Star Light Star Bright 2024

Sharing the Guiding Light of Christmas throughout the Jubilee Year
On this Epiphany 2025, we begin the Jubilee Year as “Pilgrims of Hope” spreading the joy of the season all year round. Mahalo to the Pūʻā Foundation and all the volunteers from St. George Parish in Waimanalo and other faith-based groups who helped families affected by incarceration celebrate the Annual Star Light Star Bright event at the Womenʻs Community Correctional Center on December 7, 2024.
For more than 20 years, the Diocese of Honolulu has been working with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (formerly called Department of Public Safety) to help incarcerated mothers bond with their keiki.
Director Tommy Johnson of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation attended the event and greeted mothers, children, staff and volunteers saying: “We hope to continue to guide a paradigm shift from what some see as a punitive incarceration model to one that’s more restorative and holistic and reentry focused. And we always went to women and the men to know, don’t give up on yourself because we’ll never give up on you.”
Bishop Larry Silva of the Diocese of Honolulu was also in attendance to offer a blessing to families saying, “These are our sisters. The women here are are important to us and we want to bring their children to reunite with their mothers. They don’t get to see them very often. So, that’s a real Christmas treat for them to, have a family reunion. It’s a gift for them, but it’s a gift for us, too, to be able to to serve them and bring them some joy.”
Vicky DeSilva, the Relgious Education Director for St. George Parish who assisted in welcoming the caregivers and the keiki said, “Everyone deserves that happiness, love, joy, peace, love and hope. Because hope is what makes everything alive.”
Mahalo also to the Sisters of the Congregation of Sacred Hearts who sang songs with families and students from Sacred Hearts Academy who performed hula.