In 1938, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet arrived to staff St. Theresa’s School on the island of O`ahu by invitation of Bishop Alencastre of Honolulu. Subsequently, in response to the growing need for children’s education, the sisters opened more schools and catechetical centers in the Hawaiian Islands. Throughout the years the sisters and people of Hawai`i have grown with one another.
The early days at St. Theresa’s experienced by the courageous and generous sisters, were a communal journey of the heart among and with an Aloha people. The legacy of our founding sisters is a lifelong reminder that Sisters of St Joseph are to be channels of God’s love doing what Jesus did: praying, teaching, healing, caring and serving people, writes Sister Kathleen Marie Shields, CSJ in her book Aloha Ke Akua: The Love of God about the sisters in Hawai`i.
By 1956, the presence of the sisters had expanded, and Hawai`i was made a vice province.
Over the next 60 years, the sisters continued their ministries, and the charism in Hawai`i flourished. Eventually, the sisters in Hawai`i determined they could better serve the dear neighbor if they handed off administrative management of the vice province. In July 2017, the Hawai`i Vice Province officially joined the Los Angeles Province.
According to the book Aloha Ke Akua: The Love of God there is limited written history of the first foundations of Hawai`i. However, there were letters written to and from the mainland USA where the superiors and sisters lived from which the Hawaiian sisters were missioned from.
Through these letters it is known that the sisters in Hawai`i cultivated a spirit of:
*Deep faith and sisterly concern for the other
*Depth of spiritual sharing through State of the Heart
*Daily life rooted in the Eucharist, community prayer, meditation, ministry and recreation.
*There was concerted effort to get to know, to understand, to accept and to support people of every culture.
*Sisters were encouraged to reach out to those serving in the armed forces, assuring them and their families of the communities’ prayers, love, and support.
*Together the sisters possessed that lively CSJ spirit of joy, love, and hope-sprinkled with a good sense of humor, the gift of common sense and a goodly amount of compassion.
As the multicultural population of the state of Hawai`i continues to grow, our sisters strive to respond creatively to the complex and unique needs of its people. At present, they serve in religious education, elder care and senior programs, healthcare, parish ministry, community service and through their prayer and presence. In a Spirit of joy, praise, thanksgiving, and reconciliation Sisters of St Joseph in Hawai`i continue to delight in Aloha Ke Akua, the love of God.
*Much of this information was found in Aloha Ke Akua: The Love of God, Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet Hawai`i Vice-Province written by Kathleen Marie Shields, CSJ
`Ohana
The `ohana, our lay associates in Hawai`i, formed on the island of O`ahu in 1988 and on Maui two years later. Their community continues to share our charism today. `Ohana means “family,” and for 35 years, they have been companions to the sisters in Hawai`i, sharing our charism of unioning love and serving God and the dear neighbor within the individual calls of each of their lives.
The `Ohana Identity Statement reads: “We welcome and foster new ways of living our charism, and we commit to building relationships that nurture our mission within the Church, our communities and the world.”
We asked some of the early members to share what being “companions on the journey” has meant to them:
Charter member Evelyn “Evie” Cha ’88, O`ahu reflects, “Being an affiliate has taught me about feminine spirituality, ways to raise my five children in various stages of their development, and in later life being companions as we age. Being an `ohana member is such an integral part of my life that I cannot imagine it otherwise.”
Charter member Audrey Yuen ’88, O`ahu says: “Having reliable, non-judgmental friends who really care about each other is so important to me. That’s what being an `ohana member means to me.”
Linda Martin ’92, Maui reflects, “As a first-generation American raised in the sugar plantation villages on Maui, my significant blessing is the charism of ‘love of dear neighbor, without distinction.'”
And for Patty Meya ’00, Maui, being companions on the journey means, “The inspiration to be genuinely interested in everyone and all God’s creation on Earth.”