Nine island parishes will receive new pastors or administrators on July 1 in the annual round of clergy assignments by Bishop Larry Silva. Four parishes will also receive parochial vicars (formerly called associate pastors) in July.
Most of the changes will be on Maui where four of its 10 parishes will receive new pastors or administrators. Three appointments are members of the India-based order Missionaries of Faith.
Administrators serve the same role as pastors but are usually priests of other dioceses working temporarily in the Diocese of Honolulu
Switching places will be diocesan priest Father Jose Macoy, present pastor of Sacred Hearts Parish, Lanai, and Father Cipriano Alnas, a priest of the Philippine Diocese of Laoag who is administrator of Holy Rosary Parish, Paia, Maui.
Diocesan priest Father Anastacio Postrano will be pastor of St. Mary Parish, Hana, moving from St. Roch Parish, Kahuku, where he will be replaced by Missionaries of Faith Father Sebastian Soosai, now a parochial vicar at Maria Lanakila, Lahaina, who will be administrator.
Father Constantino Atinaja of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia in the Philippines will move from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Ewa Beach, where he is a parochial vicar, to Hilo, to be administrator of Malia Puka O Kalani Parish.
Father Jaime Jose, present administrator of St. Joseph Parish, Makawao, Maui, who belongs to the Philippine Diocese of Laoag, will be the new administrator of Sacred Heart Parish, Waianae. Taking his place in Makawao is Father Michael Tolentino of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia who already works there as a parochial vicar.
Missionaries of Faith Father Kuriakose Nadooparambil will be the new pastor of Maria Lanakila, replacing Father Joseph Pathiyil also of the Missionaries of Faith.
The Lahaina parish is also receiving as parochial vicar Missionaries of Faith Father Robert Ni Ni, a Myanmar-born priest who is the current pastor of St. Michael and St. John the Evangelist Church in Wisconsin. Father Ni Ni replaces Father Soosai.
Father Drexel Ramos of the Diocese of Bangued, Philippines, will be a temporary administrator of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist Parish, in Mililani, from July 1 to Dec. 30, replacing Msgr. John Mbinda who is retiring. Taking over as administrator on Jan. 1, 2021, will be Father Nicholas Apetorgbor of the Diocese of Damongo in Ghana.
Going to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Ewa Beach, as parochial vicar is Father Joseph Ayinpuusa of the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga, Ghana, now a parochial vicar of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist Parish, Mililani. Diocesan priest Father Stephen Macedo will replace him in Mililani.
In other appointments, Bishop Silva has placed diocesan priest Father Marvin Samiano as parochial vicar of St. Elizabeth Parish, Aiea, starting July 15, and Father Boniface Sakala of Zambia to hospital ministry, effective July 1.
