see the beauty in my life that God has given me. This trip allowed me to realize just how grateful I am for my life,” Smith said. “I remember sitting on the pier looking at the crystal clear water and watching these colorful fish swimming around. I don’t see fish like that in Ohio, and when I see them here, I thought it was so amazing. It was another peaceful moment for me that I will always remember. It was relaxing, and it made me happy seeing them swim around and flow with the current. That moment was God talking to me, making me smile and helping me to remember that He is always with me and that I have so much to be grateful for in my life.”

The students had no set schedules, no agendas, and no phone signals as they shook off the stress of school. “As you visit the place, you realize that you are trying to move away from the insanity of our life filled with agendas, timelines, and meetings,” said O’Regan. “In Kalaupapa, you need to have the courage and confidence to go with the flow.  There was downtime to visit the sacred historical sites, hike, visit the locals and even get in a game of volleyball. There was time to reflect under a full night sky of stars, but everything was done by feeling the moment and doing what was right. That is something Kalaupapa teaches you.”

Campus Ministry 2017 Kalaupapa Pilgrimage

Himan noted how grateful the residents were. “They don’t need to have the most glamorous things to be happy. They enjoy the simple things in life and truly love and care about their Kalaupapa. Knowing the history of this place with the positivity of the people and its patients, it’s easy to forget the sad history of this settlement, which some have described as a giant graveyard.”

Once back on Oahu, Himan missed Kalaupapa intensely. “On our last night, we listened to locals have a jam session and just talked story with them. One of the less-than-a-dozen leprosy patients still there told us his experience of being at the settlement. The man described Kalaupapa better than I ever could and told us ‘one day we all going die, but I’m not worried because I already live in Heaven.’”

The value of family spirit and being able to experience the pilgrimage with each other stood out in the students’ memories.  “The people I went with became family, the place felt like home, and I will never forget the memories we’ve made. If anyone wants to experience a serenity that’s absent on our busy island, make new friends, and truly connect with God, I suggest that they apply for this opportunity the next time it’s available,” Aguada said.

Campus Ministry aims to provide students with the best spiritual support during their time at Chaminade University and offers abundant opportunities to nurture spiritual growth. Though Chaminade is a Marianist Catholic Institution, Campus Ministry welcomes and serves people of all faiths and traditions.

Panelists Offer Solutions for ‘Housing the Houseless’

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Faith-motivated responses to Hawaii’s homelessness epidemic was the topic of “Housing the Houseless,” a well-attended panel discussion at Chaminade University. Moderated by Hawaii News Now TV reporter and weather anchor Ben Gutierrez, the March 12 event was part of the Mackey Marianist Lecture Series: Catholicism in Prophetic Dialogue.

Panelist Peter Savio, a real estate broker/developer and social worker, characterized homelessness as a symptom of a greater problem – that being the high cost of housing in the Aloha State. As a result, many renters are just one paycheck away from losing their homes.

Savio called for the construction of affordable housing units financed by low-interest government loans. He also favors expansion of home ownership through equity-building rent-to-own projects that create “hope and opportunity” for lower-income families and individuals.

Panelist Terry Walsh (Behavioral Science ’93.), the new president and CEO of Catholic Charities Hawaii, believes in a “housing first” approach to getting people off the streets. First, provide shelter and meals for these needy individuals, Walsh said. Then tackle more deep-seated challenges such as alcohol abuse, drug addiction and mental illness.

“It takes a community to address this problem,” Walsh emphasized. “All of us together.”

Rounding out the panel were Dave and Bernie Reeves, retired teachers from Chaminade College Preparatory School in West Hills, California, and chairs of the Homelessness and Affordable Housing Committee at St. Ann’s Parish in Kaneohe.

Bernie Reeves, who volunteers for the state’s annual point-in-time homeless count, said the crisis is worse than the numbers indicate. That’s because many street people decline to provide information about themselves to outreach workers.

According to the statewide count from a single night in 2016, there were 7,921 homeless in Hawaii, up 4 percent from the previous year. More than half those counted lacked shelter of any kind.

“You have to organize individuals to solve problems,” Dave Reeves urged. Homeless people can help themselves to an extent, he said, “but they cannot do it alone.”

The Mackey Marianist Lecture Series has been sponsored for 20 years by Chaminade, Saint Louis School and the Marianist Center of Hawaii. The twice-annual lectures are dedicated to the memory of Chaminade’s first president, Father Robert R. Mackey, SM.