[ ON FAITH ]
Hispanic spirit The old pagoda-roofed Palama Theater has an Asian look. But it now has a Spanish soul.
finds home under
Pentecostal pagoda
Spanish-speaking worshippers
gather for fellowship at the
old Palama TheaterBy Mary Adamski
Star-BulletinOn Sunday, nearly 150 people gathered in the warehouselike interior to sing God's praises in Spanish to the accompaniment of guitar, piano and drums.
Flags from 12 countries hang over the stage-turned-sanctuary representing the origins of the multinational congregation.
Su Gran Albanza -- which translates as "His Highest Praise" -- is affiliated with the worldwide Holiness Pentecostal Church. Besides being a place of worship in the Evangelical Protestant tradition, it is a socializing center for many Spanish-speaking Oahu residents, most of whom are recent arrivals in the Hawaii work force or members of the military.
The Rev. Brian Mauricio, pastor, has worked for the past two years to convert the long-abandoned movie house into a house of worship. Educated and ordained in Mexico, he was a minister to Mexican and California congregations before bringing his family to Hawaii in 1983. They attended the Honolulu His Highest Praise chapel, but eventually, Spanish-language prayer meetings at their home evolved into a separate congregation, he said.
"The people need a place they can belong ... for fellowship, a family," said Mauricio. "We want Spanish people to have something in this island. Spanish people are good workers. Some came for the agriculture jobs, coffee on the Big Island, vegetable farms. Most are in low-salary work, in restaurants, in construction, in housekeeping. There are no rich people in this church!"Fellowship following the Sunday service centers in the kitchen, where ethnic specialties are prepared en masse, then sold to the congregation to raise money for the rent. They carry this culinary expertise to a food booth at the annual October Hispanic fiesta in Kapiolani Park, where last year, "we sold more than 1,000 burritos," Mauricio said.
There's another food operation at the church. They maintain a food pantry and a thrift shop, opened to the homeless and low-income neighbors on Sundays. A bookstore corner features used Spanish-language books and music.
Speaking of eating, one devotional practice of church members is to fast from all food and drink nothing but water on Wednesdays, offering it as a sacrifice for special prayer intentions, the pastor said.
Mauricio said that although they share a common tongue, they learn they don't always speak the same language. "There are some things I might say that to me means nothing, but another country might take it as offensive." At times like that, he laughed, "we need to remember we are Christian."
Su Gran Albanza is a family project. His wife, Sonia, is associate pastor and "is more pastor than me."
He said she assists members when they need to go to immigration and visits hospitalized members.
One daughter, Nolly, directs the music, and another, Jennifer, leads the high school "missionette" group for girls.
A third daughter, Heather, is a minister in California.
Mauricio's son, Bobby, produces the church's weekly television program on public service Channel 52.
They all work without salary, said Mauricio. He and Bobby support the family with their welding business, which operates from a corner of the theater-church.
Mauricio went to Kauai this weekend for dedication services of Su Gran Albanza meetings, which will be held in the Door of Faith Church in Kekaha and at the Kapaa Public Library.
His dream is to raise enough funds to buy the theater from its mainland owners who, he said, paid $10 million for it.
"I don't think it's impossible. We're expecting a miracle."
RELIGION
View from the Pew
by Mary Adamski