Maui Mercy Mission
Maui Mercy Mission: Priests, deacons help provide spiritual comfort to fire victims
A smile. A wave. A hug. A bottle of water. An attentive and compassionate ear. A shoulder to cry on. A prayer. A ministry of presence.
A steady stream of priests and deacons from across the Honolulu Diocese has been making its way to west Maui to provide spiritual support for the victims of the Lahaina wildfires, the worst natural disaster ever to hit the state of Hawaii.
Called the Maui Mercy Mission, it was initiated 10 days after the catastrophe with a letter from Bishop Larry Silva to Hawaii’s deacons and priests.
“Many of those affected by the fire simply need someone to talk to, to pray with them, and to comfort them,” he wrote. There is also a need to bless the bodies of the dead in the temporary morgue if families request it, he said.