On July 20, Brother James Vorndran flew in from Dayton, arriving promptly – and enthusiastically. He is already very much at home setting up his office and exploring shops. He is a very welcome addition to the parish staff. Originally from Pittsburgh, after teaching high school in Kentucky and Ohio, he was assigned to Africa, serving first in Kenya, then in Malawi. Upon his return to the USA he held the prestigious title “Director of Foreign Affairs,” serving as liaison between the Provincial Administration and the overseas communities in Ireland, Lebanon, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, and Nigeria. At the same time he was involved in the formation of our candidates, eventually serving as Director of Novices in Dayton, Ohio. After that he began a second career in nursing and comes to Maui after having cared for the ill and elderly religious in Dayton the past six years. He now joins Father Ray and me in walking in the footsteps of the many Marianists who have served here at Saint Anthony’s since 1883. We are now a dynamic community of three, with Brother Frank Gomes as our closest neighbor in nearby Makawao.

Our chapel for weekday Masses has seats for 48. The first day of July was also First Friday which meant that we had an overflow crowd for our morning Mass which we celebrated in honor of Blessed Junipero Serra.

Many parishioners and friends of Saint Anthony have contributed to the purchase of the new organ which had its debut on July 3. Our staff suggested that donors should have arm bands proclaiming their status as “organ donors!”

Our Independence Day celebration was relatively quiet – we have more fireworks on January 1 and the Chinese New Year than on July 4. As July came to an end Sister Eva returned from a busy summer on the mainland and immediately plunged into work in preparation for the new school year – which begins early in Hawaii. She also oversees the weekly cleaning of the Church. On July 31, Brother Nick Rufo came to enjoy the peace and beauty of Hawaii before returning to his work in Dayton at Mercy Siena.

My fifty-second anniversary of ordination came and went quietly. In the morning I blessed a home in Wailuku. That evening, at the request of Deacon Stephen, who leads the Tuesday evening prayer group, I shared some reflections about my journey. Ever since I learned that the road to Hana opened the day I was born, I have taken that road with its 617 curves as a symbol of my life. And so I spoke about ten "turning points" in my own road from Hamilton, Ohio, to what I trust will be Paradise, a genuinely heavenly Hana!

The Marianists still own a house in nearby Waiehu. It was purchased several years ago to provide housing for a Marianist community which has since disbanded. The Province then leased the home to a group of Sisters of Saint Joseph. This summer while the Sisters were away, Father James Orsini arranged for the use of the home for himself and several friends for R and R. I was privileged to join this summer community one evening to celebrate Father Jim Tobin’s fiftieth anniversary of first vows.

In all the blessings of cars and homes, rosaries and candles, crucifixes and statues, and anointings, I am invariably given donations “for the poor.” This concern for others less privileged than the donors is a striking feature of our parishioners.

While reading about hurricanes and heat waves, we had our own local disasters. For several hours the one and only road between the resort area beyond Lahaina and the principal airport in Kahului was closed because of a brush fire. We also felt the earthquakes near the Big Island, but there was no damage here. For some time I have been tempted to share with you some of the daily weather reports, but a “Letter to the Editor” in the Maui News did the research for me:
How many ways can you say “it’s going to be another nice day?” Well, here are some of the ways the newspaper’s weather forecast writer found to say that this week: “partly sunny,” “clear to partly cloudy,” “sunny to partly cloudy,” “sunshine and patchy clouds,” “sunshine and a few clouds,” “partly cloudy, partly sunny, a passing shower,” “sun, passing clouds, a stray shower” and “partly to mostly sunny.” And that is for just some of the days last week!

With this issue of my “Greetings from Maui” I am completing two years of monthly reports – and I am still learning much about Maui and the Church in Hawaii.

Be assured I am with you in thought and prayer as we continue as companions on the journey.

ST