Two foreign-born priests who have each worked in Hawaii parishes for several years are joining the diocese.

Father Khanh Pham-Nguyen was incardinated into the Diocese of Honolulu on Sept. 30. Father Thomas Purayidathil will be incardinated on Nov. 6.

Father Pham-Nguyen is the pastor of St. Stephen Parish, Nuuanu, and Blessed Sacrament Parish, Pauoa Valley. Father Purayidathil, a former Salesian priest, is the pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Hilo, and Malia Puka O Kalani Parish, Keaukaha.

To be “incardinated” into a diocese means joining that diocese from another diocese or religious order. A religious order priest must leave his order and become a diocesan priest to be incardinated.

Father Pham-Nguyen was born in Vietnam and came to the United States as an 18-year-old refugee. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Colorado Springs in 1997. He arrived in Hawaii in 2005 and served at St. John Vianney Parish in Kailua before his present assignment at St. Stephen and Blessed Sacrament.

Father Purayidathil was born in Kerala, India, and became a Salesian priest in 1980. He came to Hawaii in 2006 after five years serving the Diocese of Oakland in California. Father Purayidathil served briefly at St. Theresa Church in Kihei, Maui, followed by an assignment as administrator for the Kula Catholic Community and his present Big Island assignment.