Four mature Native Hawaiians, including two retirees, recently were ordained as deacons of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i. In the spring, “God willing and the people consenting,” they will become Episcopal priests.
Phyllis Mahilani “Mahi” Beimes is the first Native Hawaiian woman to be ordained in the worldwide Anglican communion. After she retired as a Pearl Harbor submarine electrician, her congregation called her to enter the priesthood. She and her husband live in Kane‘ohe; their children live nearby. She is a member of St. Johns-by-the-Sea in Kane‘ohe, as is Paul Nahoa Lucas, who answers his call for the priesthood from his position as a compliance lawyer for Kamehameha Schools. He and his family live in Ka’a’awa, and his youngest son is a college freshman on the mainland.
Malcolm Keleawe Hee comes from a Buddhist upbringing. He excels as a special education teacher, and instructs teaching majors at Chaminade University. Malcolm, his wife and their two daughters’ faminies reside in Palolo. He is a member of Good Samaritan Church.
John Hau‘oli Tomoso is executive director of Tri-Isles Conservation and Development Council Inc. His life has been deeply connected to social work in the Hawaiian community and he serves as kahuna pule for the Royal Order of Kamehameha. A member of Good Shepherd Church, he lives in Wailuku with his wife and mother; grandchildren are nearby.
In Hawai’i, seniors who are called to serve the church as clergy undertake rigorous study and spiritual formation without either moving to a mainland seminary or disrupting familes and careers.
These four deacons are completing a three-year formation program on O‘ahu, meeting for 10 weekends a year. Meetings include academic courses, monthly exams, practical workshops, spiritual development and worship. Each candidate has completed two years of church fieldwork.
When ordained as priests, they will join a regional clerical team or a congregation; later, they may be called to serve any Episcopal church in Hawai‘i; some may even get a salary. Nine more students are preparing for ordination in 2018.
Mature deacons and priests bring to their ministries valuable lifelong experience with Hawai‘i’s varied cultures and their deep roots in the community. Native Hawaiian priests honor the tradition of Queen Emma and Kamehameha IV, who in 1862 invited the Church of England to be established in Hawai‘i.
For further information, call Reverend Linda Decker on Maui at 808-244-4656 or email her at office@goodshepherdmaui.org.
If truth is stranger than fiction, then this book is the strangest you will ever read. James Dooley, a former investigative reporter for The Honolulu Advertiser, KITV 4 News and Hawaii Reporter, details public corruption and criminality in Hawai‘i during the 70’s and 80’s. A lot of Dooley’s sleuthing formed the basis of the original essay called “Broken Trust,” printed in the old Honolulu Star-Bulletin and later published as a book. Dooley’s gripping memoirs of ties among celebrities, Teamsters, politicians and judges weaves a broad web of “how things were done in Hawai‘i.”
When it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, anything that offers hope gets attention. Dr. Blake analyses the latest scientific information and results from his clinical trials with Alzheimer’s patients at Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience Institute on O‘ahu, and dishes us up a simple diet — berries, green vegetables, nuts and beans — to prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and related dementia. The subject is rocket science, but his book is easy to understand. Learn how powerful flavonoids in plant foods preserve brains cells and keep them active. See how how antioxidant vitamins protect our brain cells.
Seniors also love our newest classes — MOSSA Group Power™ and Enhanced Fitness.™ These fun, high-energy group exercise classes provide a very efficient workout at every pace and level. Motivated by great music, up-beat instructors and positive physical results, seniors excel in these classes.
For those suffering from arthritis, evidencebased Enhanced Fitness is designed to help reduce painful symptoms. Seniors see improved strength, mobility and agility — all while having fun and making new friends. One senior’s physical therapist asked what she was doing. He was amazed at how much flexibility she gained in her spine!
Senior citizens can attend classes on University of Hawaii Manoa campus through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. For 10 years OLLI has been offering non-credit, college-level courses and other activities to encourage older individuals to engage their minds, enrich their lives, and serve the community. While the institute primarily serves mature learners aged 50+, the only true requirements for participation are maturity, life experience, and a desire to learn.
Rosemarie Dungca has been working for the City and County of Honolulu since 1978. In 1983, Whitmore Village asked her to teach hula classes. Her popularity grew and soon was teaching throughout the Leeward area.
The 2015 season for the Na Koa Football Club started on Aug. 31 and will continue every Monday for 11 more lunches at the Willows Restaurant, starting at 11am. This season, the University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors will play 12 straight games without a week off. There is no bye for Na Koa boosters either. Coach Norm Chow kicked off their first lunch meeting to a round of applause as he announced, “This is the best football team in the three years I have been at UH.” He beamed as he talked about his players’ and coaches’ stats, noting his admiration for each one.
Thirty-five years ago Japanese families in Hawai‘i saw the anthurium’s shiny hearts, bird of paradise’s crane neck, black berry ears of the “Mickey Mouse” plant and the mass of areca palms, fluttering in the wind. Inspired by the flowers and foliage of their new homeland, these immigrants imported Ikenobo — the soul of ikebana (the art of Japanese flower arrangement) that brought such a profound sense of peace and harmony into their western lives.