By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Oahu-born Father Henry B. Sabog, the first priest of Filipino ancestry to be ordained for the Diocese of Honolulu which he served for 57 years, died May 22 in Waipahu. He was 86.
Father Sabog served as associate pastor or pastor at seven Oahu parishes. He was also heavily involved in Filipino ministries, Marriage Encounter, parish renewal and other diocesan work.
Bishop Larry Silva will celebrate his funeral Mass at 10 a.m., June 21, at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa.
Retired diocesan priest Father Gary Colton visited Father Sabog 48 hours before he died.
“It was important for me to see him,” Father Colton said. “He was a mentor to me for the first five years of my priesthood.”
Father Colton first met Father Sabog when Father Colton was in his first year at St. Stephen Seminary and Father Sabog visited the seminary shortly before his priestly ordination.
“I never forgot that,” Father Colton said.
“And after that, up to now, Henry has always been very helpful to me,” the priest said.
Whether it was simply for a ride to the airport or a place to stay when on-island, “he never said no,” Father Colton said.
He lived the virtue of hospitality, Father Colton said. “When I was a guest at his house, I would wake up in the morning to find he already had bacon and eggs, juice, coffee and toast waiting for me at the table. Then he would put more bacon and sausage on my plate before sitting down to eat his papaya.”
At that final visit, “he waved goodbye,” Father Colton said. “That took a lot of energy from him. I was saddened but happy that he is going to be enjoying eternal life.”
In 2010, on the 50th anniversary of his ordination, Father Sabog reflected on the joy of priesthood.
“What an incredible priestly journey this has been from the moment I felt God’s calling me to serve him and the people of this local church,” he said.
“I am forever grateful for the awesome privilege and responsibility of sharing in the priestly ministry of Jesus,” he said.
“The challenges and difficulties have been many. But the mercy and the love of God have let me face them and overcome them,” he said.
“The countless opportunities to give loving service to the many good people I’ve met and served as a parish priest over the years have given me much joy and fulfillment,” Father Sabog said.
According to Maryknoll Sister Rosalinda Barrozo, Father Sabog started the diocesan Office for Filipino Ministries in 1985 under Bishop Joseph A. Ferrario. It was the diocese’s first centralized ethnic ministry. His initial efforts eventually led to the introduction of priests from the Philippines to work in Hawaii.
Today, about 50 priests of Filipino ancestry work in Hawaii, more than any other ethnic group.
“Father Sabog was very, very supportive, very caring,” said Sister Rosalinda. “In his humble way he was able to convince so many people to work with him.”
Father Sabog was also spiritual director for many years of the statewide Diocesan Congress of Filipino Catholic Clubs.
“He guided us in spiritual formation and attended most of our meetings and helped us with the conventions,” Sister Rosalinda said. “He was really very active, especially in lay formation of the Filipinos.”
Father Henry Benedict Sabog was born on March 8, 1931, in the plantation town of Waipahu, one of 10 children of Regino Sabog and Esperanza Nicolas Sabog, who had immigrated from Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, in 1923 to work in the sugar cane fields of Oahu Sugar Company.
He began his education at August Ahrens Elementary School and Waipahu High School. At age 17, Sabog entered St. Stephen Diocesan Seminary in Kaneohe, continuing his path to the priesthood at St. Joseph’s College, Mountain View, California and St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California.
Bishop James J. Sweeney ordained Father Sabog a priest on Kamehameha Day, June 11, 1960, in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Downtown Honolulu.
Through the course of his priestly ministry, Father Sabog served as an associate pastor at St. Theresa Parish, Honolulu; Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Pearl City; St. John Vianney Parish, Kailua; and at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace.
He became a pastor in 1970 at Our Lady of the Mount, Kalihi Valley, followed by St. Anthony Parish in Kalihi on Aug. 1, 1986. His final pastoral assignment was as pastor of St. George Church, Waimanalo, until the late 1990s when he retired.
Father Sabog also served as a spiritual director for the Diocesan Congress of Filipino Catholic Clubs, Worldwide Marriage Encounter and Parish Renewal Experiences.
Deacon Clarence DeCaires remembers Father Sabog as a close friend.
“I have known this kindly and devoted priest for over 50-some years,” he said. “His soft and humble demeanor always made you comfortable no matter the circumstances.”
“Father Henry lived and loved the Lord in so many countless ways and loved God’s people,” Deacon DeCaires said.
“This awesome priest will be greatly missed,” he said.
He also loved to golf, the deacon said.
“I would make it a point to play with him often no matter what island” we were on, he said.
