KULA - The Holy Ghost Feast, which is the Kula Roman Catholic community's celebration of Pentecost and its main fundraiser of the year will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Holy Ghost Mission. The historic octagonal church in Waiakoa is across Lower Kula Road from the Kula Community Center.
The festivities will be from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
There will be live auctions on both days of items such as rounds of golf, hotel stays, restaurant meals, boat excursions, health and beauty certificates, homemade baked goods and more.
The auctions will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, and from 11 a.m. until the last item is sold Sunday. A third auction, of livestock, will begin at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Saturday's festivities will include live music by Haiku Hillbillies, Christ the King Church Youth Band, Maui Taiko Drummers and Kalama Intermediate Ukulele Group under the direction of Benny Uyetake.
Although the feast raises money for the parish's ministries and operation, a highlight of the event is a free laulau meal served on Sunday each year. Seatings will be 45 minutes apart, beginning at 11:15 a.m.
The meal recalls Queen Isabel's piety and devotion to her people in 14th century Portugal. Each Pentecost, the queen, who later became St. Elizabeth, chose 12 people from her mostly impoverished followers and served them a meal and gave them new clothes. Some say the shape of the church, built by Portuguese who settled the area in the 19th century, represents the eight-sided crown of the queen.
There will be games and a bouncing castle for children, baked goods, a farmers market, jams and jellies, flowers and plants, craft vendors, and food - including Portuguese bean soup, chow fun and malassadas.
Masses will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. Sunday. By tradition, a queen is chosen by the parish to represent Queen Isabel. This year's queen is Rachel Rose Lilinoe Bega, daughter of Eric and Mary Jean Bega of Kula. She is a senior at Kamehameha Schools Maui, where she is active in the drama club. She also participates in community theater and dance at Maui Academy of Performing Arts. She will attend University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she plans to major in theater.
Rachel sings in the Holy Ghost Church choir and has been active in community service projects including the Angel Tree and Thanksgiving food basket drives.
Parking will be available at the Kula Community Center.
For more information, call the church office at 878-1261 or visit www.kulacatholiccommunity.org.
