On the eve of the 2015 legislative session, Hawaii officials were reminded of the plight of millions of people mired in crisis around the world.

It’s overwhelming to see such desperate need in so many faraway places, said Joan Rosenhauer, executive vice president of Catholic Relief Services’ U.S. operations, during her keynote address at the annual Red Mass held Tuesday at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. "But everyone can do something. It’s up to each of us to discern what the ‘something’ is that we can do."

"And we are making a difference," Rosenhauer added.

Catholic Relief Services helps at least 100 million people in 100 countries.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hono­lulu’s Red Mass, which serves as a prayer service to seek wisdom and guidance for Hawaii’s public servants, is celebrated the day before the opening of the Legislature. It’s named for the color of the vestments and church adornments used for a Mass of the Holy Spirit.

Bishop Larry Silva said, "Despite the often extreme mantra of separation of church and state, we need each other to sharpen our vision of how our community can best be served.

"Moreover, we need to see that there is a reality beyond our own time. … It is God in his transcendence who gives us a broader yet clearer vision that will keep us more focused on the needs of here and now."

Rosenhauer said Catholic Relief Services provides food, clean water, shelter and medical care, among other things, but also promotes reconciliation and peace-building in strife-torn areas, helps traumatized children recover and initiates programs to improve lives and livelihoods for the long term.

"Just since a little over a year ago, we’ve seen the typhoon in the Philippines, the war in Syria, ISIS moving through Iraq, the Ebola epidemic, the fighting in Gaza and on and on," she said.

People in the U.S. often ask what they can do about "such desperate poverty," Rosenhauer said.

Those who have the resources should respond with what her organization dubs "PLAG," which stands for "praying, learning, acting and giving."

But, Rosenhauer added, "That doesn’t mean we all have to do everything, o that we all have to do the same thing. But everyone can do something."

She said an incident at a Syrian refugee camp had particular resonance for her.

"One little girl of about 12 told one of my colleagues that when she and her family first came to the camp, the children all told her to go to the building that said ‘Catholic Relief Services.’ She said she didn’t know what it was, and as a Muslim — most people are Muslims there — she had never heard the word ‘Catholic’ before. But when she walked in and saw what we were doing for the children, she said, ‘I just assumed the word ‘Catholic’ meant ‘help.’

"What a blessing it is that we can be known as the people who help, because that is what the Gospel calls us to do," Rosenhauer said.

Millions of Syrians have fled their homes since the outbreak of civil war in 2011, seeking refuge in neighboring countries or within Syria itself.

"We’re setting up child-friendly places where children can come and work through their trauma, express their feelings and hopefully get back to being children," Rosenhauer said. "They come in, drawing pictures with black crayons of stick figures shooting each other or having bombs fall on top of them. We use puppet therapy programs and other means to help them get to the point where they’re drawing colorful, happy scenes like all children should."

Diocese spokesman Patrick Downes said about 25 public officials attended the Mass, including state Senate President Donna Mercado Kim; Sens. Suzanne Chun Oakland, Mike Gabbard and Gil Riviere; Speaker of the House Joseph Souki; Vice Speaker John Mizuno; Speaker Emeritus Calvin Say; and Reps. Henry Aquino, Romy Cachola, Ty Cullen, Matthew LoPresti, Derek Kawa­kami and Gene Ward.

Among others in attendance were state Supreme Court Associate Justice Michael Wilson; Hono­lulu City Councilman Brandon Elefante; Jun Yang, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing; city Planning and Permitting Department Director George Atta; Hono­lulu Fire Department Deputy Chief Lionel Camara Jr.; and Maj. Gen. John Dolan, chief of staff, U.S. Pacific Command.