“WE are people of distraction. We need to get rid of distraction as much as humanly possible. Once we do that, God’s pure spirit can come through. Then, and only then, can we do the true work of the Lord. We must get closer to what’s pure. Outside nature is God. The work becomes easy, when God has manifested Himself [to us].” – Fr. Richard Hoynes, 2011.
Fr. Hoynes refers to his loyal parishioners as highly respectful of him, their pastor. Japanese, Filipinos, Latinos, Blacks, Whites have also taken St. Francis as their personal church. They are devoted to hear mass, some coming as far as Temecula each week, while others come from Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights.
St. Francis Xavier is an urban church located in Little Tokyo, surrounded by new lofts, luxury apartments, a Buddhist temple, a car wash and the Japanese American Cultural Center and the Japanese Village.
Parishioners come daily for morning masses and say their rosaries. He mentioned some of his parishioners’ names: Bess, Tess and Elvira.
When he gave me the eucharist, he said, “ Prosy, the Body of Christ”, it felt warm and personal. I was surprised with his gesture. It was one I have never experienced before, and it allowed me to see and to hear.
I noticed the shoji screens made of rice paper which surrounded the golden case of the Tabernacle, with a beautiful pot of white phalaenopsis orchid next to it. Light brown shoji screens of wood formed a nice backdrop behind the altar, with Jesus hanging on a less imposing crucifix. In the back, thousand of origami peace cranes was on a pole.
I heard the silence in the parking lot, where the Maryknoll Fathers used to operate St. Francis Xavier School, which closed in 1995. The community hall with seniors dancing and laughing. The sweet voice of Fr. Hoynes asking me if I would have dinner in the parish before the interview.
That touched me like no other, for a priest to be concerned about my welfare, despite him being fully booked: he had a noon mass, anointing of the sick in a hospital, a retreat with his fellow priests and an interview with Asian Journal.
Filipino by birth
Fr. Hoynes was born in Clark Air Force Base in Angeles City, Pampanga to a Japanese mother, Sadae Nitta and a German/Irish father, Clarence Hoynes, who is an engineer.
He stayed in Pampanga until he was 4 and then moved with his family to live in the United States.
He credits his mother Sadae who went to church daily and with the entire family on Sundays.
He was in high school at William Hart in Newhall, CA when he heard God’s calling at age 16. He was influenced by pastor Leo Gomez, who died in 1992, but left him with this gift: “to love God is to love the Eucharist and to love the Blessed Mother.” Fr. Leo had joy in his eyes. Fr. Richard saw it and wanted a piece of that joy so he became a priest.
He spoke to Monsignor Gary Bauler about his plans for the priesthood. Msgr. Bauler suggested the seminary.
Fr. Richard graduated from high school, but was scared to follow his calling. He went for two years to pursue electronics at the College of the Canyons in Valencia, “a distraction,” he said.
Eventually, God’s calling became overwhelming. “It was a feeling inside of me, it felt like a burning fire that could not be stopped. I went to St. John’s in Camarillo and after seven years of schooling, I became a deacon. I was sent to Mexico to learn Spanish. I now speak English, Japanese and Spanish,” he recounted.
A priest to all
He was ordained a priest by Cardinal Roger Mahoney on September 1988. He was first assigned to St. Peter and Paul where, as an associate pastor, he became in charge of the youth group and the rite of Christian initiation for adults ( RCIA ) for 4 years.
Fr. Hoynes remembers a Filipino man, named Gaby Bonoan, “ a good man who worked hard as a receptionist, secretary and a cook at St. Peter and Paul’s Church in Wilmington, where he was first assigned. He saved his money and when he had enough, he sent for his wife and three children. I have since married his two Filipino boys. I want to remember him. “
He was assigned to Holy Trinity in San Pedro for 6 years, in charge of youth and RCIA. He was transferred to American Martyrs in Manhattan Beach for 2 years, in charge of young adults. He went on retreats, camping trips and socials.
He became a pastor of St. Albert the Great in Compton in charge of the Hispanic Prayer Group, young adults and youth group. In all his assignments, he conversed in Spanish with parishioners, forming half, until he got assigned to St. Francis Xavier in 2007, where English, Japanese and Tagalog are spoken.
In June 2011, Fr. Hoynes joined the members of his parish’s youth group, their parents and friends in Manzanar. He celebrated Mass at the now demolished Maryknoll site and this became the first Mass, since the internment camp closed in 1946.
Fr. Hoynes also celebrated a special mass with Auxiliary Bishop Alex Salazar, in honor of the Japanese quake and tsunami victims.
He finds God in dealing with the people, with their struggles and successes. He recalls gambatte -- a Japanese trait which enables one to endure and to be resilient amid hardships.
The Japanese people practiced it during internment. Recently, it became more visible as Japan endured a tsunami, earthquakes and a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima.
It is a resilience he admires amongst his people. They have endured so much, yet they remain generous.
While only 370 families form the parish, it is a community with active ministries for the sick and homebound: it has a Marian Prayer Group, a youth group, Boy Scouts, auxiliary group, Thursday group and a Xavier Kai, a group for Japanese speaking families, serving coffee and Donut “toban,” to nurture camaraderie amongst the parishioners.
The church will celebrate its 100 years on Dec. 12, 2012.
Fr. Hoynes wants to grow the church some more, to include the changing demographics of the area residents: young artists, whites, Koreans, Chinese and Latinos.
“This is their home, they have taken the Church as their personal church, they love it so much, they make it their own”, said Fr. Hoynes with a high-wattage smile.
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