Al Jones, center, visited Hawaii with his wife, Muriel, second from right, and daughters Kim Nelson, left, and Leilani Jones Wilmore, right, in 2023 and met with Lisa Gomes, then director of the diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, at St. Stephen Diocesan Center in Kaneohe. (HCH file photo)
By Celia K. Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Alphonso “Al” Jones was a beloved fixture in Hawaii’s Catholic community for decades, serving at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Pearl City and as the Diocese of Honolulu’s youth minister.
Among his many contributions here, he helped with construction of the lava-rock church before its dedication in 1959, just a few years after he and wife Muriel arrived from Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin, Texas. As youth minister, he accompanied isle youth groups to national and international faith events.
Jones “provided countless young people in our diocese with transformative experiences that deepened their faith and broadened their horizons,” said Lisa Gomes, director of the diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis (and former director of the diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry).
Al Jones died Feb. 8 in California, where he and Muriel moved in 2000 to be closer to their children and grandchildren. He was 93.
Jones was born Jan. 25, 1932, in Washington, D.C., and excelled in high school as an athlete and a member of the cadet corps.
Jones attended the University of Michigan and was in the U.S. Naval Reserve before enlisting in the newly integrated Air Force in 1952. He quickly rose to become an officer and a navigator.
The Joneses made Hawaii their home in 1956 and raised their three children — Angela Leilani, Alphonsus and Kimberly — here, with all attending Our Lady of Good Counsel School. Jones spent 19 more years in the military, serving in the Vietnam War and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals before retiring in 1975.
After he retired from the military, Jones took on new roles as educator, coach and mentor. He taught at Our Lady of Good Counsel School and also coached sports there, and taught at Pearl City High School.
Eva Andrade, executive director of the Hawaii Catholic Conference and president and CEO of Hawaii Family Forum, was Jones’ math student at Our Lady of Good Counsel in the 1970s.
She recalled a patient teacher who “went above and beyond, working tirelessly to help me not only understand (math) but also find some enjoyment in the process.”
“Beyond his dedication as an educator, he was a man of deep faith, and that faith shone through in every aspect of his life,” Andrade added. “His kindness, perseverance and unwavering belief had a profound impact on me, and I will always be grateful for the lessons — both academic and personal — that he shared.”
In 1995, Jones was tapped by Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Kathleen Marie Shields to serve as the director of youth ministry for the Diocese of Honolulu. He attended World Youth Days and the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress with isle youth groups, and traveled to Samoa to help with youth ministry training. He was honored by the diocese for his youth ministry work in 1997.
In 2000 the Joneses left Hawaii for Altadena, California, to be closer to their children and grandchildren, but made regular return visits to the islands. In Altadena they made a fast impact on their new spiritual home, with Jones starting a youth ministry and a Knights of Columbus chapter at his new parish.
The Joneses, along with daughters Kim Nelson and Leilani Jones Wilmore, were back in the islands recently to meet with former Hawaii Catholic Herald reporter Anna Weaver and with Gomes, the OEC director.
The 2023 visit was their first since the COVID-19 pandemic, during which Jones released a memoir — co-written with Nelson — titled “Soaring: My Improbable Life” (2021).
“When I think about my visit with him, the first thing that comes to mind is, ‘Al did youth ministry before it was cool,” Gomes said.
“He was a true example of unwavering belief in the potential of young people.”
