Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
The Diocese of Honolulu has hired three experts in the areas of construction, property management and accounting to help the diocese and parishes in those areas where experience is a necessary and valued asset.
New onboard are Caven Raco as part-time facilities services advisor, Lee McCluskey as a full-time facilities manager and Michele Lum as a full-time parish accounting manager.
Raco started Nov. 30. McCluskey and Lum began Feb. 1. Raco and Lum are Kauai residents.
Raco and McCluskey have divided up the responsibilities of former diocesan employees Vincent Vernay, the facilities manager who retired, and St. Stephen Diocesan Center maintenance manager Pelle Vig, who left the diocese.
Raco will do what Vernay did in “providing much-needed expertise for parishes and schools in their construction and facility needs,” said Dara Perreira, diocesan human resources director. “Construction projects can be very complex so we knew we had to fill that role, but because not every parish or school is working on projects at once, we thought the position could be part-time.”
McCluskey will oversee the maintenance of the chancery and cathedral rectory building at 1184 Bishop Street which houses the central diocesan offices of Bishop Larry Silva and staff, the finance office, the Hawaii Catholic Herald and other offices, plus the residences of the priests of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace.
He will also oversee Kamiano Center on the Fort Street Mall; St. Stephen Diocesan Center, which holds diocesan offices, the bishop’s residence, the Carmelite convent, retreat accommodations and more; the historic King Street Catholic Cemetery; and diocesan apartments in One Archer Lane, the condominium tower overlooking the King Street Cemetery that is home to several retired diocesan priests.
Lum will work remotely from Kauai helping parishes manage their finances. She will be part of the staff of the diocesan Finance Office but will be paid by the parishes she assists.
“Michele was hired to fill a need for parishes as it is necessary to have accurate, timely and complete accounting reports,” Perreira said. “There is also an increasing need for analysis, financial strategy and future planning.”
The diocese has already successfully piloted remote accounting support for parishes in rural areas of the Big Island, she said. And Lum has been working on contract with St. Catherine Church in Kapaa and Holy Cross Church in Kalaheo, overseeing their accounting needs.
The pilot remote accounting program by Deacon Raffy Mendoza for several Catholic schools “has worked out well,” Perreira said. Lum is the “parish counterpart.”
Born and raised on Kauai, Caven Raco is the owner of cR design + construction. He has been married 19 years with two daughters, one in college, the other in high school.
He belongs to Immaculate Conception Parish in Lihue.
“I hope I can bring my years of experience and knowledge of the construction process to all our parishes, leading them to the most current building technology and practices,” he told the Hawaii Catholic Herald.
Raco said he intends to “safeguard our parishes in construction contracts and a good faith selection of contractors that can bring value to our churches. I am here to assist and guide them through a successful project selection and delivery.”
McCluskey has property management experience as resident and property manager for many residential buildings locally, according to Perreira.
Lum and her husband and two sons are parishioners of Holy Cross Church.