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After visiting Holy Ascension Mission in Hilo, HI back in February, Priest Andrew Smith returned to ‘The Big Island’ to train the Church Health Team (CHT) and present to the parishioners of St. Juvenaly Mission in Kailua-Kona as part of the Diocese’s Thriving Parishes Project (TPP). Archpriest George Gray invited Fr. Andrew to celebrate Great Vespers after the CHT training on Saturday. Sunday, Frs. George and Andrew concelebrated the Divine Liturgy, served in English with parts in Greek, Slavonic, and Hawaiian, under the roof of the outdoor pavilion at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity where, amazingly, five different Christian communities call home. Fr. Andrew offered the homily.
St. Juvenaly Mission was established in 2004 when a number of Orthodox families in the Kona area asked for a priest, as there was no Orthodox presence on the island at that time. Since then, the community has been served by diocesan priests. Establishing a firm foundation on the Kona side can be challenging, as it is a tourist town, and expensive, and so people come and go. At the Liturgy on June 1, for instance, Fr. George counted 22 official members, though there were over 40 people at the service – vacationers, catechumens, and inquirers. The community has some native Hawaiian inquirers and catechumens, indicating that the missionary work of its patron, the protomartyr of America Juvenaly, is alive and well. As the parish’s home page proclaims: “Aloha! E komo mai!” (“Hello! Come on in!”).
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The Diocese of the West is the geographical district of the Orthodox Church in America consisting of the Western United States. The diocese has active parishes in Montana, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii. San Francisco is home to the diocese’s cathedral, Holy Trinity, as well as the Chancery offices. The diocese is led by His Grace Vasily, Bishop of San Francisco and the West.
