By Anna Weaver

People waiting to catch a downtown city bus, strolling Fort Street Mall, or just minding their own business on a Sunday afternoon found themselves watching what might have seemed like an odd parade on Oct. 22.

White-robed marchers carrying candles and incense processed past, followed by men in dress uniforms and plumed hats, who surrounded a man in billowing vestments holding a large golden object in front of his face. Nearly 300 people trailed behind singing hymns.

What casual observers saw on Oct. 22 was what may have been the first public eucharistic procession in decades emerging from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace and led by a bishop. Bishop Larry Silva had convened the procession and the following adoration and benediction as a demonstrative diocesan prayer for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

East Honolulu Holy Trinity parishioner Geri Martinez came to the procession “because I totally believe in the Eucharist as the presence of Jesus and that many, many miracles happen through the Eucharist that we come to believe.”

The procession began shortly after 4 p.m. as altar servers led the crowd of worshippers through the main doors of the cathedral onto Bishop Street and then into Union Mall between Ninja Sushi and the New Liberty Grill.

With Knights of Columbus flanking him, Bishop Silva carried the monstrance, a large gleaming circular case displaying the sacred host, to his first stop midway down the mall. There he prayed for vocations with the crowd and blessed them with the Eucharist, before passing the monstrance to the cathedral’s associate pastor, Father Pascual Abaya.

Still singing hymns, the procession continued out to Hotel Street turning right up Fort Street Mall for one more prayer stop and passing of the monstrance before ending at the cathedral. Back inside the church, Bishop Silva led 10 minutes of silent prayer followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

In his homily at the 6 p.m. Mass that followed, the bishop spoke further on religious vocations.

“We pray in a special way for vocations to the priesthood and the religious life,” he said. “Perhaps at times we make the mistake of telling young people what a wonderful life it is … perhaps we really should tell them the whole truth — that they are called to be hated, to be misunderstood, and to be rejected.”

“How strange that God should be pleased to crush his servant in infirmity!” he continued. “Yet he assures us that this is the way we become crushed into the flour that becomes bread for the world; this is the way we are crushed into the wine that brings eternal life.”