HCH photo by Anna Weaver

Father Edgar Brillantes, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Wahiawa, meets with Deacon Chitaro William in the parish rectory on Aug. 14.
 

By Anna Weaver | Hawaii Catholic Herald

Four Chuukese permanent deacons who have been living and working in Hawaii have recently been assigned by Bishop Larry Silva to serve the rising number of Micronesian Catholics living in Hawaii.

Deacons Julio Akapito, Misa Sewen, Peter Soumwei and Chitaro William have begun to look into and help with parish ministries such as marriage and baptism preparation, assisting at Masses said in the Chuukese language, and collecting census data from Micronesian Catholics in the hope of incorporating them into full parish life.

The diocesan vicar for clergy, Father Khanh Hoang, said the Diocese of Honolulu is happy to have these deacons integrated into the diocese and its parishes.

“The ministry of the church is to preach the Good News to all the people,” he said. “As their number increases in our diocese, we need to do a better job of reaching out to [Micronesians]. And I think the deacons are the best people to do that for now.”

The number of Micronesian immigrants has grown considerably since 1986 when the Compact of Free Association between the United States, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia — Chuuk, Pohnpei, Yap and Kosrae — went into effect. The Republic of Palau later joined the compact, which allows residents of these former Trust Territory islands to travel to the United States without a visa and provides economic assistance.

A 2003 count done by the U.S. Bureau of the Census showed 24,607 Micronesian migrants living in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan. Of that number 20,698 had immigrated after 1986.

Chuuk, where all four newly assigned deacons are from, is a group of western Pacific islands that make up one of the four Federated States of Micronesia. It’s also the most populated.

According to Sacred Hearts Father Lane Akiona, the pastor of St. Augustine Church in Waikiki and the diocesan liaison to the Micronesian community, “There are many challenges for [Micronesians].”

Among the difficulties are healthcare, education, housing and employment. The language barrier only compounds the challenge.

Father Akiona said that when he first started working with the growing number of Micronesians here they relied on him for sacramental ministry, but that got to be overwhelming.

“That’s why we said maybe we need to get the deacons much more involved,” Akiona said.

He first heard of seven Micronesian permanent deacons living in Hawaii several years ago from his friend Bishop Amando Samo of the Caroline Islands.

With Bishop Samo’s help, Father Akiona and Father Khanh contacted and met with these deacons in August of last year at St. Augustine to see if they’d be willing to be incorporated into the local deacon community.

Other meetings followed and on June 26 the deacons had dinner with Bishop Larry Silva at his residence.

The bishop formally invited them, with permission from their home dioceses in Micronesia, to serve in the Diocese of Honolulu. Four of the assignments have been announced in the bishop’s Official Notices this month and another deacon is in the process of being assigned to a parish.

“Bishop made it clear that we should invite [the deacons] to gatherings, retreats and different workshops for deacon education and make them part of the community,” Father Hoang said.

He added that their parish assignments were based on where they lived and where the concentration of the Micronesians were.

“Because they are integrated into the community, it’s an opportunity to give greater services to them through the parishes,” Father Akiona said.

‘Diaconate means service’

Deacon Julio Akapito is the only non-Oahu-based deacon. Assigned to Sacred Heart Parish, Pahoa, where he has gone to church since 2007, he has already made some headway in his Micronesian community outreach. He is working with Micronesians on the entire east side of the Big Island, and some from the west side.

Akapito, 63, came to Hawaii in 2004 for medical treatment with his wife Kantita and four children. He went back home to Chuuk in 2005 to be ordained. Deacon Akapito moved from Oahu to the Big Island in 2006 and has worked for the last two years as a social studies teacher at Kealakekua School.

He said he first came to Hawaii thinking he’d return to Chuuk after his health improved. But then he saw that Micronesians here needed assistance with cultural and language issues.

“The diaconate means service and as a deacon I’m supposed to personify what that service is — working for others, especially the needy and the poor,” he said. “I consider my people the needy and the poor because of cultural and other disadvantages.”

Akapito is helping Sacred Heart’s pastor Father Edgardo “Bong” Bonghanoy translate parish information into Chuukese, helping with catechetical work like marriage preparation and acting as go-between. He is also doing an informal survey of Catholic Micronesians with the help of others, distributing forms to families and getting contact information and children’s ages so that they can be encouraged to join parish religious education and youth programs. Kantita also helps in outreach to Micronesian women.

The deacon said that being assigned to the Diocese of Honolulu is “an honor and feeling of responsibility that I’m really going to do something in the community.”

In the process of learning

Deacon Peter Soumwei is just beginning his work at St. John the Baptist Church in Kalihi. He first came to Hawaii from Chuuk in 2004 when his wife Yustina Petrus had kidney failure just one week after his ordination. They came here for medical assistance and have stayed on while Yustina waits for a kidney transplant.

Soumwei works from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. at a warehouse during the week but hopes to start his outreach work soon.

“I’m in the process of just learning about the community here,” he said. “Right now, I have many calls for new couples who want to marry.”

Deacon Soumwei said his people want to participate in parish life but not speaking English has held them back.

“We can help at least with preparations for those sacraments like marriage and baptism,” he said. “I hope I’ll be working for the people.”

Preaching a monthly homily

Sacred Heart Parish in Waianae has a new deacon in Misa Sewen who left Chuuk for Hawaii in 2005. He’s been a deacon since 1988 and taught catechism back in his home country.

Deacon Sewen, 50, came to the islands because he needed heart bypass surgery. “My doctor told me that I should stay for a couple of years,” he said.

Every fourth Sunday of the month he assists at a Mass for Micronesians and gives the homily. He also is a Eucharistic minister at Sunday Masses. He and his wife Finipa are members of the Legion of Mary and bring Communion to leeward Oahu hospital patients on Mondays.

“I really appreciate and like [being part of the diocese],” he said. “I want to help my fellow Micronesians in Hawaii.”

Trying to see all the Chuukese

Deacon Chitaro William has been assigned to Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Wahiawa. He met with its pastor, Father Edgar Brillantes, in the priest’s residence on Aug. 14 to discuss his ministry. Since William recently moved from Wahiawa to the Nimitz area, he talked with Father Brillantes about whether he’d be better serving at another parish where there were more Micronesians as well.

Deacon William, 72, came to Hawaii in 2003 with his wife Maria, his son and his daughter and their families because he had health issues and was seeking better medical services.

He was ordained in the early 1980s in Chuuk and recalled how his parish pastor “convinced” him to enter the diaconate after talking to his wife, who told him he should join. He had initially hesitated because he wasn’t sure of his English skills.

On Aug. 10 at Sacred Hearts, Waianae, he attended a gathering of Micronesian Catholics that is held each month at different locations. And he said he planned to come to Our Lady of Sorrows for Mass that Sunday.

“I’m trying to see all the Chuukese gathered here,” he said.

One obstacle Deacon William has is his health, as his heart gives him trouble, and lack of transportation. Still, he said he wanted to help where he could.

“I think it would be good if we’re working together so we can minister to the Chuukese,” he said.