Summer luau brings together winter friends
Published Aug 7, 2007
The tune of “Tiny Bubbles” soothed ears, the aroma of a roasted pig enticed appetites and the bright-colored leis attracted eyes during the Hawaiian Luau and Dance July 21 at St. Mary Immaculate Parish in Plainfield. More than 160 attendees were invited for hula lessons and talented performers shared traditional Hawaiian songs. Meanwhile, grass skirting decorated the elaborate food and beverage buffet set out for the festivities.
“Aloha,” greeted Salvacion Sulit, standing beneath a plastic palm tree. The co-coordinator of the event explained the luau offered the parish’s Filipino ministry the chance to capture the public’s attention in summer.
Typically, the ministry is better known for its hospitality during the cold and dark December nights with its traditional Simbang Gabi celebration, a nine-day novena leading up to Christmas. The parish is set to host the concluding 2007 Simbang Gabi Mass for the entire diocese, so funds raised from the luau are expected to assist in covering hospitality costs for the large crowd, noted Sulit.
Swapping miniature Christmas trees for pineapple centerpieces was a simple change in order to carry on fellowship with the broader community, added Earl Morales, co-coordinator of the event. He said, “It’s a way of continuing on the relationship that we built during Simbang Gabi and the camaraderie that we have, not only with the Filipinos, but everyone here in the community.”
Sporting a purple lei, Father David Medow, pastor, praised the Filipino ministry for its outreach to others in the large parish that contains the diversity found in the universal church. He said, “The first thing the Filipino ministry does is bring their faith, which is incredibly strong, very prayerful and active. They bring a great presence; they’re here. Their energy, joy and prayerfulness invite us all.”
Deng Baronia, a parishioner of St. Mary Immaculate Parish and an active member of the ministry, said she was proud of Filipino hospitality, but she still wants to maintain the Filipino identity. She commented, “We’re trying to enhance the ministry … so that the kids born and raised here are (familiar) with our culture.”
Passing along heritage is important to the mother of three adult children, who in 1976 emigrated from the Philippines. Baronia commented, “I brought my kids home when they were little every five years to keep up with the culture so they will value what they have here and the way we were raised back home.”
Reaching out to the youth and sharing the Filipino traditions is one of the goals of the growing Filipino ministry, added Sulit. She expressed a hope that the Luau and Simbang Gabi would be starting points for further support of those in the Filipino community. She aimed to “increase spirituality by knowing each other” through prayer groups, events and other activities.
