Ray Abregano is applauded for 50 years of service in Hawaii Catholic schools by Bishop Larry Silva and schools superintendent Llewellyn Young at the Annual Conference of Catholic Educators Feb. 3 at Sacred Hearts Academy. (HCH photo | Anna Weaver)
By Anna Weaver
Hawaii Catholic Herald
If the number of lei piled around Raymond Abregano Jr.’s neck equaled the number of years he’s served in Hawaii Catholic schools, they would have gone above his head and tumbled off during the Annual Conference of Catholic Educators Mass on Feb. 3. As it was, the lei Abregano kept on while receiving his 50-year award reached to his chin.
Abregano, who has taught at St. Anthony School, Wailuku, and Saint Louis School, is the rare half-century honoree. But there were 20 other faculty and staff from across the islands who received their 20-year, 30-year and 40-year milestone awards at the annual recognition ceremony.
Educators celebrating 20, 30, 40 and 50 years of working in Hawaii Catholic schools at the 2023 ACCE Mass. (HCH Photo: Anna Weaver)
Twenty-year honorees were Leilani Asuncion-Tagupa, Debbie Au, Carol Chong and Ruby Lo-Kuang, all from Sacred Hearts Academy; Philip Higa from Damien Memorial School; Kainoa Jarrett from Saint Louis School; Teresa Pang who has taught at Our Lady of Good Counsel and Saint Louis; Sonia Rivas-Roblin of St. Francis School and now Damien.
Thirty-year awardees were Maria Adversalo and Mary Williams of Mary, Star of the Sea Early Learning Center; Patricia Czermak and William McFeeley III of Maryknoll; Valerie Delos Santos Duarte of St. Anthony Wailuku; Regina Flores of Holy Family Catholic Academy; Camille Hesapene of St. Theresa School, Kauai; Tim Los Banos of Saint Louis; Lulu Lulu Jr. formerly of Saint Louis and now Mary-knoll; Paul Moskow of St. Joseph Early Learning Center on Maui; and Gayle Pai formerly of Saint Louis and now Damien.
St. Louis School faculty and staff cheer on their principal, Timothy Los Banos, who received an award for 30 years of service in Hawaii Catholic Schools. (HCH Photo: Anna Weaver)
This year’s ACCE took place at Sacred Hearts Academy and included a slew of workshops after Mass on topics ranging from technology to autism. Bishop Larry Silva presided at the Mass and also led two Q&A sessions during the workshop period.
Lisa Foster, the recently retired director of Mary, Star of the Sea’s Early Learning Center, marked 40 years of working in Hawaii Catholic schools this year.
Psychologist Maya Matheis leads a session on autism as part of the workshops held after the ACCE Mass on Feb. 3. (HCH Photo: Anna Weaver)
