During Father Joven Junio’s time in Hawaii, diocese benefited from a growing impact of the La Salettes, Filipino participation

By Anna Weaver | Hawaii Catholic Herald

After almost 18 years in Hawaii, La Salette Father Joven “Jojo” Junio has been reassigned to Southern California. There he will take on the challenge of running a large parish, while he learns to speak Spanish and possibly oversees another major parish construction project.

Father Junio, who came to the islands in 1991 from his native Philippines to work in the Diocesan Office for Filipino Ministry (now ethnic ministries), has seen both the La Salette order and Filipino Catholic community evolve and grow in his time here.

He says he will most miss the close-knit community at St. Joseph Parish in Waipahu, where he has been pastor since 1999. He says he will also miss “the warmth and hospitality” of Hawaii’s people and the greenery, beaches and weather here.

“After 17 years, almost 18 years ministering here, I feel also that it is time to move,” Father Junio said. “A part of growing in faith or maturity is when the person realizes that they have given or offered much of what they have and it’s time to allow others to continue the journey.”

He will be officially assigned to St. Christopher Parish in Moreno Valley, Calif., on July 1, but leaves Hawaii on June 23 to go to Pangasinan, Philippines, where he was born, to help in relief efforts after a typhoon hit the area on May 17. Father Junio also plans to visit family in Alberta, Canada.

St. Christopher, in the Diocese of San Bernardino, has 7,000 registered families, 65 percent of whom are Hispanic, with a church that seats 1,500. In comparison, St. Joseph has 2,500 registered families, and a church that seats 750.

According to the October parish count, St. Joseph Parish has the largest Mass attendance in Hawaii.

While he is supposed to take on the title of St. Christopher’s pastor, Father Junio says he plans to “bargain” for the temporary title of “administrator” until the La Salette superiors meet in October and possibly make further parish reassignments.

Father Junio says that one of the biggest challenges he’ll face at his new parish will be learning Spanish.

“I still believe that in order for one person to understand the very sentiments of another is to speak their language,” he said. Toward that goal, he will take cultural sensitivity training and participate in a language immersion program in Mexico.

Another challenge: St. Christopher is planning to build a $10-12 million parish center. Father Junior, who oversaw the completion of a major renovation at St. Joseph in 2006, says he isn’t eager to take on another construction project so soon. “But if that’s where the community I’m going to is leaning towards,” he says, he’s willing.

Remains district superior

Father Junio will remain the district superior of the La Salettes in both Hawaii and California and will be back in the islands around twice a year. He also says that in the next six months he will be returning to Hawaii to preside at several weddings that he was committed to before getting his new assignment.

When Father Junio arrived in Hawaii in 1991, the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette had been here for only six years, since 1985. According to the 1993 Diocesan Directory, Hawaii had six La Salette priests at two parishes. Since then, the order has grown to be the largest religious community of priests serving island parishes, with 16 La Salette priests at 10 churches.

The order also now has a young man from Hawaii in its formation program.

Father Junio says his main role in bringing more priests from the Philippines was to welcome and orientate the new arrivals to the islands. The rise in the number of Filipino priests here over the years, he said, has lead to “a greater awareness of cultural sensitivity towards the people in the pews.”

A big help to the foreign clergy, Father Junio said, has been the support of the past and present diocesan administration and bishops.

“I’m just most grateful to the diocese and its leadership,” Father Junio said. “First they really welcomed and took care of us immigrant clergy and religious communities, and second, they allowed us to grow and mature not only in our pastoral experience but also in our religious life.”

He said that during the 17 years he’s been here, there also has been an evolution in the Filipino Catholic community.

“I’ve seen more of them participating in the mainstream of the Catholic community,” he said, including becoming more active in parish leadership and ministry roles.

“They are grounded into their faith and at the same time validated by their involvement,” he said.

Father Junio said he looks at his present and future assignments as “a privilege to serve.” When a new pastor comes to St. Joseph, he says his fulfillment will be having that person “journey with the community and bring them to a deeper relationship with the Lord.”