When the organizers of the Province VIII annual meeting of the Episcopal Church Women picked Hawai'i as the site for their next meeting, they could have never known a pandemic would dash their dreams of gathering in paradise. The event went virtual but nevertheless, Louise Aloy, President of the Hawai'i ECW, went all out to bring some "real" aloha to participants so far away. READ FULL ARTICLE

In a year of firsts brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Diocese's annual clergy retreat hit the internet for its first virtual event held on Tuesday, August 25, 2020. This was also one of the most "attended" clergy retreats with 47 registrants. Participants tuned in from around the world, including the mainland, Guam, Germany, and Japan. The Rev. Cn. Sandy Graham, who organized the event, was impressed with the response. "I don’t know how many other dioceses have attempted something like this, but I wonder if any had such a global reach!​" READ MORE

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Annual Meeting in October will be held virtually. Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick notified (email 8/19/20) all clergy, delegates, and alternates of the change, and the steps churches need to take to ensure a successful meeting. Stay informed by visiting the Diocesan Convention 52 webpage HERE, or click on the logo at left.

Beginning on Sunday, September 20, 2020, and every third Sunday of the month thereafter, the Episcopal Asiamerican Ministry (EAM) and Anglican CanAsian Ministry (ACAM), will be hosting a Zoom gathering for all youth and young adults. In Hawai'i, the time will be at 12:00 noon. Because this is very new, all participants are asked to RSVP to organizer, Carolyn Morinishi, who will then provide the connection information. Please provide your name and email through the RSVP button shown.

Although EAM includes ethnicities of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islanders, YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE ASIAN to join in the fun and online games!

Click on the buttons shown for more information and to RSVP.

The Episcopal Church continues to offer new resources for congregations interested in following the Way of Love as a way of life by starting small group ministries. New resources include the Building an Intentional Small Group Ministry information packet, an infographic, video compilations, and social media graphics. These resources are available here,

Inspired by the foundation laid by Arlin J. Rothauge’s work and booklet, Making Small Groups Effective,  the Building Intentional Small Groups information packet can help congregations answer the questions of why, what, when, and how of  Small Group Ministry. Written and curated by formation and evangelism leaders across the church, the packet is an instructional tool to help churches as they begin or re-start an intentional faith-based small group ministry. This is not a curriculum, but instead a tool to help adapt existing curricula and other formation resources for a small group context.  READ MORE

The Episcopal Church Department of Faith Formation, in collaboration with the 2020 Episcopal Youth Event (EYE20) planning team and Episcopal Church leadership, announced on August 25, that the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) will not be convened this triennium due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“I recognize and share the deep disappointment this holds,” said Bronwyn Clark Skov, staff officer for Youth Ministries. “During the next year, our office will focus on discerning and implementing creative and meaningful support for youth ministry and leadership formation. Undoubtedly, new models for ministry are emerging and God is calling upon us to unite and respond.” READ MORE

Give Aloha is Foodland's Annual Community Matching Gifts program, and a number of churches in the Diocese are registered. Each year through the month of September, Foodland and Western Union contribute over $250,000 to match customer donations for all participating charities. You can contribute up to $249 to the charity of your choice by going to any Foodland and tell the checkout clerk you want to contribute to Give Aloha. Charities are identified by number, so be sure to get your church's number.

With the huge increase in families in need since the pandemic hit, St. Stephen's in Wahiawa has been hosting a food distribution in partnership with the Hawai'i Food Bank and several Wahiawa community organizations. The distribution takes place every 2nd and 4th Wednesdays from 1:00-3:00 PM, and the Rev. Kaleo Patterson could use more volunteers to help out. Interested persons should contact him at (808) 330-3769.

The Parish of St. Clement invites all to join an 8-week online discussion about the relationship between science and religion. The sessions will be led by the Rev. George Clifford and will begin on Sunday, September 20, from 9:00-10:00 AM, and continue thereafter. The group will be discussing Quarks, Chaos & Christianity, written by the Rev. Dr. John Polinghorne, a highly regarded mathematical physicist, who taught at Cambridge University before leaving to become an Anglican priest. Anyone interested in science and religion is welcome to attend. Please email George Clifford HERE for more information and the link to Zoom.

Camp Mokule'ia's fall "Stay-Cay" packages are filling up fast! There are only a couple of weekends still available: October 23-25, and November 13-15. It's a wonderful way to escape the confines of the pandemic and enjoy all the great outdoor activities the Camp has to offer in a safe and friendly environment. Package prices include meals and activities. To learn more, click on the flyer at left, or visit the Camp Mokule'ia website HERE.

Last year, KC Hawaii, a wholesale supplier of retro Hawaiian gifts and souvenirs, donated nearly 100 pairs of excess slippers to Kalihi Waena School. Daniel Larkin, principal of the school, says they give away over 300 pairs of slippers a year to kids in need. This year they will be donating many more, thanks to Archdeacon Steve Costa for helping arrange the donation. Ann Hansen, our liaison to the school (pictured at left)l, will be transporting them to the school. (Photo and story from the Cathedral of St. Andrew weekly e-news.)

Mahalo to everyone who helped us participate in the 100 Hours of Service, an initiative of the Institute for Human Services (IHS) that honored the legacy of founder Reverend Claude DuTeil for what would have been his 100th birthday! Our menehune collected non perishable food items, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and PPE for IHS and Family Promise of Hawai'i. (Photo and caption from the Emmanuel Church weekly e-news.)

St. Andrew's Schools is currently accepting applications for the 2020-21 school year, offering in-person instruction for Queen Emma Preschool in Nu'uanu, and Grades K-3 on our downtown campus. Grades 4-12 will begin with distance learning.

For more information, go to the St. Andrew's Schools website HERE.

By the last weekend in February, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s delegation had been preparing for three months to travel to the 64th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. READ MORE

From her home in Stratford, Connecticut, 18-year-old Fabiola Millien-Faustin helped a woman in Pakistan buy supplies for a small business that makes discarded tires into sandals. In nearby Ridgefield, Kayleigh Bowler, 17, loaned money to a single mother from Togo for a bakery business. A microloan from Dana Walters, 16, of Bridgeport helped a family in Venezuela buy sewing kits. READ MORE

As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, it is clear that what many in The Episcopal Church thought at first would be a temporary disruption – a few Sundays away from church and then a joyous return to normalcy – is now the new normal. While some churches have resumed in-person worship, either outdoors or with limited capacity, most are primarily relying on online worship for the foreseeable future. READ MORE

YOUTH WEEKLY COMPLINE SERVICE: Fr. Jar Pasalo, the Diocese's Youth and Young Adult Missioner, has launched a weekly LIVE Compline on the Episcopal Youth of Hawaii Facebook Group page. All are invited to join in every Thursday at 8:00 PM. All sessions are available for viewing on the page if you miss it. If you are interested in assisting/leading Compline, contact Fr. Jar HERE.

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS! Hurricane season runs through November. Be prepared and make sure your 14-day emergency supplies are in place. For more information visit the State of Hawai'i's Emergency Management webpage HERE.

PALAKA FACE MASKS FOR SALE: Don't forget to order your palaka face mask from the Good Shepherd Women in Ministry for only $5 each plus postage. All sales benefit their outreach ministries. Place your order via contact form HERE, and mail your check to 2140 Main St., Wailuku, HI 96793.

The Presiding Bishop’s delegation to the 64th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW 64) invites all to join the online study group Beijing +25: Celebrating the Blessing, Realizing the Dream This series of webinars, blogs and conversations are facilitated by the delegates from July through November 2020. To download the schedule, click HERE. For more information and to register, click HERE.