Hawaii Catholics & Orthodox honor Blessed Marianne Cope, OSF

Catholic Bishop C. L. Silva & IOC Bishop Stephen R. Sykes attend statue blessing

The statue of Blessed Marianne Cope, who served Hansen's patients as a successor to Saint Damien on Molokai for 35 years, was blessed by Hawaii's Catholic Bishop Clarence L. Silva and attended by Bishop Stephen Randolph Sykes, Orthodox Bishop of Hawaii.

[Photo L-R] Sister Patricia Burkard, OSF

General Minister of the Sisters of St. Francis

Most Rev. Clarence L. (Larry) Silva

Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of Honolulu,

Most Rev. Stephen Randolph Sykes, EOMC

Orthodox Bishop of Hawaii of the IOC

Sister Rosaire Kopczenski, OSF, Statue Artist

Blessed Statue - A bronze image of Blessed Mother Marianne Cope at Honolulu's Kewalo Basin honors her selfless service - Source: HONOLULU STAR BULLETIN by Mary Adamski, Jan, 23, 2010.

Ed. Summary: The Sisters of Saint Francis of the Neumann Communities (Headquartered at Syracuse, New York) installed the bronze image of "Blessed Mother Marianne Cope." Sister Cope was among the first Sisters of Saint Francis who responded to the call of King David Kalakaua I, for help in caring for leprosy victims. Blessed Marianne continued the work of Saint Damien after his death on the Island of Molokai where she, too, passed away in 1918.

IOC Bishops attend Hawaii Ecumenical Service

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - Ecumenical Vespers


Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Andrew

Honolulu, Hawaii

January 20, 2010, Wed, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

(L) The Right Reverend Robert L. Fitzpatrick

Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Hawaii

(R) The Most Reverend Clarence (Larry) Silva

Bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Honolulu

IOC First Hierarch, Most Rev. Daniel J. Dahl and Most Rev. Stephen Randolph Sykes, IOC Orthodox Bishop of Hawaii attended an ecumenical service celebrating the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" at the invitation of Bishop Robert L. Fitzpatrick of the Episcopal Church in Hawaii. The event was held in the Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Andrew where an Ecumenical Vespers and Evensong were conducted with many Oahu Christian leaders, numerous clergy and several hundred persons in attendance. The theme for this year's ecumenical week was "You are Witnesses of These Things," (Luke 24:48) and was celebrated with prayer in most Christian churches throughout Hawaii.

The Rev. Charles Buck, Conference Minister of the United Church of Christ in Hawaii gave a thought provoking sermon based on the year's theme of "Witness." There were also prayers for and a special collection taken up among all the attending clergy and faithfull to benefit the Haitian people who are suffering from the recent Great Haiti Earthquake.

Immediately following vespers a paina reception was held in the Cathedral's annex hall. IOC Archbishop Daniel was honored to meet and speak with the Most Rev. Clarence (Larry) Silva, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu. Their cordial conversation centered around ecumenical relations between the Honolulu Roman Catholic Diocese and the Inclusive Orthodox Church in Hawaii.

The IOC Bishops were also pleased to meet with the Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop of the Pacifica Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Rev. Dr. Woong-Min Kim, Hawaii Superintendent for the Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church's Very Rev. Timothy W. Sexton, Saint Andrew's Cathedral Provost, the Rev. Canon Liz Beasley, Episcopal Diocese Canon for Ministry Development, and the Rev. William Kunisch, Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu. Father Kunisch kindly extended invitations to the IOC Bishops to attend the Annual "Red Mass" for the opening of the 2010 State of Hawaii Legislative Session.

5 from Isles at Religious Congress - Parliament of the World's Religions

December 5, 2009
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Religion Section
For Saturday, December 5, 2009
By Star-Bulletin Staff and News Services
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 05, 2009

“5 from isles at religious congress”
Five Oahu residents active in local interfaith events are attending the Parliament of the World's Religions, which opened today in Melbourne, Australia. Saleem Ahmed, who writes and lectures on Islam, and Maryknoll Sister Joan Chatfield are participating in a panel discussion about similarities shared by most religions.
Other local Honolulu attendees in Melbourne are Cecilia Fordham, Ecumenical Officer of the Hawaii Episcopal Diocese; Bishop Stephen Randolph Sykes of the Inclusive Orthodox Church; and Patti Hildeth of the Center for Spiritual Living Windward Oahu.
About 6,000 people were expected to attend the Parliament, which is held every five years. The Dalai Lama is among the many speakers at the event.

“Parliament of the World's Religions: Three Perspectives”

[Photo L-R] Parliament Delegates: Dr Mona R. Bomgaars, MD

Rev Norma Kehrberg - United Methodist Hawaii

IOC Bishop Stephen Randolph Sykes

Ms Cecilia Fordham, Hawaii Episcopal Diocese

Hawaii Catholic Sister Joan Chatfield, MM

January 4, 2010: Interfaith Conversations Windward, A chapter of All Believers Network. Monday, January 4, 2010, 1:00-2:00PM, Pohai Nani Blue Room – 14th Floor, 45-090 Namoku Street, Kane‘ohe, Oahu, Hawai’i

"Parliament of the World's Religions: Three Perspectives" by Sister Joan Chatfield, M.M., Executive Director, Institute of Religion and Social Change, Ms Cecilia Fordham, Ecumenical Officer for the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii and Most Rev. Stephen Randolph Sykes, E.O.M.C., Orthodox Bishop of Hawaii of the Inclusive Orthodox Church.

The first Parliament of the World's Religions was held in 1893. Since 1993, it has met every five years and brings together faith leaders, spiritual practitioners, and seekers of the entire human family. Sister Joan, Cecilia, and Bishop Sykes have just returned from the Parliament held this December in Melbourne. This presentation focused on their impressions and perspectives of their experiences at the Parliament's many discussion forums, liturgical celebrations, and plenary sessions.

Bishop Stephen at the World's Parliament of Religions

Bishop Stephen raises issue of “Patriarchal Attitudes” at the World's Parliament of Religions with Sister Joan Chittister
Reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation

January, 2010
Margaret Coffey at the Parliament of the World's Religions, Melbourne 2009. The Parliament of the World's Religions (PWR) has opened in Melbourne: follow Margaret Coffey’s commentary, or join the conversation in the Talking of Faith blog.

“Patriarchy at the Parliament”

"Those same old questions didn't help either. You know those questions that deliver a mutual pat on the back? And most of them came out of that 'Catholic pack' described in the previous post. However, one of the funniest moments came with the first question, from the Parliament's one ostentatiously Orthodox participant. (The Greek Orthodox Church in effect boycotted the Parliament.) This was Bishop Stephen Randolph Sykes, bishop in the breakaway Inclusive Orthodox Church based in Hawaii, who appeared daily and unmistakably in tall black kamilafki and black cassock.

"Sister Joan," Bishop Stephen asked, "how can we males do a better job?" "My dear Father....," came Sr Joan's rich tones. It could have been Hollywood circa 1945." [from Margaret Coffey's ABC.net Blog "Talking of Faith,January 14, 2010:"]