Number of Hawaii catechumens continues to drop
By Patrick Downes | Hawaii Catholic Herald
The number of new Catholics being welcomed into the church at Easter in Hawaii continues to drop.
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This year’s catechumen list:
BIG ISLAND
St. Joseph, Hilo
Sandralynn Noelani Amaral
Robert Domingez
Mary Lee Smith
St. Michael, Kailua-Kona
Alyssa Solis
Sacred Heart, Hawi
Walter Geiger
Annunciation, Kamuela
Christina Cronin
MAUI
Christ the King, Kahului
Meliame Se
St. Anthony of Padua, Wailuku
Kawika Aweau
St. Theresa, Kihei
Scott Isaacs
Scott Martin
OAHU
Blessed Sacrament, Pauoa Valley
Alika Leilani Piper
Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, Honolulu
Steven Chow
Jasmine Maria Caranda Falefuafua
Sophia M. Horvath
Matthew Daniel Lanas Juntilla
Linda Katsekas
Jericka Mirafuentes
Jessicka Mirafuentes
Dennis Nabarro
Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa, Honolulu
Denah Danley
Holy Family, Honolulu/St. Philomena, Salt Lake
Davian Hoomana
Grason Snow-Calvan
Tiana Snow-Calvan
Chevy Wong
Lance Yamasaki
Holy Trinity, Kuliouou
Connor Farney
Landon Keaina Tadashi Kaaua
Monica Kirk
Ryan Kirk
Danny Scott Ordonez
Shayla-Ann Santos
Our Lady of Good Counsel, Pearl City
Leonard Aldoso
Lincoln Aldoso
Kevin Crowell
Joanne Rivera
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Ewa Beach
David Ahana
Lendsy Fajotina
Our Lady of Sorrows
Glenn Brasher
Kilikakopa Burner
Randy Idio
Setsuko Kimura
Cheryl Lyn Micky
Edward Micky Jr
Sharon Micky
Sherry Ann Micky
Theodore Salmon Jr.
Ernest Sonido Jr.
Lovely Joy Yanuaria
Sacred Heart, Waianae
George E. Charter
Rebecca K. Gebreyesus
Elizabeth K. Pregana
St. Anthony, Kailua
June L. Gural
Christian Tabilang
St. Anthony, Kalihi
Jack Higa
St. Augustine, Waikiki
Herbert Watson
Michael Danis
Michelle Uvalle
St. Elizabeth, Aiea
Marnelli Joy Basilio
Cassandra Durham
Willie Lebouef
Stanley L. Manoa Jr.
Hilda Nakagawa
Karen Nakata
Alexis Wakakuwa
Ariana Wakakuwa
St. John Vianney, Kailua
Allyson Cluney
Casen Cluney
Cheyne Guy Cluney
Kehaulani Elliston
Cole Hogland
Hugh Hogland
Sanai Hogland
Hunter Jones
Emma Kohler
Marion Lee
Si Chong Leong
Madison Lord-Paulin
Michael Lord-Paulin
Michele Lord-Paulin
Kaeo Moniz
Emma Shinagawa
Joseph Shinagawa
Lynn Spitzer
St. John Apostle and Evangelist, Mililani
Beau Caputo
Clyde Higa
Shannon Sniffen
Shelly Uwaine
St. Jude, Kapolei
August Abellana
Chyanne Alejado
Kayla Bodnar
Hannah Chigawa
James Duvall
Chelsea Legros
Mya Legros
Aloha Lindsey
Kane Lindsey
Elizabeth McGregor
Rebecca McGregor
William Mosely
St. Michael, Waialua
Nick Pascual
Tracy Walker
St. Rita, Nanakuli
Alyssa Walsworth
Sts. Peter and Paul, Honolulu
Harry Morris
Paul Wainwright, III
Star of the Sea, Waialae-Kahala
Charles Saito
Yuri Nagat
Jessica Shimabukuro
ETHNIC COMMUNITIES
Korean Catholic Community
Sung Woo Lee
Ho Soon Lee
Moon Yeon Kang
Ki Young Yoon
Chung Ae Hong
Kyong Ja Lee
Soon Hee Kim
Pan Soon Oh
Ok Hee Park
Ung Ye Yi
Ho Sop Byun
Byung Hee Chun
Jane Lee
Sol Bong Kim
Chin Kyong Hwang
Jung Ok Kim
Ui Bum So
Mi Cha Yang
Byeong Yun Kim
Sharon Kim
Dong Man Prak
Chang Yop Lee
Un Hee Chong
Byung Hee Chun
Jannie Yokoyama
K. Koo Kim
Yong Kun Park
Hwa Sok Park
Chung Siw Kim
Sook Hee Park
Kie Soon Moon
Ung Seop Shim
Namku Lee
Vietnamese Holy Martyrs
Linda Burgo
Lani Thanh Nguyen
Raymond Hai Nguyen
Kieu My Ngoc Nguyen
Tam Van Tizan
MILITARY CHAPELS
Aliamanu Military Reservation Chapel
Heidi Cannon
Prince of Peace Chapel, Hickam Air Force Base
Grace Aguilarieon
Ally Bellas
Minna Bellas
Marshall Bronston
Kornamol Gornal
Connor Lewis
Steve Lewis
Victoria Lewis
Michelle Moore
Michelle Rodriguez
Cecilia Swartzmiller
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This year, according to figures collected by the diocesan Office of Worship, 157 adult and child catechumens will be baptized in churches throughout the diocese at the Easter Vigil on April 7.
That number includes 38 in the Korean and Vietnamese Catholic communities and 11 from two military chapels.
This year’s total is 31 fewer than last year’s total of 188, a slide of about 17 percent.
Three-fifths of Hawaii’s parishes — 39 of 66 — have no converts at all this year. That is seven more parishes than last year and 13 more than 2005.
The number of Easter Vigil baptisms has dropped considerably since the years 2001 to 2004. Here are the figures since 2000: 2000 — 193; 2001 —246; 2002 —258; 2003 — 218; 2004 — 235; 2005 — 195; 2006 — 188.
The future adult and child converts, officially called catechumens, will first be welcomed and acknowledged in Rites of Election. The bishop’s office has scheduled two rites this year, one on the Big Island on Feb. 24, at 5 p.m., at Annunciation Church in Kamuela, and one on Oahu on Feb. 25, at 2 p.m., at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa.
At each Rite of Election, candidates who have been preparing for baptism over the past year through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA, will sign their names in the Book of the Elect, signifying their desire to be received into the church at Easter.
Bishop Larry Silva will preside at both rites.
The Rite of Election is generally held on or around the First Sunday of Lent, which this year is Feb. 25. It marks the beginning of the catechumens’ final preparation before Easter. The time coincides with Lent, a time of purification, penance and renewal for the Catholic faithful.
In solemn evening rituals on Holy Saturday, the catechumens will receive the three sacraments of initiation — Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist.
The Hawaii parish or community with the largest group of catechumens this year is the Korean Catholic Community with 33. The Korean Catholics, an ethnic “quasi-parish” that gathers at St. Pius X Church in Manoa, consistently has the highest number of converts in Hawaii every year.
The parish with the next highest number is St. John Vianney Parish in Kailua with 18. St. Jude Parish in Kapolei has 12. Our Lady of Sorrows in Wahiawa has 11. The Prince of Peace Chapel at Hickam Air Force Base has 10.
The Easter Vigil will also “bring into full communion” with the Catholic Church those who are already baptized but who have not yet received the sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Eucharist
This year, approximately 125 additional adults and children in Hawaii will be received into full communion.