If not for secular scheduling and maybe some help from the Man above, Holy Week might be more than two priests juggling services at three churches could handle. Picture this scenario: If this is Good Friday, I must be at
If not for secular scheduling and maybe some help from the Man above, Holy Week might be more than two priests juggling services at three churches could handle.
Picture this scenario: If this is Good Friday, I must be at Holy Cross.
A shortage of priests forced leaders in the Hawai‘i diocese of the Catholic church to “cluster” certain churches across the state under the control of fewer than one priest per church, meaning holy men like the Rev. Napoleon “Father Nap” Andres, M.S., and the Rev. Rene “Father Bis” Bisaillon, M.S., live at Holy Cross Church in Kalaheo, yet serve churches also in Koloa (St. Raphael’s) and ‘Ele‘ele (Sacred Hearts).
“Holy week, we have it all scheduled, so we were able to work it out. We are used to it already,” said Andres of the commuting.
“It’s been working well so far. For the schedule we have, we can still handle it,” said Andres, pastor of Holy Cross and St. Raphael’s.
Still, there are no holy-week services scheduled at Sacred Hearts, except the regular Sunday mass on Easter Sunday, and Andres points out that Sacred Hearts is considered a “mission” and not a “parish.”
“They understand,” though there is still some grumbling, he said. “They are always invited to the main church, and they usually join us at Holy Cross,” he said of the ‘Ele‘ele and Hanapepe faithful.
Scheduling the holy-week masses just at Holy Cross and St. Raphael’s is a necessity, he said. “Otherwise, how can we accommodate them all?”
Things manage to get dicey sometimes, like recently when Andres was on vacation, leaving Bisaillon, the associate pastor, to do Sunday masses at all three locations, and have to leave St. Raphael’s immediately after the 9:30 a.m. service in order to get to Holy Cross in time for the 11 a.m. mass. Bisaillon will also preside over three masses on Easter Sunday morning, one at each church.
And, without a scorecard or facial or voice recognition, it would be hard to tell which priest is where for the series of masses that began with Holy Thursday services and washing of the feet (to signify on the day of the last supper man’s slight sacrifice compared to Christ’s giving of his life) yesterday, Thursday, March 24, and end with regular Easter Sunday services this Sunday, March 27.
The Easter vigil mass, tomorrow, Saturday, March 26, is the longest mass of the year, with multiple scripture readings, spoken and sung responses, and lots of time in between for meditation, prayer, and other reflection.
Here’s how it breaks down: Andres was at St. Raphael’s for the 6 p.m. Holy Thursday mass and will be at the Good Friday service today at 2 p.m., and returns to Holy Cross for the Easter vigil Saturday at 7:30 p.m., the regular Sunday service at Holy Cross at 6:45 a.m., and the regular Sunday 9:30 a.m. service at St. Raphael’s.
Bisaillon was at Holy Cross for the Holy Thursday 7 p.m. service and today’s 3 p.m. Good Friday mass at Holy Cross, then goes to St. Raphael’s tomorrow for the Saturday vigil at 7:30 p.m., then again to St. Raphael’s Sunday sunrise service at 6:30 a.m., the 8:15 a.m. Sunday service at Sacred Hearts, and the 11 a.m. Sunday service at Holy Cross.
Both are Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette, and share office duties weekday mornings at both Holy Cross and St. Raphael’s.
- Paul C. Curtis, associate editor, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@pulitzer.net.
