Articles by Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

About Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy serves as Director of Religious Education for the Diocese of Honolulu, which is comprised of the six major islands in the state of Hawaii. Born and raised in Honolulu, Jayne began her professional career in corporate management in the San Francisco Bay Area while remaining steadily involved in parish catechetical and liturgical music programs. Jayne, and her husband and daughter, returned to Honolulu where Jayne earned a master's degree in pastoral leadership from Chaminade University of Honolulu. Her perspective of volunteer recruitment and management is shaped by her lengthy experience in working with and leading volunteers in diocesan and parish catechetical ministries, as a high school teacher and administrator, and as a governing board member for local Catholic and private schools and the National Conference for Catechetical Leaders (NCCL). She is the author of Cultivating Your Catechists, part of the Effective Catechetical Leader series.

stand-up paddle boarding - photo by Tiana on Pexels

What’s SUP? Catholic Mentoring on the Deck of a Stand-Up Paddle Board

Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

“I’ll meet you on the beach tomorrow morning in front of lifeguard station 9B.” Bernadette is a force to be reckoned with. Smart, bold, and athletic, she spent months attempting to convince me that I was capable of mastering a stand-up paddle board (SUP) on the open ocean. I finally agreed to give it a try. So there I stood, scrunching my toes into the sand in front of station 9B, awaiting her arrival and […]

mother-daughter hug - Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com

Ritual and Remembering in Preparation for the Eucharist

Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

When my daughter Catherine was in elementary school, we developed a school drop-off and pick-up ritual. Before leaving the car, I’d look lovingly into her eyes, smile, and trace the sign of the cross on her forehead, saying, “Blessings upon your day!” When I’d pick her up from the after-school care program at the end of the day, she’d often be playing with friends at the farthest corner of the school yard. The playground supervisor […]

woman leading catechist meeting - Getty Images

Stop, Look, and Listen in Evangelization

Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

How can we reach out to others and have their best interests in mind as we evangelize? Thinking about that question reminded me of Jesus’ own way of “seeing us” through being compassionately aware and present, especially in our time of need. In a recent prayer project with Joe Paprocki, I described prayer as a process through which we regularly take the time to stop whatever we may be engaged in, look around and connect […]

Responding Compassionately to Families Whose Children Are “Out of Sequence” for Receiving the Sacraments

Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

“Good morning! My son is in the fifth grade and hasn’t received his First Holy Communion yet. How can we get started?” “Hi there! My daughter is a senior in high school and would like to be confirmed before she leaves for college. What does she have to do?” For Roman Catholics, there is a traditional sequence to receiving the Sacraments of Initiation and First Penance and Reconciliation: Baptism in infancy, Reconciliation and Eucharist at […]

fishing net - photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

Family Love: A Vocation and a Path to Holiness

Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

“Family Love: A Vocation and a Path to Holiness” is the theme Pope Francis chose for the World Meeting of Families that will be held in Rome in 2022. This theme was inspired by the Pope’s exhortations Amoris Laetitia (2016) and Gaudete et Exsultate (2018). It reminds us that family love is a vocation and a way to holiness. We cannot overlook the importance of understanding and sharing the profound and redeeming significance of family […]

stained glass of the Ascension - detail of the Glorious Mysteries - image by Daniel VILLAFRUELA, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Glorious Mysteries: The Ascension and Accompaniment

Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

We reflect this Easter season on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. Have you ever stared at something or someone in wondrous awe? Or felt unprepared to take on a profoundly important mission? Each time I contemplate the Second Glorious Mystery, the Ascension of our Lord, I realize how much Jesus had prepared the disciples for the evangelizing mission that lay ahead and for the time when his work on earth would come to completion. […]

Light in Darkness

Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

What sacred story (yours or that of another) has recently inspired you? How has Christ led you to an encounter with him in a new and unexpected way? How has your prayer life deepened over the past few months? These are questions Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy uses to conclude her piece “Light in Darkness” over at our sister site, LoyolaPress.com. The story is about a visit to the emergency room, but the questions are good ones to […]

You. Look. Great: A Marian Reflection for Catechists

Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

Pregnant with twins and in her third trimester, Sarah—a catechist on maternity leave—settled into the chair next to me at the café. She let out a huge sigh and closed her eyes. “Yes, I’m quite pregnant,” she said. “Whenever I encounter another person there are just three words that I’m interested in hearing: You. Look. Great.” After sharing a good laugh, she continued, “Seriously, though, I’m not looking for compliments. ‘My soul proclaims the greatness […]

Empowering Catechists

Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. (1 Peter 4:10) Empowerment incarnates the wisdom given to us in this Scripture passage. That is, when we empower others, we make space for them to use the gifts given to them by God in service to the community. Empowerment is intentional, communal, and an exercise in interdependence, which, when done well, develops a level […]