Denise Oliveira
Bishop Larry Silva has hired himself a new secretary, Denise Duhaylonsod Oliveira, the office manager at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Ewa Beach. She starts in her office on the fourth floor of the downtown chancery building on Oct. 1.
Besides her experience in parish administration, she brings to the new job broad experience in secular educational and commercial operations. In her new position, she will be handling the bishop’s schedule, appointments and correspondence among other things.
Born and raised in the Ewa and Ewa Beach districts of Oahu, Oliveira, a 1985 Campbell High School grad, is married to David Oliveira. They live in Ewa Beach with their four children, Nathan, 21; Del-Louis, 18; and 15-year old twins, daughter Prya and son David II.
She got her start in the workforce in the administrative offices of Hawaii Pacific University, coincidentally the Catholic chancery’s next door neighbor, moving her way up from receptionist to office manager in three years. While there she also took business courses in her spare time.
After HPU and a couple of years with the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology as assistant to the president, she went to work for the investment company GGS Hawaii as an administrative assistant to the general manager. She then moved to RAM Pagers Hawaii as a receptionist and secretary to the general manager.
Also, for about three years back the early 2000s, Oliveira was editor of “Action on the Plains,” a “one zip code” eight-page community newspaper serving Ewa Beach. She described the paper as a “light and positive” voice, empowering the neighborhood. “We also had a lot of pictures,” she said.
When her doctor instructed her to quit her job during her twin pregnancy, Oliveira began working independently at home as a transcriber for an East Coast company, typing out texts for everything from investors’ meetings, court rulings and conference calls to a speech by Pope John Paul II, which she remembered, “gave me chicken skin.” She did this for about eight years.
When she was ready to return to an outside job, she said she felt called to use her skills to “serve the Lord” rather than a commercial company. She sent her resume to her pastor, Father Scott Bush of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish.
She was first told that the church had no job available, but after several days and few prayers later, Father Bush told her he would create the position of administrative assistant for her.
Now parish office manager, she said she has “found joy in serving others.”
“It has been a blessing,” Oliveira said.
She looks forward to helping the bishop with his busy agenda and serving all those whom “the Lord brings through the door.”
Oliveira replaces Joy Bulosan who is now the director of volunteer services and community engagement at Catholic Charities Hawaii.
