New deacon profiles

17 men, representing five islands, 15 parishes

By Patrick Downes | Hawaii Catholic Herald

Richard H. Abel, 57, a high-voltage electrician for the federal government, is from Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Honolulu. He is a lector, eucharistic minister, hospital minister, and prison minister, has served in the Safe Environment, RCIA, Confirmation and outreach programs and is a member of the Basic Christian Community of Hawaii. He was born in Cincinnati and attended United Electronics Institute in Louisville, Ky. He has been married to his wife Mary Ann for more than 35 years. They have lived in Hawaii for 30 years and have two children, Robin and Nicole.

Wayne Archer, 47, is an information assurance analyst at Wheeler Army Airfield. At St. Rita Church, Nanakuli, he has been a lector, eucharistic minister, youth minister, parish council member, religious education teacher, minister to the homebound and a member of a Neocatechu- menal Small Faith Community. Born in Trinidad, West Indies, he attended Park University in Oceanside, Calif. He and his wife Theresa have three children, Christie Rodgers, Chivon and Wayne Jr., and two grandchildren. He has lived in Hawaii since 1999 and served in the Navy for 22 years.

Kenneth L. Bissen Jr., 51, is a purchasing specialist for the Maui County’s Department of Water Supply. He is a parishioner of Christ the King Parish, Kahului, where he serves as an acolyte, lector, commentator, prison minister, parish council and worship commission member, advocate for persons with disabilities and eucharistic minister. Born in Riverside, Calif., he is a graduate of California State University Dominquez Hills. Bissen and his wife Charmaine have two children, Kenneth Lokahi and Julia.

Joaquin (Kin) Muna Borja, 57, a human resources advisor for the Department of Defense, is a member of St. Elizabeth Parish, Aiea. He is a eucharistic, prison, hospital and respect life minister. He is a substance abuse coordinator, the immediate past state deputy of the Knights of Columbus and a member of the Missionary Basic Christian Community of Hawaii. Born in Chalan Kanoa, Saipan, he went to California State University in Long Beach. He and his wife Alicia have three children, Mei, Kathy, Rosie, and four grandchildren.

Andy Calunod, 66, is a parishioner at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa where he serves as business manager and participates on committees as a staff member. As a chaplain at St Francis hospital, he visits patients and responds to calls after hours. He was born in Lanai City and is retired from Hawaiian Airlines. He and Lee, his wife of more than 40 years, have two children, Michelle and Miles.

Fred Carahasen Jr., 59, a service consultant at Motor Imports, Servco Pacific Inc., is a member of St. Elizabeth Parish, Aiea, where he serves as a acolyte, baptismal instructor, lector and eucharistic minister. He is also a prison minister and is member of the Missionary Basic Christian Community. Born in Honolulu, he is a University of Hawaii graduate. He has been married to his wife Lina for 38 years. They have three daughters, Kimberly, Lianne and Shawna, and one grandson.

Thomas Contrades, 57, is a convention services houseman at the Grand Hyatt Kauai. His parish is Immaculate Conception, Kauai, where he is a member of the parish council, a lector, a merit badge counselor for Boy Scout Troop 168, and a member of the parish yard maintenance crew. He was born in Lihue, went briefly to St. Stephen Seminary, attended Chaminade College of Honolulu and is married to Jacquelyn. They have six children, Michael, Elizabeth, Jennifer, Timothy, Tyrus, and Jessica.

Modesto R. Cordero, 44, is an Army operations officer for the Directorate of Public Works, the Department of Defense, and a part-time speech and communication adjunct instructor for Chaminade University and Wayland Baptist University. At St. John Apostle and Evangelist Parish, Mililani, he is an acolyte, lector and eucharistic minister. He also assists in baptismal preparation, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and prison ministry, and is a Worldwide Marriage Encounter presenter. Born in Manati, Puerto Rico, he received his bachelor’s degree from Cameron University, and his master’s from the University of Northern Colorado. Cordero and Nydia Aileen Santiago-Cordero have three children, Frances, Natalia and Cristina.

John A. Coughlin, 58, is an assistant fire chief at Hickam Air Force Base and a parishioner at St. Jude Parish, Kapolei. At his parish he volunteers as a lector and eucharistic minister and works with the RCIA and Adult Faith Formation programs and in parish administration. He is also a finance committee member and a prison minister. Born in Annapolis, Md., he and his wife Kathleen have four children, Laurel, Brian, Brendan and Erin. They have lived in Hawaii for more than 30 years.

William A. Farias Sr., 64, chief engineer at Gay and Robinson, Inc., on Kauai, is a parishioner at Immaculate Conception Parish, Lihue. He is a member of the parish council, an acolyte, lector, eucharistic minister, and is involved with baptism and confirmation preparation. He is also on the RCIA team and a member of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He was born in Lihue and his wife’s name is Aileen. His children are William Jr. and Carrie, and his stepchildren are Corinna, Darlene, Robert and Michael.

Keith Galang, 55, is a training supervisor at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. At St. Joseph Parish, Waipahu, he is a religious education and RCIA teacher, lector, eucharistic minister and a member of the parish council. He is also part of the Missionary Basic Christian Community, Agape Ministry, is a spiritual services volunteer with St. Francis Healthcare System, and is a prison minister. Born in Honolulu, he attended the University of Hawaii-West Oahu Campus. He and his wife Bernadette have four children, Keith, Kristen, Kylie and Keenan.

Henry Cruz Miner, 58, works for the U.S. Postal Service. He is a parishioner of Star of the Sea Parish, Honolulu, where he volunteers as a eucharistic minister and a lector, and is involved in hospital ministry, baptismal preparation and Engaged Encounter. Born in Guam, he has a bachelor’s of science degree in criminal justice from the University of Guam, and has served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve. He and his wife of 35 years, Margaret, have three children, Henry, Jeffrey and Jason, and two grandsons.

Jerry H. Nunogawa, 65, who works for the Department of Health of the State of Hawaii, also served in the U.S. Army and in the U.S. Public Health Service for 26 years. He is a parishioner of St. Joseph Parish in Hilo where he serves on the parish building committee and is a hospital and eucharistic minister. He is also a board member for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and is on the Marriage Encounter presentation team. Born in Honolulu and educated at the University of Hawaii, he and his wife Rosemary have two children, Matthew and Nicholas.

Manuel Pascua, 67, born and raised in Lihue, is retired from the hotel industry where he worked as a bartender. He attended St. Stephen Seminary on Oahu and St. Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif., and served in the U.S. Army. A lifelong member of St. Catherine Parish, Kapaa, he serves as a eucharistic minister, a minister to the homebound, a lector and acolyte, a member of the parish council and bereavement ministry, and is a cantor and ukulele player as a member of the music ministry. He is a widower.

Michael Shizuma, 56, is the food service manager at Kualapuu School on Molokai and a parishioner of the Molokai Catholic Community. He is a eucharistic minister, lector, a homebound minister, a youth minister and a member of the confirmation team. He also is involved with Marriage Encounter and does marriage preparation. Born on Molokai where he received his elementary and secondary education, he also attended Maui Community College. He and his wife Leoda of more than 30 years have two children, Michelle and Sharlene.

Jerry L. Tokars, 51, is self-employed and with his brother Tom owns Armstrong Building Maintenance. A member of St. John Vianney Parish, Kailua, he is involved in many different ministries. He also volunteers at the women’s prison and River of Life. He was a seminarian for eight years, earning degrees from Chaminade University of Honolulu and St. Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif., and working in hospital and prison ministry in the San Francisco Bay area. Born in Albuquerque, N.M., and his wife Esther have been married for more than 20 years and have three children, Eli, Michelle and Eric.

William K. Whitfield, 57, is a parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Waikane. A welder and a fabricator, he is presently unemployed while he recovers from knee replacement surgery. He served in the U.S. Navy for 26 years and has an associate of science degree from Honolulu Community College. He is a lector, eucharistic minister and a minister to the homebound. He also assists the finance committee and is active with the Basic Christian Community. A convert, he and his wife of 35 years Lorraine have five children, Sharlette, Francie, Julie, Billy and Sandra, their grandchild whom they adopted.