Following the 2009 successful campaigns for vocations through various marathons in the islands of Hawaii, the Diocesan Vocations Office will continue to raise awareness and to strengthen the culture of vocations to the ordained ministry and consecrated life in the Diocese of Honolulu, Hawaii. Kindly check on the latest participation form for 2010 activities.
The Office of Vocations will begin its “Akua Run/Walk for Vocations” 2010 series on Sunday, December 13, 2009 during the Honolulu Marathon. We encourage again participants (priests, sisters, lay people and seminarians) to pledge to pray and make an extra mile for vocations.
Considered as the 8th largest marathon in the world and brought in over $100 million into Hawaii’s economy in 2008, the 26-mile Honolulu Marathon's scenic course includes spectacular ocean views alongside world‐famous Waikiki Beach, and Diamond Head and Koko Head volcanic craters. The marathon starts at 5am at Ala Moana Boulevard/Queen Street Extension and Finish at Kapiolani Park. For more details, visit www.honolulumarathon.org.
Rationale
Priests and those in the consecrated life, like any person, share interests — interests such as running or playing sports. Training is a time to reflect and to pray. It’s important that we include prayer into our undertakings. Runners/walkers know that in the course of their respective races they'll experience great challenges. But the sense of accomplishment and mission to overcome these challenges makes it worthwhile to them. Each runner/walker will say "I do not run aimlessly" (1 Corinthians 9:26).
Bishop Larry Silva of Honolulu has supported these initiatives in line with the Catholic Church celebration of the Jubilee Year of St. Paul. This will be a positive statement of the Diocesan Vocations Office to bring awareness to people that we as a Catholic community are determined to make a difference, and we as a Church are expressing a need for vocations.
Whether one chooses to run the entire marathon course of 26.2 miles, to run a shorter course, or to walk, discipline is required to prepare and complete the course. The discipline of proper training and finishing each marathon (according to the means and distance for which you have registered), will teach Catholic Youth and other participants that they can have endurance throughout their lives and they can accomplish great things. At each marathon, they offer their sacrifice to run/walk “extra miles” for vocations. The mission is always to finish the race for which one has registered. As St. Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have finished the race; I have kept the faith."
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