Page 4 - MidWeek Kauai - March 17, 2021

4 KAUA‘I MIDWEEK MARCH 17, 2021
Heaven is never too far away for Dr. Llewellyn Young, superintendent of Hawai‘i Catholic Schools, whose office is located in the glorious surroundings of St. Stephen Diocesan Center, which is nestled in the Ko‘olau Mountain Range.
Sometimes, even good shepherds need a little nudge when it comes
the time, Young had grown so fond of his little flock in Hilo that he simply did not want to leave. In fact, he even had plans to hang up the proverbi- al staff and settle down in the easternmost part of the Ha- waiian Island chain once his working days were over.
schools. It is where my passion is,” he confesses. “So I said, ‘OK. I’ll go wherever the Lord takes me.’”
they survive these challenging times together, but create safe environments where both stu- dents and educators can thrive, too.
religiously followed are dai- ly home wellness checks, mandatory use of face masks and/or face shields, no-touch temperature readings on cam- pus, sanitization procedures at hand-washing stations, staggered arrival and dismiss- al times, and enhanced class- room ventilation. Many have even chosen to close their campuses to parents, visitors and guests to limit the threat of exposure.
By relying
upon faith and evidence-based science, Dr. Llewellyn Young, superintendent of Hawai‘i Catholic Schools, is confidently leading his flock through these challenging pandemic times.
to doing what is best for the entire flock.
That path would ultimately lead to the full-time superin- tendent’s role in November after Honolulu diocese Bish- op Larry Silva named Young as the successor to Rockers, who retired last summer.
Such is the case of Dr. Llewellyn Young, superin- tendent of Hawai‘i Catholic Schools and the man tasked with shepherding nearly 7,000 students in the islands, as well as about 800 teachers and ad- ministrators.
But the Lord moves in mysterious ways, and when former Hawai‘i Catholic Schools superintendent Dr. Michael Rockers gave him a little nudge, asking that he accept the offer because help was needed on campuses from Kekaha to Hilo, Young dutiful- ly heeded the call.
The move turned out to be a godsend for the Catholic schools community, which has been a model in planning, preparation and perseverance during the pandemic. Much of the credit goes to Young and his ability to convince faithful followers that not only can
Since August, almost all of the 33 Catholic schools in Ha- wai‘i have provided full-time in-person learning to students — with the exceptions being a couple of campuses still op- erating on a hybrid schedule. During this period, the schools have flourished under faculties empowered to come up with their own plans for curricula, methods of instruction and protocols to ensure healthy learning conditions. Among the safety measures they’ ve
Just two short years ago, he was on the verge of declining an offer to serve as the schools’ associate superintendent, and his motives for doing so were understandable. As the prin- cipal of St. Joseph School at
“I have a love for Catholic
“When I look at what our schools have been able to accomplish in a relatively short period of time, and what they’ve been able to do, it’s remarkable,” observes Young.
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