Bishop Larry Silva and Deacon Albert Phillips. (Courtesy Deacon Pat Constantino)
By Celia K. Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Hard-working yet easygoing and always thinking of others, Deacon Albert Phillips touched the lives of countless individuals in his decades of service at St. Joseph Church in Makawao.
The Maui native, who was born on Feb. 21, 1941, in Puunene and graduated from St. Anthony School in Wailuku, died Jan. 17 after a long illness. He was 83 and was 37 years ordained.
Deacon Pat Constantino, who was ordained with Deacon Phillips in 1987 and was a fellow parishioner at St. Joseph before that, recalled his longtime friend as an easygoing man who always put the needs of others before his.
“He would give his shirt off his back even if he had none to replace it,” Deacon Constantino said.
Deacon Phillips served at St. Joseph until he retired in 2013, though he remained part of the parish clergy.
Deacon Constantino, reassigned away from St. Joseph in 1995, reunited with his friend in 2016 after ministering at several other Maui parishes. (He is also retired but continues to serve.)
Deacon Constantino recalled their early years together after ordination as filled with joy. Among their duties at St. Joseph was preparing families for and then performing baptisms; on one Saturday afternoon, Deacon Constantino said, the deacons baptized 14 babies.
“It was a joy,” he said. “We used to baptize at different Masses, but it took so long, so Father (Thomas) Choo said we should do it on Saturday at 2 p.m. … It took about an hour, but it was a time (when) we could also talk to families and find out their needs.”
Deacon Phillips’ path to the permanent diaconate started at St. Joseph, where he and his wife, Kathleen, were active in Marriage Encounter, Engaged Encounter and many other ministries.
“Al would always be there when called upon to help,” said Deacon Constantino, who with wife Cora volunteered alongside the Phillipses.
The men eventually felt called to the diaconate and received support from St. Joseph’s pastor at the time, Father Choo, who recommended them to the diocese’s permanent deacon formation program as part of Cohort 3.
Deacon Phillips was an athlete and an Eagle Scout in high school who went on to serve in the Army National Guard and Army Reserves for nearly 19 years. He was a truck driver and had retired as a working custodian supervisor for the state Department of Transportation-Airport Division.
According to a 2012 Hawaii Catholic Herald profile on the occasion of his 25th jubilee of ordination, Deacon Phillips was also a member of the Knights of Columbus and the St. Joseph Holy Name Society.
“Al believed and said that ‘we are the hands, ears and eyes for God, by giving of ourselves daily for others,” Deacon Constantino said. “His faith was unwavering!”
Deacon Phillips is survived by his wife, Kathleen.
