By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
In a Nov. 2 letter to Marianist Father Roland Bunda, pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Wailuku, Bishop Larry Silva approved his request to “transfer the ownership and operation of St. Anthony Jr./Sr. High School from the Diocese of Honolulu to St. Anthony Parish, effective immediately.”
The bishop also approved the pastor’s request to merge the current St. Anthony Early Learning Center, St. Anthony Elementary School, St. Anthony Middle School and the high school into a single pre-kindergarten through grade 12 institution. The combined entities would be called “St. Anthony School.”
The school would be administered by one head of school, with each of the four divisions having a vice-principal or equivalent.
The bishop instructed the school to form a “carefully” selected school board for the newly configured school, one that would be representative of the Maui-Lanai Vicariate.
Bishop Silva also approved “in concept” Father Bunda’s request to form a 501(c)3 corporation for St. Anthony School called the St. Anthony School Foundation, pending approval by the pastor of St. Anthony Church, the superintendent of Hawaii Catholic Schools, and the bishop.
Also approved is a “master plan” which has already been presented to the bishop and the Diocesan Planning and Building Commission.
“While it is a very ambitious plan and will require a huge commitment of capital, I congratulate you for your visionary thinking,” the bishop wrote. “I have said on several occasions that our schools need to move from ‘surviving’ to ‘thriving’ mode, and you are moving St. Anthony School in that direction.”
The bishop also described the school as being “blessed with sponsorship by the Marianist Congregation” who have long been associated with the Wailuku parish and school, “and it is anticipated that this relationship of support will be nurtured and continued.”
According to the bishop, the Marianists have given the school a “substantial monetary gift.”
The bishop expressed his “deep gratitude” to Father Bunda and “all the many dedicated people who have been working so tirelessly to plan for a bright future for St. Anthony School as a ministry of St. Anthony Parish.”
“There have been many challenges,” he wrote, “and I am sure there will be many more, but the hopeful and positive spirit of all involved has been an inspiration. I pray that the Lord will continue to bless your efforts with much success so that his Gospel can be even more effectively proclaimed to all on Maui and beyond through St. Anthony Parish and School.
