On the afternoon of Sunday, December 30, 2018, 27 enthusiastically dedicated volunteers from the Ohana Homebound Ministry, Perpetual Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament (PABS) and others, gathered in the OLGC Pastoral Center to prepare for Fr. Alfred Omar B. ...

The trained instructor will modify moves so everyone can have fun in the class! All proceeds go to OLGC School! Bring your hand weights and yoga mats and join the Shazzy party! Click on the photo to view the schedule.

Fifth-grader, Sophia Lafferty’s poem iPhone to God was selected to be featured in the Appelley Publishing 2018 Rising Stars Collection! In the same book, we found our recent graduate’s poem Sauce. Colby Macapagal was recognized last Spring for his achievement and now we can view it on page 146 of the Rising Stars book. Sophia’s winning entry clearly exhibits two of our student learning expectations:

With the theme, “Celebrating 60 Years in Christ! Imua!, we come together to treasure the past, recognize our present and build our future for the next generations to come. (excerpt from Fr.Pascual’s message of July 28-29, 2018) “We...

Based on research at the University of Denver, the Christian Prevention & Relation Enhancement Program (CPREP) is a program designed by experts to help couples build lasting, loving relationships & prevent divorce. The clinically tested techniques are for any couple from the nearly engaged to the longtime partners who want to learn techniques to solve problems or prevent them from happening. It is for people who want to improve their marital communications.

We begin another new school year and my mind is running wild with excitement and pride for all that is to come. Every teacher and staff member has dedicated the summer days to preparing an incredible experience for our children. It is through their hard work and commitment that we are able to remain firm as a faith-filled academic institution.

The summer is coming to a close and OLGC School families are getting ready for a new school year! The annual Sweep, Scrape, and Shine day was held on July 21st and there were over 50 volunteers present to help us set the classrooms and play areas for our children who return on August 1st. Parents, students, teachers, staff members, and their families reset the garden and living stage, removed overgrown brush on the hill, brightened the St. Francis courtyard by power? washing, loaded the rooms with desks and furniture, decorated the walls with vibrantly colored paper, replaced Kindergarten molding, and trimmed the grass in the playground. The hardworking group also took time to share a chili lunch and joined in joyful conversation about returning to school! It is the love for our children and God that brings this community together and we are very eager to start next week.

Why Do We Need to Teach Stewardship in Our Parishes? Every parish decides to embark upon the stewardship journey for a different reason. Yet, basically, all of the reasons fall into one of five categories. These are: 1. It is what God calls us to do. Throughout sacred scripture God calls us to be a giving people. The concepts of giving God our “first fruits” and of tithing a fair percent were first mentioned in the Old Testament.

It has been a year ago since the introduction of the first copy of the revised OLGC Parish bulletin. In the July 1-2, 2018 edition of the bulletin, Fr. Pascual (From the Pastor’s Desk), wrote: “After all the suggestions, planning and revisions, we finally realized this long awaited tool for the New Evangelization. The Parish bulletin has always been a source of information for any events that occur in our church. This bulletin will give us more information that will bring the joy of the Gospel to all and enhance our personal encounter with Christ.”

SCHOOL NEWS - A FIELD TRIP TO WITNESS: MINDFULNESS - MAKA`ALA EMPATHY - ALOHA WORKING TOGETHER - LOKAHI Our Lady of Good Counsel School students are life-long learners who demonstrate basic knowledge in all subjects. The beauty of attending summer school is that the learning is broadened with a plethora of elective courses and field trips that allow students to seek knowledge beyond the subjects they are required to learn during the school year.

OLGC School’s “Incredible Summer” summer school program is off to a wonderful start! It’s a 4-week program which started on June 12th and it will end on July 6th. Students begin each day with peers, strengthening skills of the core academic subjects, Language Arts & Math. Immediately after a morning recess and snack break, they disperse to their elective courses of Keiki Robotics, Arts & Crafts, Let’s Learn Korean, Yo!, School of Rock, Singing Hands, and Walking with Jesus. Students of the extended program then begin the afternoon with a healthy lunch provided by the school’s regular caterer, Marian’s and a midday recess under the summer sun! The afternoon elective courses are each an hour and the students continue to remain engaged. With delightful elective courses, Outdoor Sports & Games/ Shazzy Fitness, Young Scientists, Cooking Around the World, Artsy Smartsy Digital Media, and Building Blocks for Kids, the students are sure to be locked into the learning straight through the afternoon until the day ends at 3:00 p.m.

The school community witnessed the graduation of our littlest friends in Preschool and the graduation of our students in eighth grade! We share a special thanks to the teachers who helped the students to grow in faith and academics! The love they have for the children shines through in their results. Mrs. Annie, Mrs. Perreira, Miss Amano, Mrs. Cristobal, Miss JoAnn, Miss Rayette, Miss Alyce, Mrs. Daligcon, and Mrs. Weber have all worked closely with our littlest students. The faculty and staff thanks all the parents who have willingly given their time volunteering here, and who have raised such wonderful children! We are blessed by families who entrust their greatest treasures to us. On Thursday, May 24th, 2018 the community celebrated the growth of the eighth graders by participating in a Candle/ Rose Ceremony and final after-mass walk. Seventh graders offered a yellow rose to each of the eighth graders as a symbol of how they’ve bloomed through the nurturing of the OLGC ohana! Eighth graders offered a burning candle as a symbol of trust to be the new leaders, the shining lights for the school. We all enjoyed as the eighth-grade graduates made their final walk to the sound of “Pomp & Circumstance” through the tunnel of students and staff! Way to go Class of 2018! We are so proud of you! Congratulations to all graduates! We pray they will each take the Spirit of OLGC aloha wherever they may go.

Christian discipleship involves many elements, beginning with our response in faith to the Lord’s invitation. In Stewardship :A Disciple's Response; A Pastoral Letter on Stewardship, our Bishops remind us that stewardship is indeed part of thedisciple’s life.

April 26 and 27 were days full of celebratory activities for our blessed mother, Our Lady of Good Counsel. We started off the morning playing hymns of praise for Mary and sharing warm treats and coffee with our school parents as they drove through the car drop-off line. The school assembled in front of her statue to join in prayer and enjoy creative writing pieces about Mary. Various classes also shared in a potluck feast! The following day, the entire school community joined in a special procession from school to church. Students formed a line of prayer, and our young men followed with her beautiful statue, adorned with roses. Before Mass, children, teachers, and parents were excited to offer gifts of fragrant and colorful flowers to our mother. After Mass, we were delighted to witness the talent show! The two-day event closed with the evening’s Food Truck and Craft Fair. We thank Mrs. Tsuda, Miss Rayette, and Miss Daligcon who organized the activities and we are grateful for the wonderful opportunity to recognize and honor our blessed mother!

Summertime and the living is easy. That’s what the favorite old song says. The living may be easy, but often the giving is not. Summer collections often drop significantly in our parish because of vacation travel, sports schedules and other activities that cause parishioners to attend Mass in other parishes. If you would like to make your giving easy and consistent this summer, please consider our electronic giving option. Currently several parish families are using this simple and secure way to make and track their parish giving. If you would like to learn more, please contact the Parish Office at 455-3012 or check out our website at olgcchurch.org for the online giving link.

Sports Report The girls’ basketball teams have had a great season so far, currently positioned at two wins and two losses. The final two games are 23 and 24 April (St. Theresa’s and St.Elizabeth’s) and we wish our girls all the very best for the continuation of a successful season. They will be preparing for tournaments in May following this busy schedule. Go Mustangs!

The message was clear throughout sacred scripture. We are called to give to God first. Yet, how do we give “first fruits” in a society where we no longer bring our produce, our livestock or our fresh baked bread to the temple to be shared with the community? It is helpful to still think of our giving in terms of food. If God were coming to dinner at your house, would you serve Him the finest meat, your best recipes and your richest dessert? Or would you reheat leftover macaroni and cheese? If you wish to offer God “first fruits” or your very best, here is what you need to do. Make the check you write to God the first check you write every week or every month. Don’t wait to see what is leftover. Instead, give a planned and generous gift to God first and trust that what is left will be enough for your needs. When you put God first in your life in this very simple way, you will be serving Him as an honored guest in your heart. (excerpts reprinted with permission of Archdiocese of St. Louis)

Our Lady of Good Counsel School's May Day performance and luau are right around the corner! In Hawaii, May Day is known as Lei Day, and it is normally an event to celebrate Hawaiian culture. As a Catholic school, we are delighted to extend this event by recognizing May as the month to honor all mothers. The school will continue its annual tradition of honoring the patron saint of mothers, Mary, Mother of God!

Our Lady of Good Counsel School’s Summer School is back by popular demand! This program is open to all children en- tering Kindergarten through eighth grade. Classes have limited openings and are being filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The basic program includes Language Arts & Math enrichment and is 7:30-11:30 a.m. and the extended afternoon program is 11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Morning care and after are available options. Visit olgchawaii.org for more details and the registration form. All courses are appropriate for all ages (entering K-8)

Minutes! Minutes! Minutes! How many commercials do we hear every day advertising “free minutes” or “endless minutes?” While the cell phone companies are making us all aware of every minute that we spend talking or texting, do we keep track of the minutes that we spend with God?