Bishop Silva to preside over four island Chrism Masses

By Anna Weaver | Hawaii Catholic Herald

Bishop Larry Silva in March will preside at four Chrism Masses on four islands. The liturgies, during which all the holy oils for island parish sacramental use for one year are blessed, will be celebrated on Oahu, the Big Island, Maui and Kauai.

Kauai’s Chrism Mass is Tuesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. at St. Raphael Church in Koloa.

Maui’s is Thursday, March 22 at 7 p.m. at St. Anthony in Wailuku.

The Big Island’s Chrism Mass is Tuesday, March 27 at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph in Hilo.

And Oahu’s is Thursday, March 29 at 7 p.m. at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu.

Bishop Silva will bless the oils, which are then distributed at the end of the Mass to each parish. The oils are used for anointing for Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, the Sacrament of the Sick, and the blessings of altars.

Only bishops can consecrate the oil. In 2004 and 2005 when Hawaii was without a diocesan bishop, auxiliary bishops from the Archdiocese of San Francisco flew in for the Chrism Mass.

The bishop blesses the oil under three names: Oil of the Sick, Oil of Catechumens and Sacred Chrism. The first two are simply 100 percent virgin olive oil, such as one might find at a grocery store.

Sacred Chrism is virgin olive oil perfumed with the addition of balsam. Altogether approximately 20 gallons of oil are blessed each year in Hawaii.

During the Chrism Mass, the bishop blesses the oils in large koa calabashes. The oils are then taken immediately to the sacristy and poured by volunteers into small bottles.

Three bottles, one of each kind of oil, are then boxed up. At the end of the Mass a representative from each parish comes forward to receive a box as the name of the parish is called out.

Also at the Chrism Mass, priests are re-consecrated by the bishop.

“Normally the Chrism Mass is celebrated on Holy Thursday, which is a special day for the priests,” says Sacred Hearts Sister Helene Wood, director of the Office of Worship.

Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper when Jesus instituted the Eucharist.

Because the holy oils need to get to all parishes by Easter weekend, a deadline complicated by the fact that the Diocese of Honolulu is spread over six islands, Hawaii celebrates several Chrism Masses earlier.