Roman Catholic Bishop of Honolulu

Depicted next to Pope Pius XI and below Saint Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, is Bishop Stephen Alencastre who was the fifth Vicar Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Honolulu is the diocesan bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu in the United States, which encompasses the entire state of Hawaii and the unincorporated Hawaiian Islands. The Honolulu diocese is a suffragan see in the metropolitan province of the Archbishop of San Francisco. The Bishop of Honolulu is a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He has two ecclesiastical seats: the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace and the Co-Cathedral of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus, both located in the City of Honolulu.

Previous to the canonical election of the Diocese of Honolulu, a single priest led what was the Prefecture Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands. The prefecture apostolic was later incorporated into another ecclesiastical territory, led by a bishop serving as Vicariate Apostolic of Oriental Oceania. The prefecture was later elevated to a vicariate apostolic. The phrase "Sandwich Islands" was later deleted and replaced by "Hawaiian Islands". Five bishops have led the Vicariate Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands. All bishops were members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Four diocesan bishops have served the Diocese of Honolulu. On May 17, 2005 Pope Benedict XVI appointed the fifth bishop of Honolulu Msgr. Clarence Silva, who was consecrated and installed on July 21, 2005.

Church organization

Bishop Herman Koeckemann was the second Vicar Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands. His coat-of-arms and an image of Blessed Damien of Moloka‘i adorn the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace.

Under civil laws, the Bishop of Honolulu acts as president of the Roman Catholic Church in Hawaii as corporation sole. He oversees several agencies and departments that include but are not limited to: Augustine Educational Foundation, Catholic Campus Ministry, Catholic Charities, Department of Religious Education, Ethnic Ministry, Office of Worship, Eastern Catholic Vicariate, Saint Stephen Diocesan Center, Social Ministry, Diocesan Tribunal. He is also the publisher of the Hawai‘i Catholic Herald newspaper.

Efficient administration necessitated the creation of several vicariates served by vicars forane directly subordinate to the Bishop of Honolulu. The vicariates forane are: West Honolulu Vicariate, East Honolulu Vicariate, Windward O‘ahu Vicariate, Leeward O‘ahu Vicariate, Maui Vicariate, West Hawai‘i Vicariate, East Hawai‘i Vicariate and Kaua‘i Vicariate. A separate vicariate was created for ethnic communities and persons belonging to any of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Within each vicariate are the individual parish churches, each led by pastors.

Interment

All those who served as Vicar Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands or Bishop of Honolulu are buried in the Honolulu Catholic Cemetery, with the exception of Bishop Louis Maigret, Bishop James Sweeney, Bishop John Joseph Scanlan and Bishop Joseph Anthony Ferrario. Bishops Maigret and Scanlan were buried in the crypt of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace. Bishop Sweeney was buried in his family crypt in Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California. The location of the remains of the Vicar Apostolic of Oriental Oceania, Bishop Etienne Jerome Rouchouze are unknown. He is believed to have died at sea in a shipwreck. The remains of the only Prefect Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands, Msgr. Alexis Bachelot, SS.CC. are believed to be buried on Naha in the Marshall Islands.

Prelates

The first bishops were members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The founder of their order, Pierre Coudrin, is honored with a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace stained glass window.

Prelates are listed below with their terms of service and titles held while in Hawaii. Msgr. Alexis Bachelot lead the Prefecture Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands.

PortraitNameTerm Title Notes
Alexis Bachelot, SS.CC. 1825–1837 Prefect Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands
Etienne Jerome Rouchouze, SS.CC. 1833–1843 Vicar Apostolic of Oriental Oceania & Titular Bishop of Nilopolis
Louis Maigret, SS.CC. 1847–1881 First Vicar Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands & Titular Bishop of Arathia
Herman Koeckemann, SS.CC. 1881–1892 Second Vicar Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands & Titular Bishop of Olba
Gulstan Ropert, SS.CC. 1892–1903 Third Vicar Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands & Titular Bishop of Panopolis
Libert H. Boeynaems, SS.CC. 1903–1926 Fourth Vicar Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands & Titular Bishop of Zeugma
Stephen Alencastre, SS.CC. 1926–1940 Fifth Vicar Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands & Titular Bishop of Arabissus
James Joseph Sweeney 1941–1967 First Bishop of Honolulu
John Joseph Scanlan 1968–1981 Auxiliary Bishop of Honolulu & Titular Bishop of Cenae
Second Bishop of Honolulu
Apostolic Administrator of Honolulu
Joseph Anthony Ferrario 1982–1993 Auxiliary Bishop of Honolulu & Titular Bishop of Cusae
Third Bishop of Honolulu
Francis Xavier DiLorenzo 1994–2004 Apostolic Administrator of Honolulu & Titular Bishop of Tigia
Fourth Bishop of Honolulu
Clarence Richard Silva 2005–Present Fifth Bishop of Honolulu

See also

Resources

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