The "Painted Church"

Welcome to the Star of the Sea Catholic Church. This church is located near Kalapano on the Big Island of Hawaii. Just a few miles from this church is the area where St. Damien of Molokai was first assigned as a new missionary from Belgium in 1864.
When I visited this church last week, I was struck by the vivid paintings inside the church. I was also touched by the name of the church, which is the same name as the church in which my grandmother was baptized in Malin Head, Co. Donegal, Ireland, in 1898. That church was near the sea, the North Atlantic Ocean, on another small island.
My grandmother's name was Elizabeth Mullin Dougherty. She encouraged me to consider becoming a priest when I was very young. I had the feeling that doing so would deeply please my grandmother, and bring great graces to our family.
As I grew older, the feeling of being "called" grew in me. I was drawn to God and to do good in my life.
As soon as I could, I became an altar boy. This was a privilege and an honor, and I took it very seriously. I felt wonderful serving with the priest on the altar. I was allowed to serve Mass in the chapel in the sisters' convent, where no child or males were normally permitted to go. I felt special.
As I grew older, I lost interest for several years in becoming a priest. With the onset of puberty, I could not recomcile my changing emotional state with a life of holiness, but the call re-emerged in my teen years, and then again in my late teens.
I will finish this story in my next posting.
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