Lisa Gomes, the Diocese of Honolulu’s Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry director, received the first annual EPIC award at EPIC Ministry’s annual Christmas banquet.
At the Dec. 30 event, Gomes was honored with a glass plaque and a thank you video from those who have worked with her over the years.
Gomes has been with the diocese since 2005 when she was hired as the Office of Religious Education’s associate director and the diocesan Safe Environment coordinator. She became the first director of the new Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry in 2009.
Prior to working for the diocese, Gomes volunteered at her parish, Our Lady of Sorrows in Wahiawa, on the confirmation retreat team and parish religious education program, while also working as a middle school teacher at Our Lady of Sorrows School. After the school closed in 2003, Gomes worked as the religious education director at St. Anthony Parish in Kailua.
In giving her the award, EPIC thanked Gomes “for all that you do and how you serve all our youth and young adults in our Diocese of Honolulu.”
“It is truly an honor to present this award to such a deserving person,” EPIC wrote on its thank you video.
EPIC Ministry is a statewide young adult ministry that started in 2013.