Saipan forever grateful to one of its beloved ‘fathers’ in faith
On a bright Sunday afternoon, on June 2nd, the Mercedarian Sisters and the parishioners of Kristo Rai hosted a party for Fr. Kenneth Hezel, SJ as he prepares to leave the island – this time for good – and retires from active ministry.
Most people would call it a retirement party, but Fr. Ken called it his “Missioning Day”. This gives an insight on how Fr. Ken always saw his life as a Jesuit – a missionary! In truth, no one really retires from being ‘a priest’. One can retire from active parish assignments, but a priest will always remain a priest and Fr. Ken knows this very well. As he depart from Saipan and Micronesia where he spent most of his fruitful years of ministry, he still recognize the next phase of his life as a continuation of his mission as a priest and as a Jesuit.
Fr. Ken’s Missioning Day was a good mixture of sadness and joy. Sadness, on the part of his parishioners, the Mercedarian Sisters and indeed the whole of the diocese who will certainly miss him and joy for the fruitful ministry of Fr. Ken to the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa. Bishop Ryan, the clergy and the religious of the diocese joined Fr. Ken for an afternoon of food, entertainment, games and laughter.
At the right place, at the right time
Fr. Ken’s arrival to Saipan in 2011 couldn’t have been more timely since it was the same period after the retirement of Bishop Tomas in 2010 and Saipan remained without a bishop for about six years. Bishop Ryan who formerly has been Apostolic Administrator of the diocese for most of those years expressed his profound gratitude for Fr. Ken’s presence alongside.
“He has always been a co-discerner, a companion and friend in the priestly ministry, and an advisor”, says Bishop Ryan. “His vast pastoral experience, wisdom, spiritual depth, and commitment to the priesthood helped me in many ways in my role as Apostolic Administrator from 2011 to 2016.”
After Ryan was appointed and ordained bishop in 2016, Fr. Ken took on the role as Vicar-General of the diocese and remained a vital spiritual help for Bishop Ryan and for the clergy.
Among the many accomplishments of Fr. Ken in his years in Saipan, we would like to mention a few.
First, is his love and concern for the poor. “Fr. Ken showed me and all of us priests what it truly means to serve wholeheartedly and generously and to have compassion for the needy, the sick, and the people entrusted to one’s care”, says Bishop Ryan. In his years in Saipan, he served as pastor in San Jude and Kristo Rai and many parishioners will recall his passion for the needs of the poor in the community, following the example of Pope Francis his fellow Jesuit. He helped establish St. Vincent de Paul Society in Kristo Rai that helped the poor and homeless and the needy in the area. He often referred to the homeless as his ‘friends’. Now that he is leaving, the Society will be closing and Karidat will continue the “causes” he has been doing.
Second, Fr. Ken is instrumental in empowering the lay faithful in the diocese. He said he was drawn to the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa by a program commenced by Deacon Richard Shewman, which selected and developed lay leaders for the church. In 2012, he spearheaded the Lay Ministry Program whose launching at Fiesta Resort and Spa attracted more than a hundred participants from all parishes. He believed that Lay Ministry Program empowers local people to participate in growing our church here.
Fr. Ken is also instrumental in launching the Diaconate program of the diocese. As a result of the Lay Ministry program that he started, 5 men were able to transition to the diaconate program and eventually were ordained as permanent deacons in 2018 and are now working in their respective parish assignments.
Finally, Fr. Ken helped Bishop Ryan solidify the Child Protection Policy of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa. Through his leadership, he made sure that the policy is consistent and up to date with the USCCB requirements.
These are some of the legacies that Fr. Ken will leave for the people of Saipan and we shall certainly pray for him as he moves on to his new ‘mission’.
Last Tuesday, the clergy and the diocesan staff hosted a sumptuous lunch for Fr. Ken before his departure. This week he also celebrated his 53rd year anniversary of his priesthood and more than 60 years as a Jesuit.
Hezel’s term of service as a Jesuit priest was primarily spent in Micronesia, where he taught at Xavier High School in Chuuk in 1960. He explained his joy in working with lay leaders and catechists during his time there. Similarly, in Yap, where he resided in for eight years, Hezel recounted traveling by ship to spread the good news. He also assisted the people of Guam for 20 years while working for the campus ministry at the University of Guam.
On this day when we remember all the ‘fathers’, we proudly acknowledge Fr. Ken as one of our beloved ‘fathers’ in faith! Even if he never wanted to draw attention to himself, he will forever remain in the hearts of the faithful of Saipan along with the many courageous line of Jesuit priests and brothers who served Northern Marianas.
