Bishop Larry Silva has maintained about the same number of priests in active ministry that he inherited when he arrived in the Islands in 2005 mostly by bringing in clergy from other countries, according to the new “Directory of the Catholic Church in Hawaii.”
The 2013 directory lists 117 diocesan and religious order priests in active ministry in the Diocese of Honolulu. The 2005 directory had 118.
According to the newest directory, Hawaii has 62 active diocesan priests, 33 who belong to the Diocese of Honolulu and 29 who are here temporarily from other dioceses. Of the 29, 19 are from the Philippines, three are from South America, three are from Africa, and two each are from Korea and the Mainland.
The Diocese of Honolulu also has six of its priests working outside Hawaii, one more on special assignment and one on a leave of absence. The directory lists 19 retired priests.
The directory shows 55 active clergy in Hawaii who belong to religious orders, 19 of whom are foreign.
In the seven years of Bishop Silva’s administration, the number of foreign priests in Hawaii, both diocesan and religious, has grown from 36 to 46. The bishop has also incardinated about 12 priests — that is, officially incorporated them into the Diocese of Honolulu from other places.
Hawaii has always depended on outside clergy — mostly from religious orders — to staff its churches, first from Europe, then from the Mainland U.S. Today most foreign priests in Hawaii come from the Philippines, which has about 75 dioceses.
The 2013 directory also shows only three military chaplains working on Hawaii’s bases, half the number of seven years ago. They belong to the U.S. Archdiocese for Military Services based in Washington, D.C.
The directory lists 54 active Hawaii permanent deacons, plus three who serve outside Hawaii, five who are retired and four who are on-leave.
Hawaii is also home to 31 religious order brothers, both active and retired.
The directory also lists 160 sisters in religious orders, both active and retired, down 10 from last year.
