Photos By Anna Weaver

By Anna Weaver | Hawaii Catholic Herald

Growing up in a devout Catholic family in a plantation town on the Big Island, Sarah Visser should have made her First Holy Communion 72 years ago. But her father died when she was seven, and as a result, her mother Elizabeth Santos couldn’t afford to buy her a white Communion dress.

On, April 15, the Second Sunday of Easter, at St. John Vianney Church in Kailua, after being away from the church for most of her lifetime, Sarah will receive her First Eucharist and the sacrament of Confirmation.

She will be wearing a brand new white muumuu and shoes her own daughter Raelani bought her for the happy occasion.

Never underestimate the power of a good example.

Raelani Visser certainly doesn’t. Because of her quiet action and gentle encouragement, the St. John Vianney parishioner will see five family members brought into full communion with the Catholic Church on April 15. Another will baptized at the Easter Vigil, April 7.

It all started five years ago, when Visser herself received the sacrament of Confirmation after a friend encouraged her to come back to church. In turn, she mentioned to her parents, Sarah and Johannes Visser, that she was going to the 9 a.m. Mass at St. John Vianney.

One day they told her, “We’ll meet you there.” They did.

Soon Visser saw a “trickle” effect. Her nephew Russell Lautherboren and his fiancée, Raelani Santos Borja, decided to get confirmed, followed by her brother’s girlfriend Dawnelle Hekkia and her daughter Kehaulani Elliston.

They all signed up for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) classes at the Kailua parish.

Then, Jackie Lautherboren, who is Russell’s mother and Raelani’s sister, followed suit. She had been moved by both the positive changes she saw in her son Russell and a little urging from Raelani.

All of this has Visser elated.

“I always just prayed that my family would come back to church,” said Visser, a Costco Hawaii Kai employee. “I feel like I won God’s lottery.”

The whole experience has also brought the family closer together.

Visser’s extended family will be among the approximately 125 people who will be brought into full communion in the Catholic Church at Easter Vigil Masses April 7 across the state. These are people who are already baptized but have not yet received one or both of the two other sacraments of initiation — Holy Eucharist and Confirmation.

Another 157 adults and children, called catechumens, will receive all three sacraments of initiation — Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation — at the Easter Vigil liturgies.

St. John Vianney has 18 catechumens this year, the highest of any Hawaii parish after the Korean Catholic Community which has 33.

Changed lives

“It feels good” to be back, said Sarah, who has been attending Mass at St. John Vianney every Sunday with her husband Johannes, 81, who is not Catholic.

Said Raelani, “It was in her heart to go, but it was just getting there.”

Sarah, with Raelani, recently dropped by Hawaiian Memorial Park to visit the grave of her mother, who seven decades earlier couldn’t afford to buy her a Communion dress. Raelani told her, “Oh Mom, grandma is so proud of you!”

Raelani is especially proud of her nephew Russell Lautherboren, who with his fiancée, Raelani Santos Borja, is going to be confirmed. Raelani is Russell’s confirmation sponsor.

At first, the engaged couple had signed up for the RCIA because they thought confirmation was a requirement for a church wedding. When they found out that wasn’t the case, they nevertheless continued attending because they both liked going so much.

Before returning to church, Lautherboren, 36, said he was depressed and felt his life was not going anywhere.

“At first I felt like God didn’t want anything to do with me,” he said. “Ever since RCIA, I learned that Jesus is all about forgiveness.”

And perhaps more. Lautherboren has also gotten a new job as a plumber’s apprentice through St. John Vianney RCIA coordinator Pam Aqui. His boss is a St. Ann, Kaneohe, parishioner and on the job everyone reads Scripture before working.

“It’s like everywhere I turn, Jesus is there now,” Lautherboren said.

He was also delighted to see his mom, Jackie Lautherboren, 62, return to the church after witnessing positive changes in his life. She will be confirmed at St. Michael Parish in Kona this Easter Vigil.

Jackie had struggled physically and mentally over the last few years with health problems that included major heart surgery. The church has given her a renewed zest for life, Russell said.

He finds it especially poignant that his mother was married at St. John Vianney, the same church in which he will exchange vows on May 5.

Lautherboren also hopes that his son from another relationship, 9-year-old Dylan, will be baptized in the future. He and the rest of the family have noticed that Dylan likes going to church with them.

Part of the family

Dawnelle Hekkia appreciated the quiet approach Raelani Visser took in encouraging her to come back to church and get confirmed.

“She doesn’t put pressure,” said Hekkia, 29, who is dating Raelani’s brother John. “She just mentioned that she was going to 9 a.m. Mass.”

When Hekkia is confirmed on April 7, her 11-year-old daughter, Kehaulani Elliston, will be baptized, confirmed and receive her First Eucharist. Dawnelle and John’s 7 ½-month-old daughter, Malialani Visser-Hekkia, will be baptized in a few months as well.

Hekkia says going to Mass each week is her way of replenishing herself spiritually; and she has fun going as a family with the Vissers.

“It’s our weekly thing,” she said. “You refuel.”

Her daughter Kehaulani is excited about becoming Catholic.

“Anytime you get a chance to go to church, go for it,” said the Keolu Elementary School fifth grader.

Raelani Visser says she won’t stop at six family members back in the church. She has many more relatives, including her brother, John, 41, to lovingly woo back.

“Life is good, especially with God in our lives,” Visser said.