Four of the eight new diocesan priest appointments Bishop Larry Silva is announcing in this issue of the Hawaii Catholic Herald are to non-parish positions.

Two of the priests will become full-time students of canon law, one has been named the principal of a high school, and one will be the full-time diocesan vocations director.

The other four are being named administrator or pastor of parishes on Oahu and Maui.

Father James Orsini, pastor of two Maui churches has been named principal of St. Anthony Jr.-Sr. High School in Wailuku. Father Peter Dumag, administrator of St. Theresa Parish in Kihei, will be the new director of vocations for the Diocese of Honolulu. Both appointments are effective July 1. (See stories on page 6)

Father Marvin Samiano and Father Steve Nguyen will begin full time studies in canon law at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., at the end of May.

Both priests will be working toward a licentiate in canon law — a two-year process — with the goal of working in the diocesan tribunal office.

Father Nguyen, administrator of Our Lady of the Mount Parish in Kalihi Valley, has already completed one summer of canon law studies.

Father Samiano currently resides at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, serves in the diocesan Office of Social Ministry and assists at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Ewa Beach.

Parish assignments

Father Manuel Hewe, a priest of the Diocese of Butuan, Philippines, who is administrator at St. Theresa Parish in Mountain View on the Big Island, will be administrator of St. John Apostle and Evangelist Parish, Mililani.

Father Hewe takes the place of Father Adrian Gervacio who has been named pastor of Our Lady of the Mount Parish in Kalihi Valley. Father Gervacio is replacing Father Nguyen who is studying canon law.

Father Jose Macoy, a priest of the Diocese of Mati, Philippines, has been assigned as administrator of St. Mary Parish in Hana, Maui, replacing Sacred Hearts Father Felix Vandebroek.

Father Edgar Brillantes, a priest of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, Philippines, now the administrator of St. Joseph Church in Hilo, will be the new administrator of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Wahiawa, replacing Father Clarence Fisher who is retiring.

All the parish assignments are effective July 1.

Change of status

The bishop has also announced changes of status for three priests of the Diocese of Honolulu, effective immediately.

Father John Berger and Father William Kunisch have been named the rectors of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace and the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa, respectively. Their previous title was administrator.

Father Jack Ryan’s status has changed from administrator to pastor at St. John the Baptist, Kalihi.

A priest administrator of a parish has the same duties as a pastor; however, the title implies a temporary or conditional nature of the assignment. Priests who belong to other dioceses, for example, are named administrators, not pastors.

A rector is the title given to the official priest administrator of a cathedral or co-cathedral. The bishop is the true pastor of a cathedral where his chair of authority, or cathedra, is located.

A diocese is supposed to have only one cathedral. However, a co-cathedral may be erected to co-exist with a cathedral to remedy the cathedral’s limitations, usually with regard to space or location.