Kailua Celebrates the Month of the Rosary

This ministry is happy to report that several special events have been ongoing in Kailua to celebrate the "Month of the Holy Rosary" ...

🌹 First Saturday Rosary for Peace & Sunday Rosaries

First off, St. Anthony of Padua Church's longstanding monthly First Saturday Rosary for Peace had hit another major milestone on 10/4/2025 - it's 15th Anniversary and what abundant graces we've received since we started!

In addition, Rosaries are being prayed by our congregation, 35 minutes prior to every Mass during the month of October.  Come and pray with us ... and in the months ahead, consider making the Five First Saturdays Devotion (see above) at our parish.  We continue to have Confession, Rosary, and Vigil Mass every Saturday afternoon beginning at 4pm.

(NOTE: At neighboring St. John Vianney Church, for the month of October, the congregation is praying the Rosary every Saturday morning after the 8am Mass led by the parish's Sodality of Mary.)

🌹 Pilgrim Madonna Home Visits

Initially implemented by our Pastor, Fr. Tony, for the month of October 2024, then again in May 2025, we started with 2 statues that traveled at 3-day intervals between 26 homes in Kailua.  The statues were a Fatima image provided by a friend and a Lady of Grace statue owned by this ministry.

   

The two original Pilgrim Madonnas and Fr. Tony commissioning

4 (of 5) Pilgrim Madonnas for October 2025.

This October 2025, our parishioners responded so enthusiastically, we had to add more 3 images, which includes this ministry's Queen of Peace Icon with its three stones collected from sites in Medjugorje sanctified by the Virgin Mary’s continuing apparitions there: Apparition Hill, Cross Mountain, and the Blue Cross locations.  With the additional Pilgrim Madonnas, our Blessed Mother will now get to visit over 60 homes in which parishioners have committed themselves to pray the Rosary for the duration of the visitation - I personally anticipate great graces for our families and general community!

   

ABOVE & BELOW:  A few photos of the Pilgrim Madonnas

visiting parish homes.

🌹 America Needs Fatima (ANF) Rosary Rally 2025

Once again, Auntie Patty Vargas and her extended family hosted its annual ANF Rosary Rally at their Kailua home.  This wonderful family has been faithfully hosting uninterrupted annual rallies since 2009 (except for 2020 due to the covid pandemic).  The event is something many of us, fortunate enough to be invited, look forward to each year because of its devout atmosphere ... and the light-hearted fellowship and delicious luncheon that follows the prayers.  This year's rally did not disappoint.

The Vargas Ohana's 2025 Rosary Rally in

Kailua (Oahu), Hawaii ...

An annual event of Prayer, Faith, Food & Fellowship!

🌹 Affirmations

With all these special observances honoring the Holy Mother of Christ in our parish, spiritual fruits have inevitably followed: increased Mass attendance; increased OCIA enrollments this year; increased participation in parish-sponsored special events/celebrations (e.g. the Rosary Marathon, Pilgrim Madonna program, etc.); increased membership with our FIAT: Faith In Action Today Prayer Group; and, lastly, seemingly increased signs in the skies above our two Kailua parishes (St. Anthony of Padua Church and St. John Vianney Church)!

On the morning of the 10/11/2025 Rally:

the Holy Mother's figure was witnessed from

St. John Vianney Church's garden shrine.  She

expressed her joy over all the Rosary Rallies

being held around the world!

It all goes to show that wherever Our Lady is venerated through the Rosary, her loving, motherly presence is there ... and, trust me - she comes loaded with gifts!

Ave Maria & Thanks be to God!

FOR DISCERNMENT: Pray and Read Scriptures

I had another unusual experience; actually two successive ones.  It started two days ago - Friday morning, 9/19/2025 - at about 6:45am as I began my daily Rosary Prayer.  Not long after, I felt the spiritual presence of Our Lady and immediately asked her if there was something she needed from me, or if she wanted to tell me something for myself or for the world in general.  There was no response.

After several moments, still sensing her presence, I again inquired with our Blessed Mother if she wanted to say something.  The second time around she answered and this is what I heard:

"There is really nothing more

to say.  I have already spoken in

the past - read the messages of

Fatima.  I continue to urge you to

take up your Rosaries and pray.

This is your weapon.

And read Scriptures.  Read

Daniel and Revelation.

All has already been revealed."

Familiar with the Book of Revelation, I understood it was prophetically apocalyptic in nature, but I wasn't too certain what the Book of Daniel contained other than references about St. Michael the Archangel rising in our troubled times in Chapter 12.  I did further research and was surprised to learn that the Book of Daniel is also highly apocalyptic in nature and more prophecies about the Latter Days could be read in the book's Chapter 7.

Fast forward to yesterday morning - Saturday,  9/20/2025.  Before attending Mass in St. John Vianney Church, I paid my respect to Our Lady, via her statue at the parish's outdoor Marian shrine.  I asked our Blessed Mother to grant me a sign that the message I heard the day before was truly from her and not a figment of my imagination.  I then felt her presence again, along with a strong "inner prompting" to snap a photo.  Without seeing anything unusual up in the sky, I went ahead and took several.  Later after reviewing the pics, I was amazed to discover a remarkable cloud image in one of the photos - it was the confirmation I needed before posting this blog.

Pray the Rosary and read the Word of God!  These are our weapons!  I get the strong impression from the words I heard that Our Lady is strongly indicating (at least to my understanding) that the time for messages is passing as she has nothing new to add to the many messages she has already given us at several Church-approved Marian Apparitions.  We now need to live them.

May each reader discern.  

Monthly Message from the Queen of Peace of Medjugorje: July 2025

  "Dear children!  In this time of grace, when the Most High permits me to love you and lead you on the way of holiness, Satan wants to entangle you with the cord of peacelessness and hatred.  Do not permit him to prevail, but, little children, fight for the holiness of every life.  Thank you for having responded to my call."

A photo taken this morning after Mass

at St. John Vianney Church, Kailua (the

day this message was given at Medjugorje)

- note Our Lady to the left of the sun.

Prayer & Discernment

This First Saturday I had another unusual experience.  I'm sharing about it here without any expectation of being believed and prepared for any ridicule it may entail.  Each reader should prayerfully discern this story on his/her own.  In fact, the subject of this blog is essentially about Prayer and Discernment, and I want people to seriously think about both.

Earlier this morning, as I was praying the Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary before the 8:00 AM Mass at St. John Vianney Church (Kailua), I sensed the gentle presence of our Blessed Mother.  So I asked her, "My Lady, what is it that you want?" which was followed by a verbal response.  To my best recollection, the words I heard were: 

"I desire prayer ... and be vigilant,

my children, for the forces of evil are

preparing an assault like never before.

Pray for the gift of discernment."

That was it.  I actually didn't give it much credence at the time, but I also didn't outright dismiss it, either.  I went on with my Rosary but kept the words in the back of my mind.

After the Mass and some time in Eucharistic Adoration (this parish holds monthly Adoration after every First Saturday morning Mass), I did my customary visit to the parish's Immaculate Heart of Mary garden shrine to also spend prayer time with Our Lady.  I believe the place emanates grace ...

One of my favorites places to pray at -

the Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

at St. John Vianney Church in Kailua.

Before concluding, I knelt to receive the Virgin’s blessing and, remembering the words I heard earlier, I asked her to pray for me to the Holy Spirit for the gift of Discernment.  I then prayed the 3 Hail Marys that I usually end with.

As I stood up to leave, I glanced at my cellphone to check the time and was surprised to discover an oily stain on the surface of the screen ... but rather than appearing like a random smudge, it had a distinct and familiar form - see below:

I'm not claiming it's a bonafide miracle, but come on!  What are the odds of these circumstances occurring one after the other on a First Saturday (when the Blessed Virgin's influence is particularly strong)?  First, the mysterious voice; second, at the parish's exceptionally graced Marian Shrine (this is not the only strange experience I've had there); third, me asking for prayers from Our Lady, followed by an immediate appearance of a striking silhouette of a torso of a woman draped in a veil with hands together in prayer!  (You can't make this stuff up!)

Again, not trying to convince anyone that all of this is divine intervention ... but taken as a whole, it all goes beyond mere coincidences for me; beyond my own imagination and it's now resonating with on so many levels, including those words.

Our Lady, Loving Mother, pray for us.

The simple fact is - our society has spiraled down to a level where many evils are no longer viewed as evil, and truths have been twisted in a diabolic manner.  So it makes sense that we're being asked to Pray and Discern.  These are practices every serious Christian should routinely be engaging in to navigate our way through the jumble of good and bad in our present times.  However, ideally, we shouldn't need "messages" from Heaven prompting us ... but for those out there who do need some sort of encouragement, I hope and pray this story will be that gentle nudge.

Even if one thinks this is all just nonsense, one solid truth stands - Our Lady loves us dearly and she's been trying for centuries to guide us to a peaceful existence and then Heaven, via many apparitions, locutions, and signs.  Anyone needing her help can get it - starting right now - by simply opening one's heart to our Holy Mother then by saying a prayer.

"I am your servant; give me discernment

that I may understand your statutes."

- Psalm 119:125

Another curious photo ...

This author attends Mass on Saturday mornings at St. John Vianney Church in Kailua.  I go there because the Mass start time is convenient (8am); I like the priest; Confession is available after the Mass and there's no ridiculous cut-off time (e.g. 30 minutes to hear 20 penitents!); and lastly, there's a beautiful and peaceful outdoor shrine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary that I like to frequent (see below) ... and because of graces I've experienced at that particular place, I can't help but believe it's especially hallowed ground.  I've even taken photographs from that spot showing seemingly holy figures in the sky and yesterday it may have happened again.

The shrine to Mother Mary at

St. John Vianney Church, Kailua.

It was the First Saturday and after attending Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, I made my way to the garden to say a few more prayers at the shrine and its lovely statue.  On the way, I asked Our Lady for a special favor ... then randomly snapped about four photos of the sky.

Later, when reviewing the pics, I didn't initially see anything remarkable, but I did notice that a couple showed a bright ray of light descending toward a certain cloud - see one of the photos below.

I focused on the cloud, but still, nothing popped out for me ... that is, not until I happened to turn my phone about 45 degrees to the right and recognized what potentially could be a sign.  And to make sure it wasn't just me seeing things, I showed the photo to two friends - both immediately blurted, "It's Our Lady ... wearing a veil ... and she's praying!" (one friend thinks she's also clutching a crucifix)

The cloud-image zoomed in - the figure

of Our Lady, gazing upward while praying?

(Look close - there's even a face!)

So one might be wondering what was that favor I asked for from Our Lady that prompted all of this?  I'm leaving tomorrow on a pilgrimage to several European Shrines: Fatima, Lourdes, Santiago de Compostela (St. James the Apostle's shrine), San Giovanni Rotondo (St. Padre Pio's tomb/shrine), Monte Gargano (St. Michael's Grotto), Mugnano del Cardinale (St. Philomena's tomb/shrine), and Rome ... and asked our Heavenly Mother to intercede for our Hawaii group to obtain deeper faith and abundant spiritual graces for each of us; to accompany us every step of the trip.  Therefore, I presume the photo - the cloud image - is the Blessed Virgin's way of confirming that she's interceding.  Besides, the figure is just too uncanny to be random.

So, going back to that little outdoor shrine at St. John Vianney Church, there's something "anointed" about it; a holy presence that emanates.  In fact, this photo is the fourth unusual pic I've captured from that garden (others can be viewed here).  If one is ever in Kailua Town, drop by the parish for Mass ... then stop by their Immaculate Heart of Mary shrine to greet Our Lady.  Petition her for your own personal needs and see what happens.  The Blessed Virgin's maternal responsiveness to every concern may just surprise you!

The Flame of Love graces Hawaii!

"... I am providing you with so powerful

a grace: the burning Flame of Love from

My Heart, that has never before been

offered as it is now."

- Our Lady to Elizabeth Kindelmann

This author had the joy and blessing of attending one of two presentations given today about the Church-approved private revelations called the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary or simply the Flame of Love.  The speaker was none other than Mr. John Sullivan III, the International Coordinator of the devotion's worldwide apostolate.

Mr. Sullivan speaking at St. Pius X

Church in Manoa, Honolulu.

I recall first reading bits about the Flame of Love over 25 years ago from pamphlets, and it's exciting for me to see how the devotion has spread exponentially since gaining approval in 2009!  It now seems to be a frequently discussed topic in various faith-based social media platforms, and there are prayer cenacles throughout the world.  In a time when our society is becoming increasingly godless and, consequently darker, the reported messages received by the late Elizabeth Kindelmann (d. 1985) from Jesus and our Blessed Mother are also highly relevant.  It really does appear to be the hand of God at work.

From what I gathered from this afternoon's talk, the gist of the messages are:

• The Holy Virgin is lamenting the sins of the world and is offering us her own love - the Flame of Love of her Immaculate Heart - which she desires to ignite in our own hearts.

• Our Lady desires that we not only open ourselves to the gift of the Flame of Love, but to also "add our love to this Flame and pass it on to others..." in order to bring about a positive, spiritual change in the world.

• The Flame of Love is none other than Jesus, himself, who desires to fill us with Sanctifying Grace and, thus, intimately live within us and work through us.

• The actual miracle of the Flame of Love is its spreading from one heart to another, causing a blazing conflagration of Divine Love and Light that will "blind" Satan, rendering him powerless in our personal lives; within our families; and through all the world.  Thus, ushering in the era of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as prophesied at Fatima.

It was a great presentation and I found the Flame of Love revelations beautiful and inspiring ... and John's delivery was excellent.  I actually picked him up from the airport this morning so had a one-on-one conversation with John while driving to the church-venue where we attended Mass together - my impression of the man is that he doesn't only tirelessly preach the message, but he is totally committed to living it!  Hence, the sincerity and the passion that was evident during his talk.

Me, with Mr. John Sullivan in St. Pius X

Church prior to the first presentation.

I anticipate our local Church will reap an abundant harvest of good spiritual fruit from these presentations.  In fact, there were clear indications that God was providentially behind John's coming to Hawaii with the Flame of Love message.  First off, he was only initially scheduled to make a 6-hour layover in Honolulu during which he planned to meet with a friend of mine named Margaret ... but when John's scheduled visit to Papua New Guinea fell through, time opened up and Margaret seized the opportunity to connect him with the Coordinator of our Diocesan Evangelization Task Force (another close friend named Dominic).  Amazingly, within an unusually short span of time, Dominic received the necessary approval for John to speak in our diocese and the venues were secured! 

Then, yesterday morning (a day before John's talks), after attending morning Mass at St. John Vianney Church in Kailua, I stopped to pray at the parish's outdoor shrine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  I asked the Blessed Mother for the favor of a solid response to a question I had and snapped a photo of the sky - below is the remarkable pic that resulted:

"I place a beam of light in your hands;

it is the Flame of Love of my heart.  Add

your love to this Flame and pass it

on to others ..."

- Our Lady to Elizabeth Kindelmann,

April 13, 1962

For me and several friends, we discerned the brilliant figure of the Holy Virgin amongst the clouds ... and note the "beams of light" streaming down from her!  The photo not only answered my question but was it also a prophetic, visible sign of special graces to descend upon Hawaii through the Flame of Love?  Based on the serendipitous circumstances, I believe so.  We are indeed being graced in an extraordinary manner, and I thank our Lord and dear Blessed Mother profusely for their kindness towards us.  Praises be to God!

The shrine to the Immaculate Heart of

Mary at St. John Vianney Church (note the

golden flames of love above her heart).

There are more talks scheduled for tomorrow, which I strongly encourage Oahu Residents to attend, if possible.  Otherwise, to learn more about the Flame of Love Devotion, visit its official website by clicking/tapping here.

Prayers revealed to Elizabeth Kindelmann.

"We shall fight fire with fire: the fire

of hate with the Fire of Love!  I obtained

this grace from the Eternal Father on

your behalf by virtue of the five Blessed

Wounds of My Divine Son.”

- Our Lady to Elizabeth Kindelmann

Mary, Mother of the Church

The photo below was taken from the parking lot of St. John Vianney Church in Kailua on Monday, 5/29/2023, near an outdoor shrine to our Blessed Mother - that day was the Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church.

I had just finished praying the Holy Rosary with a small group of dedicated parishioners who diligently offer the Rosary after every daily Mass ... and was headed out to my car.  Right before getting into the vehicle, I happened to glance up at the sky above the church, and was surprised to see a cloud formation that oddly resembled - of all things - a brilliant and classic silhouette of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Talk about Spiritual Serendipity! 

The figure seemed to be facing the cross on the church's roof and I could make out a face although the features were indistinct.  Furthermore, if I saw things correctly, she was carrying a smaller figure, too - the Christ Child (?) - but it didn't translate in the photo.

What made the whole thing relevant and more intriguing was the fact that the Gospel passage for that Feast Day spoke of how Jesus gave us his mother to be our own as he hung dying on the Cross: "Behold your mother!" (John 19:26-27)

... but let each reader discern as to what they perceive.  For this author, what I personally see is a scene that's relevant to the Feast Day's Gospel reading and with a message all its own: our Mother Mary interceding for us at the cross, the Holy Cross of her Divine Son, where her spiritual motherhood of all His followers was proclaimed by Christ, himself ... and where this beautiful Feast has its roots.

Our Lady, Mother of the Church,

pray for us!

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words...

This morning... right before Mass at St. John Vianney Church, Kailua, I happened upon this beautiful scene. Many say a picture is worth a thousand words... and, there's also a popular lore about finding treasure at the end of a rainbow.  In this photo, both sayings just happen to be true.

Interestingly, since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the priest for this parish has been diligently hearing confessions every Saturday morning out on the lawn behind the pictured shrine.

Confession and the Immaculate Heart of Mary - treasures, indeed!