Bishop Larry Silva welcomes Father Joseph Diaz into the diocese.
By Anna Weaver
Hawaii Catholic Herald
In a short ceremony during the muggy, midday Mass at St. Stephen Diocesan Center’s chapel on Sept. 16, Father Joseph “Bong” Diaz officially joined the Diocese of Honolulu surrounded by the majority of the priests serving here in Hawaii.
The Mass took place during the diocese’s annual priests retreat, a chance for clergy serving in the islands to take a break from parish ministry and other work to focus on spiritually recharging. The retreat was led by Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate Father Daniel Renaud.
Father Diaz’s incardination began with Bishop Larry Silva reading a statement that Father Diaz had been excardinated from his home Diocese of Tagum in the Philippines as part of the process of joining the Hawaii diocese. The bishop and diocesan chancellor Deacon Keith Cabiles signed paperwork making the incardination official, and Bishop Silva prayed over Father Diaz before giving him an orchid lei along with a brief hug.
Father Diaz has been serving in the Diocese of Honolulu since 2006. He was an administrator at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Honokaa on Hawaii island and St. Jude Parish in Kapolei on Oahu, and parochial vicar at St. Anthony Parish in Kailua on Oahu. In 2019, he became the director of vocations for the diocese.
“It has been a long 16-year journey before I decided to incardinate to the Diocese of Honolulu,” the priest said in an email. “God’s love has molded me to grow in faith, trust and in love. His Spirit has brought me here and I will be forever grateful.”
Born Joseph Ramelo R. Diaz to Melchor and Carmen Diaz in 1968 in Cagayan de Oro City on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, he earned his nickname, “Bong,” reportedly for being a rascal as a child. He has one sibling, Sister Maria Carmela Diaz of the Carmelite Sisters of the Philippines.
After graduating from Queen of Apostles College Seminary in Tagum, he was among a small number of seminarians selected to do his theology studies at the Jesuit-run San Jose Major Seminary in Manila.
He was ordained a priest in 1994 and served in various parishes in his home Diocese of Tagum on Mindanao including several years of work on behalf of his diocese in interfaith relations with the Muslim community in the area.
