HCH photo/Celia K. Downes

Roland Javier’s zest for life is capsulized in a framed display at his funeral, July 15, at St. Elizabeth Church in Aiea.

An Ewa Beach teen’s unexpected death strengthens and unifies the people who surrounded him in life

By Celia K. Downes | Special to the Herald

Roland Javier had just graduated from Radford High School and was less than two months from his 18th birthday when he died after a tragic golf-cart accident in June.

While devastation at his passing remains ever present, the death of the Ewa Beach resident and St. Elizabeth, Aiea, parishioner has also had a profound unifying effect on the people who surrounded him. Friends and the church community have rallied around Roland’s family and have also grown stronger in their own right, forever reminded of the delicacy of life and the constant call to live as fully as possible.

This outpouring of support was on full display at Roland’s funeral on July 15. St. Elizabeth overflowed with family and friends — from both church and school — who came not just to mourn his death, but to “celebrate Roland’s homecoming” to God, his father Dino Javier said in an interview after the services.

Capuchin Franciscan Father Bob Phelps, a former pastor at the parish who baptized Roland in 1992, told mourners in his homily that celebration, while difficult, is necessary because Roland has already realized baptism’s promise of eternal life.

Roland’s mother, Rose Javier, said in the interview that seeing the fullness of the church “would fill us with tears of joy.”

“We were proud of our son for bringing our community together and for touching their lives,” Rose said.

Support from Day 1

The community support began “from Day 1 at the hospital when Roland passed,” Rose Javier said. Family and friends gathered to pray and sing, and quickly assembled a memorial at the site of the accident.

Roland has one younger brother and a sister, the youngest. Family and friends made sure the Javiers were fed or resting and constantly checked to see how they were coping, Dino Javier said.

“(It) comforts us that they are praying for us daily,” he said.

The family also received help in coordinating a novena — a nine-day period of prayer — for Roland. The prayer was held first at the Javiers’ home, and then drew crowds of mourners when the novena was relocated to St. Elizabeth.

The prayers were “nothing I have ever experienced,’ Rose Javier said. An average of 250-300 people each day prayed the rosary, sang and offered condolences to the family.

Manette Kokubun, the parish religious education director and Roland’s kindergarten teacher, said at the funeral that she cried when she attended the second night of the novena because so many people were there.

A young man’s influence

Roland’s influence on his peers was evident during a memorial service preceding the funeral Mass. Groups of friends — from childhood, the parish’s Young Christian Life youth group and high school — shared how knowing Roland changed their lives for the better.

“Without Roland, I really wouldn’t have made it through high school,” said one friend, who first met Roland when he was in need of paper on his first day of high school and Roland offered him a sheet.

Another said after having some trouble in school, Roland told him to do better, to “straighten up.”

“I promised Roland, I’m gonna do it,” he said.

Despite a big change in Roland’s life — transferring from Aiea to Radford his senior year so he could concentrate on school — a friend from St. Elizabeth’s YCL said that no matter who he was with, he “remained true to family and friends, and pushed others to do the same.”

The presence of friends from all aspects of Roland’s life has been moving, Rose Javier said. His peers “who don’t have a religious background, regularly attended the novena; that’s what touched us too,” she said.

Kokubun has also noticed an increase in youth at church and said Roland’s death brought the entire parish closer.

“It’s just beautiful how someone young like that (can) impact all of their lives,” Kokubun said.

Cause for unity and reflection

Roland’s youth group friends said his death has been cause for unity and reflection.

Chelsea Adams, Roland’s classmate at St. Elizabeth and a Saint Francis School graduate, said Roland always wanted to see people come together.

“He always wanted to reunite people that had been coming around or even from our elementary days,” Adams said after Roland’s burial at Mililani Mortuary. “Because of Roland’s passing we definitely want to start doing that.”

Marvin Berueda agreed that Roland was “super close” with the people he knew and wanted others to be the same way.

“It’s funny how he brought us all here,” the Damien graduate said. “That’s what he wants us to do, just to be together.”

Recent Moanalua graduate Britney Calucag added that the youth also learned “we had to rely on each other” in order to cope with the tragedy.

Rose Javier said she and Dino have remained active in parish ministry — both as directors of YCL, and she as pastoral council chair — in part to support the youth affected by Roland’s death.

“We all can help one another,” Rose Javier said.

‘Our son is our inspiration’

The tragedy has changed many in the community for the better, said Rose Javier, who credited Roland for continuing his positive influence even in spirit.

“It’s amazing how our son’s death has made people look at life, their faith or God’s plan differently,” she said.

“People of all ages have told us that we are (an) inspiration to them: Parents said they learned to love their children a little more humbly and unconditionally, or teens to live life fully. Or, people saying they want to be a better person.

“For us, our son is our inspiration. So, if people see us as an inspiration, we cannot take credit, because it’s all because of our son, Roland, and our faith.”