Go here!
I first went here for a Day of Recollection in high school. It was just one day but it's a day I'll never forget.
I went here again earlier this year when I saw a Lectio Divina session advertised in the Hawaii Catholic Herald. I'm a theology grad and I learnt a little bit about Lectio Divina when I was in college. But I wanted to learn about it more in-depth, so when I saw it advertised, I was excited about the opportunity.
The event was run by a Sacred Hearts sister, and a lovely woman named Malu. Malu, it turned out, attended the same place I went to college and was in the Master's program for theology, so we got to be quick good friends. Now you'd think that the people who run this might be quiet, introverted, stern, older people, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Malu is friendly, young, hip, fun and clever. You can't go wrong if she's the one organizing the event.
I'm sure the other people who run other events there are also fantastic. One of my friends, Easter, sometimes conducts events there, and if you're lucky enough to meet her, I promise you'll totally love her from the start. I always feel better when I speak with her. She's one of those people who exudes peace and kindness all the time. Her husband Joe, who is a Deacon stationed at the Cathedral, is also a great guy and longtime friend of mine.
The location was easy to find. Just drive down Kalihi Street past the residential places, into the valley. Stay on the same road till you'll see a small bridge to the retreat center on the right. I expected to get lost on the way since I'm very bad with directions, but I found it without any problem.
The facility is huge. I'm an active Catholic and even I was surprised by how it is here. The retreat center has a lot of different buildings over a very large campus, so you may get a little lost at first. When I went to attend the Lectio Divina session, I went to the first building I saw; since there were people outside, I thought that this was where it was going to be held. I spoke with someone there and it turned out it was a different event there. She gave me directions to a different building; that day, there were at least four events there, each in different areas in this huge place. It's best to come early just in case you get lost like I did.
You'll fall in love with the beauty of the place. It's lush and green, the kind of place you see when Hawaii is in the movies. Also since it's just in Kalihi, and not on some distant part of Oahu, it's in a location that's accessible to anyone who is used to going to town. This is the best possible spot in Hawaii to have a place like this. It is a little chilly though, so bring a sweater. If you attend an event, they even have cooks on staff who prepare nice meals.
But if you go, remember one thing: You are doing this for Christ, and not for yourself. A lot of us often attend religious things for self-help, like it's physical exercise that you do for yourself. While the peace you may feel is a definite side-benefit, remember you're here first and foremost to grow closer to Christ. It's a struggle we all go through, especially Americans, and it's best we all keep our priorities right.
My one regret is that it took me so long to come here. This place is a well-kept secret that everyone needs to hear. read more