13 parishes to receive new pastors, administrators
By Patrick Downes | Hawaii Catholic Herald
About 20 percent of Hawaii’s parishes will have new clergy at the helm this summer with a sweeping slate of new priest assignments. Bishop Larry Silva has appointed a new pastor or administrator for 13 of the islands’ 66 parishes.
Ten parishes will also receive associate pastors, now called parochial vicars. All of the assignments will start on July 1, except for three that start on Sept. 1.
With the new job postings, one Honolulu parish, which has been sharing a pastor with another Honolulu parish, will end that “cluster” arrangement and gain its own priest.
In addition to these assignments, five new priests will be arriving in July from the Philippines to serve in Hawaii — two from the Diocese of Laoag and three from the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. Most of them will serve on the Big Island, according to vicar for clergy Father Khanh Hoang.
The parishes gaining new pastors are:
- St. Joseph, Makawao, Maui: La Salette Father Geronimo Castro
- St. Anthony, Kalihi: La Salette Father Manuel Dela Cruz
- St. Raphael, Koloa, Kauai: La Salette Father Augustine Cheerakathil Uthuppu
- St. Theresa, Kekaha, Kauai: La Salette Father Danilo Galang, MS
- St. Joseph, Hilo: Blessed Sacrament Father Samuel Loterte
- Malia Puka O Kalani, Keaukaha: Blessed Sacrament Father Samuel Loterte
- St. Elizabeth, Aiea: Father Thomas Purayidathil
- Holy Family, Honolulu (airport area): Father Sebastian Chacko
- Immaculate Conception, Ewa: Capuchin Franciscan Father Michel Dalton (Sept. 1)
A parish administrator has the same responsibilities as a pastor but, unlike a pastor, is not appointed for a term of office. The parishes receiving administrators are:
- Immaculate Heart of Mary, Papaikou, Big Island: Jesuit Father Michael Scully
- St. Anthony, Papaaloa, Big Island: Jesuit Father Michael Scully
- St. George, Waimanalo: Capuchin Franciscan Father Robert Maher
- Sacred Heart, Waianae: Father Carmelo Rey Lim
The parishes receiving parochial vicars are:
- St. Joseph, Waipahu: La Salette Father Ronaldo Guzman
- Christ the King, Kahului, Maui: La Salette Father Adondee Arrellano
- St. Anthony, Kalihi: La Salette Father Napoleon Andres
- St. Joseph, Hilo, Big Island: Blessed Sacrament Father Gregorio Guzman, Father Joseph Hennen (Sept. 1)
- Malia Puka O Kalani, Keaukaha, Big Island: Blessed Sacrament Father Gregorio Guzman, Father Joseph Hennen (Sept. 1)
- St. Elizabeth, Aiea: Father Jon Cabico
- St. Catherine, Kapaa, Kauai: Father Peter Miti (Sept. 1)
- Our Lady of Good Counsel, Pearl City: Father Paul Dongmin Li
- St. John Apostle and Evangelist, Mililani: Father Cletus Mooya
- St. Jude, Makakilo: Father John Mutiso Mbinda
The new assignments also mean that some parishes are switching from diocesan priests to religious order priests, or vice versa.
The two east Big Island parishes of St. Joseph and Malia Puka O Kalani, which share their clergy, will receive priests from the Blessed Sacrament order based in the Philippines, replacing the present diocesan pastor. The Blessed Sacrament priests are now only at Star of the Sea Parish in Waialae-Kahala.
The Capuchin Franciscans will hand over the reins of St. Elizabeth, Aiea, where they have served for 25 years, to diocesan priests. The Capuchins, in turn, will take over the former La Salette parish of Immaculate Conception, Ewa, and St. George, Waimanalo, a former diocesan priest parish.
Holy Family Parish will be “de-clustered” from neighboring St. Philomena Parish with the arrival of its new pastor. It has previously been sharing its priests with St. Philomena.
Immaculate Conception is now being administered temporarily by Father Peter Miti, a diocesan priest, until Aug. 31.
The new priests arriving from the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia are Father Arthur Adame Amian, 44, Father Cosmenio Rosimo, 42, and Father Reginald Pira, 60. The new priests from the Diocese of Laoag are Father Joel Bruno Barut, 38, and Father Carlito Ranjo, Jr., 40.