The members of Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin are celebrating their 125th anniversary this month. Members of the Sangha as well as friends in the community are invited to attend a joyous celebration Sunday, Nov. 23, at the Sangha Hall in Hilo. The event also will serve as a double celebration to honor the 125th anniversary of the statewide Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.
The members of Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin are celebrating their 125th anniversary this month. Members of the Sangha as well as friends in the community are invited to attend a joyous celebration Sunday, Nov. 23, at the Sangha Hall in Hilo. The event also will serve as a double celebration to honor the 125th anniversary of the statewide Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.
The program will begin at 9 a.m. with a colorful Children’s Chigo Parade outside of the temple located at 398 Kilauea Ave. This will be followed with picture-taking at 9:30 a.m. and a service and program in the Sangha Hall behind the temple beginning at 10 a.m. Lunch will follow. (Sign up at the Hilo Betsuin office in advance for lunch.)
“It is only through the selfless dedication and commitment of the ministers and members throughout the years that we are able to celebrate 125 years of Shinshu teaching in Hawaii,” stated event co-chairpersons Barry Mizuno and Jane Iida.
On March 3, 1889, at Kojima Hotel on Beretania Street in Honolulu, the Rev. Soryu Kagahi, a Jodo Shinshu minister from Kyushu, Japan, conducted the first Shin Buddhist service in the Hawaiian Kingdom. Later that year, he established two Buddhist communities: one in Honolulu and one in Hilo.
A major project undertaken by Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin in recent years was a capital campaign for construction of a multi-purpose building. Following a successful campaign, a groundbreaking was hosted in August 1999 to begin construction on what is now known as Sangha Hall. Dedication of Sangha Hall took place in December 2000 and was a fulfillment of the theme “Gratefully Building a Promising Future.” Sangha Hall has become a center of many temple and community events and a much-needed facility in Hilo.
The temple also has grown through the years in other ways. Project Dana was initiated in 1999. This program provides a monthly gathering for the elderly as well as respite for caregivers. In 2005, an Oral History Project was begun to gather temple history as well as personal accounts of temple-related activities through interviews.
“As we prepare for this auspicious occasion, let us all reflect upon and express our gratitude for the hard work and sacrifices of those who came before us to maintain 125 years of Nembutsu in Hawaii,” said Mizuno and Iida. “Let us look to the future so that the Dharma will continue to flourish for generations to come.”
In honor of Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin’s 125th anniversary, a week of activities will lead up to the actual celebration Sunday, Nov. 23. Following is a schedule of the activities, which kick off at 4 p.m. this Sunday at Mooheau Park in downtown Hilo:
Other activities:
• Monday: 10 a.m. first of four lectures on “Contemplation Sutra”; 4 p.m. Kaumana grave site service.
• Tuesday: 10 a.m., second lecture.
• Wednesday: 10 a.m., third lecture; 4:30 p.m. tsunami monument service, 5 p.m. Vietnam Memorial service.
• Thursday: 10 a.m. fourth lecture, 4:30 p.m. Homelani Cemetery service, 5 p.m. Vietnam Cemetery #1 service.
• Friday, Nov. 21: 4 p.m. Alae Cemetery service.
• Saturday, Nov. 22: 10 a.m. 125th Memorial Service at main temple, 4 p.m. Affirmation Rites by Bishop Matsumoto.
Anniversary Sunday begins at 7 a.m., with Chigo preparation and picture taking, followed by the 9 a.m. Chigo Parade, 9:30 a.m. picture taking, 10 a.m. 125th Anniversary Service, 11:30 a.m. lunch and entertainment.