October 13th & 14th: Mary, Saints, & Escarchas too...

October, the month of the Holy Rosary!  As I kinda anticipated, this ministry was gonna be very active... there was the First Saturday Rosary on the 6th; the official launch of the parish's FIAT prayer meetings on the 10th; a Rosary Rally yesterday; and a Saints and Relics Presentation earlier today... and it's not even mid-month yet!  For now I'd like to just share about the last two recent events.

+ America Needs Fatima Rosary Rally, 10/13/2018

Our Day Chapel was beautifully decorated

by the Vargas Family for the Rosary Rally.

It was that time again - Auntie Patty and her family held their annual Rosary Rally, which many look forward to every year.  This year, though, there was a change in the venue.  Rather than hosting the rally at their Kailua home, it was held in the Day Chapel of our parish church; a big departure from the norm for the family... but it all worked out for the best.

New and familiar faces gathered at the church where there was ample parking and several ceiling fans to keep us cool in the muggy Hawaiian weather.  Despite the change in location, the rosary was prayed with the same faith and fervor by all those who have been attending the Vargas Family Rosary Rally throughout the past years.  There was even an appearance of beautiful golden escarchas, which began manifesting on my program sheet when the Litany of the Blessed Virgin commenced; no doubt a blessing and a sign of Our Lady's spiritual presence in the chapel during our prayer time.

Above/Below: Videos showing escarchas

appearing and spreading during the Rosary

Rally (pay attention to the area around the

word "rejoice" at the bottom-center).  View

at full screen to see the sparkles better.

At the end of the rally, I spoke briefly about the importance of the Rosary Devotion and reminded the participants about how the Rosary is truly a powerful weapon against every form of evil, as our Blessed Mother has repeatedly said through her apparitions around the world... and as echoed by Saints such as Padre Pio, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Pope John Paul II.

Rally participants gathering for the

fellowship luncheon.

The fellowship meal that followed was also something I looked forward to.  As always, it was a pleasure catching up with fellow parishioners while feasting on delicious local food.  Much MAHALO to Auntie Patty and the Vargas Ohana!

+ Saints & Relics Presentation, 10/14/2018

Relics on display in the Honolulu

Cathedral's Kamiano Center.

The day following the Rosary Rally, I had the privilege of bringing the lives and relics of several Saints and Blesseds to the Faithful at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu. I had been invited to speak by a friend, Easter, from the Adult Faith Formation Office of our diocese.  With the upcoming November stop of the St. Padre Pio 2018 American Relic Tour in our cathedral, she thought it would be a great way of helping the local Catholic community to brush up on the significance of Saints and Relics.

Through the presentation, I was able to acquaint a good number of attendees - youth and adults - with 9 authenticated 1st and 2nd Class Relics from  St. Bernadette of Lourdes, Bl. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, St. Damien of Molokai, St. Gianna Beretta Molla, Bl. Pauline von Mallinckrodt, St. Peregrine Laziosi, St. Padre Pio, Bl. Rolando Rivi, and my ministry's veil-relic of the Blessed Virgin.

Parishioners waiting in line for their

turn to get a closer view of the relics.

I sensed that many of the attendees were impressed, if not very moved, by their "close encounter" with our faith heroes.  Most lined up after the talk to view the relics, to pray, and to touch prayer cards and pieces of cloth provided by myself and a fellow St. Anthony of Padua Church parishioner named Chuck, who also shared two cancelled checks in his possession, that were hand-signed by St. Padre Pio, himself, during his lifetime.  The back story was a great anecdote about the much-loved Saint!

I left the venue hopeful that many faith-seeds were planted this afternoon, as well as, happy to have made new friends among the participants.  Thank you, Lord, for every blessing granted to all of us this weekend... and for those yet to blossom!