St. Joseph Catholic Church

Welcome

Aloha E Komo Mai!

Whether you are visiting or just moved to Hilo, our St. Joseph family welcomes and invites you to join with us and together grow our faith in God.

Refer below for Mass, Confession, and Prayer Times.

Saturdays
10:00 am - 11:00 am
or by appointment

*Please note: Confession schedule does not apply during some liturgical seasons.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Begins
Monday-Thursdays
at 11am
Fridays & Sundays at 4:00pm
Saturdays at 3:00pm

Come Pray the Liturgy of the Hours

Join us daily in the Mornings:
Immediately following the 6:00 am Morning Mass.

Afternoons:
Weekdays & Sundays
at 4:00 pm
Saturdays at 3:00 pm

Mother of Perpetual Help Prayer Group

Novena Devotions Tuesday, 6:00 p.m.
St. Joseph Church

Come join us every Tuesday praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Rosary, Consecration and Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

Mass Intentions

Arrangements for Mass Intentions need to be done through the front office. We want to ensure that we are listing your prayer requests exactly as you would like it. Mahalo!

Office: 808 935-1465

Monday - Friday: 9am to 1pm

PLEASE JOIN US ON SUNDAY, SEPT. 13th AT 10:30am
FOR OUR SUNDAY EUCHARISTIC ADORATION AND PRAYERS

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 2026 (A)

““If we live, we live for the Lord”

We live in a world that constantly tells us, “Live for yourself.” Live for your dreams. Live for your success. Live for your comfort. Do whatever makes you happy.

But St. Paul tells us something very different: “If we live, we live for the Lord.” This is a beautiful reminder that our life belongs to God. We are not living only for ourselves. Our words, our choices, and the way we treat one another should reflect that we belong to Christ.

And the Gospel gives us a very practical way of living this truth: we must be ready to forgive and must forgive from the heart! When asked, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive?” Jesus answers, “Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Then gave the story of the servant whose enormous debt is completely forgiven by his master. But that same servant refuses to forgive a much smaller debt owed to him. The message is clear: we cannot receive God's mercy and then refuse to show mercy to others.

Every one of us has received God's forgiveness. We have made mistakes. We have hurt others. We have failed God. Yet God continues to forgive us. Therefore, if we truly understand that we are the Lord's, we must also allow His mercy to shape our hearts.

Jesus invites us today to let go. We forgive not because the other person deserves it, but because God has forgiven us. We forgive because we belong to the Lord. And when we forgive, we become more like Christ.

On the occasion of the Year of Saint Francis, which runs until January 2027, the Apostolic Penitentiary grants a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the intentions of the Holy Father), also applicable in the form of suffrage for the souls in Purgatory

1) to members: - of the Franciscan Families of the First, Second and Third Orders Regular and Secular;
- of Institutes of Consecrated Life, Societies of Apostolic Life and public or private associations of the faithful, male and female, who observe the Rule of Saint Francis or are inspired by his spirituality or perpetuate his charism in any form;

From a human point of view, this seems careless. An experienced farmer would avoid wasting seed on places where it could never grow. But that is precisely the point. God is not stingy with His grace. He is extravagant with His love.

2) to all the faithful without distinction
who, with a heart detached from sin, participate in the Year of Saint Francis by visiting, in the form of a pilgrimage, any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship anywhere in the world dedicated to Saint Francis or connected to him for any reason, and there devoutly follow the Jubilee rites or spend at least a reasonable period of time in pious meditation and raise prayers to God so that, following the example of Saint Francis, feelings of Christian charity towards their neighbors and authentic vows of harmony and peace among peoples may spring forth in their hearts, concluding with the Our Father, the Creed and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Clare and all the Saints of the Franciscan Family.

The elderly, the sick and those who take care of them, and all those who are unable to leave their homes for serious reasons may also obtain a Plenary Indulgence, provided they detach themselves from any sin and intend to fulfil the three usual conditions as soon as possible, if they unite themselves spiritually to the jubilee celebrations of the Year of Saint Francis, offering to the Merciful God their prayers, the pains or sufferings of their lives.

The designated pilgrimage sites by Bishop Larry Silva in the Diocese of Honolulu are: Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa (Honolulu), St. Francis Church (Kalaupapa), Holy Trinity Church (Kuliouou), St. Rita Church (Nanakuli), Immaculate Conception Church (Lihue), Christ the King Church (Kahului), St. Damien Church (Kaunakakai), Sacred Hearts (Lanai), St. Michael the Archangel Church (Kailua-Kona), and St. Joseph Church (Hilo).

Prayer to St. Joseph,
Patron of Our Parish

Beloved St. Joseph,
Patron of our Parish, at the word of an angel,
you lovingly took Mary into your home.

As God’s humble servant, you welcomed Jesus as your own son and with Our Blessed Mother provided Our Lord with the warmth of a family.

We praise God and are grateful that as their faithful protector, you never hesitated to sacrifice for those entrusted to you.

Most watchful guardian of the Holy family, with confidence we likewise entrust our Parish and families to your loving care.

Teach us, as a Church, to listen attentively to God’s will and to carry it out with quiet courage and trust.

Help our parish to be a home of faith, where Christ is loved and adored, families are strengthened, and all who come find peace and belonging.

Help our homes to be places of prayer, where God is honored. Protect our children and the vulnerable; and assist and take care of those who toil to provide for their families.

Lord, remind us not to grow tired or weary in prayer. Renew our strength when we feel weak. Help us to rise again and again, knowing that praying for one another is both our responsibility and our privilege.

We trust that You hear us today. We trust that answers are on the way. We trust that this new year is held securely in Your hands.

St. Joseph, we thank you through the years that you have watched over us. Continue, we beg, to help us to find God in all that we do and pray that our parish may grow in holiness, unity, and charity, and always reflect the heart of Christ. Amen

St. Joseph, pray for us.

photo credit:Anna Weaver

Are You Registered?

New to the parish or need to update your registration download our SJ Registration Form print, fill-out and return. Mahalo!

Bishop Michael has rescheduled his Mass at St. Joseph Church. It will be on Thursday, September 24th at 6 pm.

We are planning a very simple reception afterwards so you may have the opportunity to welcome our new Bishop.

The 200th Anniversary of Catholicism in Hawaii is a year-long celebration (July 2026 – July 2027) marking the day the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary arrived in Honolulu. This anniversary year is not only remembrance — it is an invitation: designed to honor the past 200 years of faith, strengthen the present community across every island, and inspire what comes next.

Religious Education classes and OCIA classes have begun. But it is not too late for you or your child to join us.

Contact Dcn. Charley Mapa and let him know of your interest and he will supply you with all of the information that you need to start this journey.

(808) 935-1465

Baptism Preparation:

(Infants to children 7 years of age)

Welina ‘oe! Welcome Families!

Congratulations on the birth of your child and your decision to have your child baptized in the Catholic Church. We welcome you and your child as well as your godparents to our parish. Please call the rectory office to sign up for the next Baptism Preparation Class.
(808) 935-1465.

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Pope Leo XIV asks everyone to pray the rosary for peace.

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Prayer for Married Couples

Heavenly Father,

We thank You for the gift of marriage and the love that unites us.

Bless us with patience, kindness, and understanding in all we do.

Help us to forgive quickly, speak gently, and serve one another with joy.

May our home be filled with peace, our hearts with faith, and our lives with the light of Your presence.

Guide us to grow together in holiness,so that our love reflects the love of Christ for His Church.

Through Christ our Lord,
Amen.

“Lord, I am not worthy to have you under my roof but only say the word and I shall be healed.”

THE PROPER WAY TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION

You may either receive Holy Communion on your tongue or in the hand as allowed in the United States by decision of the American Bishops.

If one is receiving in the hand the following is normative: upon approaching the minister of the Host extend the hands in the middle of the chest. The left hand is extended, with the right hand under the left in support (left handed persons may wish to place the left hand under the right). In essence, a throne is formed in the sign of an X-cross to receive the Sacred Host. The response of “Amen” is given to the proclamation “The Body of Christ,” and the Host is received. The individual should then step to the side and receive the Host carefully and reverently in front of the altar before returning to your seat. It is unseemly to “pop” the Host into the mouth as one walks away. Remember “Who” you are receiving!

Please note that it is never acceptable to put out only one hand due to the danger of dropping the host. Those who do not have the easy use of both hands (or whose hands are not perfectly clean for whatever reason) should receive on the tongue.

“Through the Incarnation and birth of Christ, God reveals to us the dignity of all human life.

Human life, as a gift of God, is sacred and inviolable.
The Son of God has united himself with every human being and desires for us to share eternal life with him…

Each of us is made in the image
and likeness of God,
and we reflect his glory in the world.”

USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities

“The Gospel of Life: A Brief Summary”

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“Even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are masterpieces of God’s creation, made in his own image, destined to live forever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect.”

USCCB Respect Life flyer quoting Pope Francis’“Day for Life Greeting”
© 2013 Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

“When we meet Jesus in the Eucharist, this encounter has the power to change us.

The Eucharist has the power to transform the depths of our hearts and the heart of our culture.

United to the power of his Eucharistic Presence, may we work to ensure that each person has life—and has it in abundance.”

USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities Respect Life Reflection: “I Came So That They Might Have Life”