Hawaii
Hawaii’s seafarer ministry brings pastoral relief to fishing industry
CNA Staff, Jan 19, 2025 / 06:00 am
A recently launched ministry in Hawaii is bringing the Church to fishermen and other seafarers whose long hours and remote work renders them an “invisible part of the body of Christ.”
Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva launched the Hawaii Apostleship of the Sea Ministry out of the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa late last year. He put Deacon Marlowe Sabater, ordained in January of last year, in charge of the new program.
In an interview with CNA, Sabater said the initiative was created specifically to minister to seafarers, who make up a considerable portion of the Hawaiian economy. Seafarers “include foreign fishermen working for the Hawaii longline fishery and crew from cruise and cargo ships,” the deacon said.
Sabater pointed to St. Paul’s words in 1 Cor 12:12 in which the evangelist wrote: “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.”
“The seafarer is an invisible body part that is out of sight [and] out of mind,” he said. The Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development “calls for us to minister and advocate for their rights and dignity.”
The ministry is currently in its infancy, the deacon noted, and is working to spread the program to various parishes. At present the ministry offers evangelization and fellowship to fishermen at the Port of Honolulu via the services of two priests and two deacons.
“The ministries also provide the material needs of seafarers, such as clothing and food for their work and daily consumption,” he said. The Catholic apostleship partners with a similar ministry at Waipio Community Baptist Church, he noted.
This is not the only Catholic ministry that brings the sacraments to those who work long hours on the water. The Archdiocese of Seattle partners with several other Christian churches in that city to care for maritime workers from around the world.
As in Hawaii, Catholic seafarers in Seattle are able to access the sacraments, including the Eucharist, through the ministry. It also offers practical services such as SIM cards for cellphones and transportation to shopping near the shore.
Sabater said the Hawaii program is currently focused on longline fishermen in Honolulu itself. “In the future, we will expand to ministering to crew members onboard cruise and cargo ships,” he said.
The ministry plans to partner with the Apostleship of the Sea, a professional association of Catholic maritime ministers.
Seafarers “play a significant role in providing food for our table, transporting our goods, and catering to our enjoyment at sea,” the deacon said.
But “their pastoral needs are hampered by the nature of their work and the conditions of their labor,” he added.
“We are called to serve every member of the human family,” Sabater said, “including those who spend a significant amount of time out at sea risking their lives to serve, fish, entertain, deliver, and make life easier for us.”
(Story continues below)
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Daniel Payne is a senior editor at Catholic News Agency. He previously worked at the College Fix and Just the News. He lives in Virginia with his family.
Gov. Josh Green today issued a statement regarding a federal lawsuit challenging the eligibility requirements within the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act was established to address the historic dispossession of Native Hawaiians and reflects a longstanding commitment to them by both the federal government and the state of Hawaiʻi,” said Green.
“This lawsuit threatens that commitment. I have directed the Department of the Attorney General to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program. We will fight this lawsuit with everything we have,” he said.
The lawsuit was filed by Eric Ryan, an Oʻahu resident who is not Native Hawaiian and tried to apply for a lease, but was denied due to the 50% Native Hawaiian blood quantum requirement, according to Hawaiʻi News Now and court documents published at Courthouse News Service.
The Class Action Complaint argues that the “explicitly ancestry-based requirement” establishes a “permanent government mandate for state officials to engage in outright racial discrimination, perpetuates stereotypes, and limits housing opportunities for most Hawai‘i residents. The blood-quantum requirement thus violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the complaint alleges.
Green said the administration “stands firmly with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the thousands of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who rely on this program and its promise for future generations.”
Attorney General Anne Lopez also issued a statement saying the state of Hawaiʻi has both a legal and moral obligation to uphold the commitments embodied in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“This lawsuit seeks to dismantle a program that has provided opportunities, stability and hope to generations of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries,” said Lopez.
Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes, who has extensive experience handling complex constitutional litigation on behalf of the state, will lead the legal team in defending the state against the challenge.
“We are prepared to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program and the promises it represents,” said Lopez.
Under the Green administration, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has accelerated the delivery of homestead opportunities and expanded pathways to homeownership for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries.
In 2025 alone, DHHL offered more than 2,500 lease awards and continues to advance major housing projects, including Hale Mōʻiliʻili on Oʻahu, which will provide 278 affordable rental units for beneficiaries.
“These efforts reflect the administration’s commitment to reducing wait times, strengthening Native Hawaiian communities and fulfilling the promise of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,” according to the governor’s announcement.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Concrete fell from the exterior of an Ala Moana Center parking structure Monday afternoon near the Kapiolani Boulevard exit, damaging a vehicle.
No injuries were reported.
Security blocked an exit lane as debris scattered across the roadway. Ala Moana Center said they are grateful no one was hurt, and the lane will remain closed while structural engineers and construction professionals assess the damage and make repairs.
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