2018 Conference

DMCC CONFERENCES

"Share the Journey" 2nd Annual Damien and Marianne Catholic Conference October 5-7, 2018

By Nathan Hokama

An exciting convergence of education and entertainment awaits Christians of all denominations and ages at the second annual Damien and Marianne Catholic Conference at the Hawai‘i Convention Center from October 5 to 7. The conference is fully endorsed and approved by Bishop Clarence (Larry) Silva, who serves as President of the Saint Damien and Saint Marianne Commission.

The conference is sponsored in part by the With Grateful Hearts Campaign. “We want to honor the lives of Hawai‘i’s two saints in exciting, new ways and help others see the positive impact we can have in our parishes, congregations, and communities across the state,” said Makana Aiona, President of the Damien and Marianne Catholic Conference, a nonprofit organization established in 2016.

Damien and Marianne Historical Room

Stuart W. H. Ching will host the Damien and Marianne Catholic Conference Historical Room featuring second-class relics of Saint Damien De Veuster and Saint Marianne Cope. Conference participants will be invited to embark on a contemplative pilgrimage to Kalaupapa via the corporal works of mercy. Individual stations, each displaying relics symbolic of one of the works of mercy, will act as landmarks along the path. There will be biblical stories and anecdotes about Saint Damien and Saint Marianne that illustrate the works of mercy in action. Points of reflection will allow participants a chance to contemplate on how they can apply these lessons to their own lives. As conference participants stop at each station, they are encouraged to engage in dialogue with one another. For those wishing to perform their own corporal works of mercy, information will be available about volunteer opportunities at various charitable organizations that help people in need.

Kalaupapa Tour, Monday, Oct. 8th, Sold Out

Kalaupapa is a sacred and historic settlement nestled beneath the cliffs that tower above the scenic coastline of the Island of Molokai. It is a testament to the legacies of both Saint Damien & Saint Marianne and is a living tribute to the memory of the thousands who were banished here so many years ago. Kalaupapa is only accessible to invited guests and the Damien & Marianne Catholic Conference has made special arrangements, through Seawind Tours & Travel, Inc., for a limited number of visitors to experience this spiritual place.

Official Conference T-Shirt Unveiled

The official Damien and Marianne Conference T-shirt will be available in several sizes during the conference for $20. A polo style shirt will also be available. All sales proceeds will help to support this event.

Keynote Speakers

The DMCC organizers are pleased to announce a growing team of exceptional speakers for 2018. This year’s keynote speakers will include:

Monsignor Raymond East

Monsignor Ray East is the son of the late Thomas and Gwendolyn East. He was born in Newark, New Jersey. Raised in San Diego, he graduated from the University of San Diego. After attending Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas, Texas and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland he was ordained in 1981 for the Archdiocese of Washington by Cardinal James Aloysius Hickey. Father Ray serves as pastor of St. Teresa of Avila Parish in historic Anacostia, Washington DC. The congregation is known for Spirit-filled worship, warm hospitality and neighborhood engagement. Their vision is to form disciples of Jesus who evangelize. Recipient of the Teacher of Peace Award from Pax Christi USA and the Jubilate Deo Award from the National Association of Pastoral Musicians show his dedication to worship that bears fruit in justice. St. Teresa of Avila is home to the Missionaries of Charity Contemplative of St. Teresa of Calcutta. The church members, who have a sister-church and school in Jeremie, Haiti, train young leaders in the areas of liturgy, youth ministry, community organizing and Evangelization.

Reverend R. Tony Ricard a.k.a. "The Holy Who Dat"

By Faith Dawson / Photo by Greg Dawson / New Orleans Magazine

If your idea of Catholic Mass involves a stern lecture and rock-hard pews, you’ll find neither at St. Gabriel the Archangel Church in Gentilly. The new pastor, Rev. R. Tony Ricard – he arrived there this summer – is more likely to crack wise than deliver a fire-and-brimstone sermon to the congregation. Whether he jokes about the collection plate or the length of the homily, this priest is blessed with a sense of humor. But that’s only his weekend job. Day-to-day, Ricard is also on the faculty at St. Augustine High School, his alma mater. As a student there, he played bell lyre in the school’s well-known Marching 100 while he dreamed of being a doctor. His vocation would come later, both to God and to the students he teaches every year. The best part of working at his old high school, he says, “is realizing I can help change the life of the school as well as individual students just by being me and bringing my gift back to my alma mater.”

Monsignor Peter Routhier

Monsignor Peter A. Routhier, is a Vermont native. He studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained in 1978 for the Diocese of Burlington, Vermont. After nine years as a parochial vicar in Middlebury and Barre Vermont, he pursued a graduate degree in liturgy at Notre Dame University. He served as Director of Liturgy and Pastor of St. Stevens in Winooski. In 1996 he became Pastor at St. Monica in Barre, Vt. In 2006 he was called to Burlington as Vicar General of the diocese and Rector of the Cathedral. Msgr is presently Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Stowe as well as the vicar for clergy. Monsignor Routhier, who has a great love of the arts, finds this assignment in Stowe is a great blessing. Not only is there the beauty of the mountains, but there is the legacy of Brother Joseph Dutton's ministry of service on Molokai which is so beautifully and inspirational illustrated on the church structure.

Bishop Larry Silva

With Hawaiian family roots in Hawaii that extend back to the monarchy of King Kalakaua, Bishop Clarence "Larry" Silva was the Vicar General of the Diocese of Oakland when Pope Benedict XVI appointed him to be the fifth Bishop of Honolulu, since the establishment of the diocese in 1941 and the eleventh since missionaries brought the faith here in 1827. Ordained a bishop and installed as Bishop of Honolulu on July 21, 2005 at the Neal Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii Catholics welcomed a man known to be a great priest, an experienced pastor, and a man of integrity. A parish priest for most of his ordained years, Bishop Silva came to inherit 66 island parishes, 28 mission churches and over 200,000 faithful.

Mark Patterson

Mark is the current Administrator of the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility and former Warden of the Women’s Community Correctional Center. He is known for his work in Trauma Informed Care within a Correctional Environment. He is an advocate for creating pu’uhonua or places of sanctuary throughout the criminal justice system, to heal children and women who have suffered as a result of trauma experiences. “Mai Nana ‘ino’ino, No Hewa O Kanaka, Aka E Huikala, A Ma’ema’e No. Patterson, may seem reserved and stoic on the surface, but his passion for transforming corrections into a way of healing will spark any room. Much like the corrections facility he manages, Mark Patterson requires you to look deeper before you form your first opinions

Special Needs

If you are a person with a disability and require accommodations to participate, contact OSM for information at (808) 203-6702 before October 4, 2018. Participants with special needs are asked to check-in with OSM upon arrival at the DMCC.

Conference Schedule

Day 1 Pre-Conference

8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu, HI

Day 2 Conference

7:00 AM to 10:00 PM Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu, HI

Day 3 Conference

7:30 AM to 2:30 PM Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu, HI