The Roman Catholic Bishop of Honolulu is a prelate bishop of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. He serves as ordinary of the Diocese of Honolulu which encompasses the entire state of Hawaii. He holds the papal title of monsignor and is formally addressed as His Excellency the Most Reverend. The Bishop of Honolulu is a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Ordained into the presbyterium, the Bishop of Honolulu remains an active parish priest. Along with his duties as diocesan administrator, he concurrently is the pastor of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace and the Co-Cathedral of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus in the City of Honolulu. He is assisted by an appointed cathedral rector.

Previous to the canonical erection of the Diocese of Honolulu, a single priest led what was the Apostolic Prefecture of the Sandwich Islands. The apostolic prefecture was later incorporated into another ecclesiastical territory, led by a bishop serving as Apostolic Vicariate of Oriental Oceania. It became the Apostolic Vicariate of the Sandwich Islands before changing its name. Five bishops led the Apostolic Vicariate of the Hawaiian Islands. All bishops were members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

After four bishops served the Diocese of Honolulu as ordinaries, a period of episcopal vacancy caused the Vatican to allow a mere priest to lead the see for the first time. Limited in powers, Thomas L. Gross became Diocesan Administrator of Honolulu on May 28, 2004.

Prelature

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

Efficient administration necessitated the creation of several vicariates served by vicars general directly subordinate to the Bishop of Honolulu. The vicariates are: West Honolulu Vicariate, East Honolulu Vicariate, Windward Oahu Vicariate, Leeward Oahu Vicariate, Maui Vicariate, West Hawaii Vicariate, East Hawaii Vicariate and Kauai Vicariate. A separate vicariate was created for ethnic communities and churches of the Eastern Rite. Within each vicariate are the individual parish churches, each led by pastors.

Interment

All those who served as Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands or Bishop of Honolulu are buried in the Honolulu Catholic Cemetery, with the exception of Bishop Louis Maigret and Bishop John Joseph Scanlan. Both were buried in the crypt of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace. The location of the remains of the Apostolic Vicar of Oriental Oceania, Bishop Etienne Jerome Rouchouze, are unknown. He is believed to have died at sea in a shipwreck.

Ordinaries

Ordinaries are listed below with their terms of service and titles held while in Hawaii. Alexis Bachelot and Thomas L. Gross led the apostolic prefecture and diocese respectively as cleric priests, not bishops, and carried the title of Very Reverend.

• Alexis Bachelot, SS.CC., 1827-1838
  • Apostolic Prefect of the Sandwich Islands
• Etienne Jerome Rouchouze, SS.CC., 1833-1843
  • Apostolic Vicar of Oriental Oceania
  • Titular Bishop of Nilopolis
• Louis Maigret, SS.CC., 1847-1881
  • Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands
  • Titular Bishop of Arathia
• Herman Koeckemann, SS.CC., 1881-1892
  • Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands
  • Titular Bishop of Olba
• Gulstan Ropert, SS.CC., 1892-1903
  • Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands
  • Titular Bishop of Panopolis
• Libert H. Boeynaems, SS.CC., 1903-1926
  • Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands
  • Titular Bishop of Zeugma
• Stephen Alencastre, SS.CC., 1926-1940
  • Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands
  • Titular Bishop of Arabissus
• James Joseph Sweeney, 1941-1967
  • Bishop of Honolulu

• John Joseph Scanlan, 1968-1981
  • Bishop of Honolulu
  • Auxiliary Bishop of Honolulu
  • Apostolic Administrator of Honolulu
  • Titular Bishop of Cenae
• Joseph Anthony Ferrario, 1982-1993
  • Bishop of Honolulu
  • Titular Bishop of Cusae
• Francis Xavier Dilorenzo, 1994-2004
  • Bishop of Honolulu
  • Auxiliary Bishop of Honolulu
  • Apostolic Administrator of Honolulu
  • Titular Bishop of Tigias
• Thomas L. Gross, 2004-Present
  • Diocesan Administrator of Honolulu

Resources

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu
• Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace
• Co-Cathedral of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus
• New Advent Article of the Apostolic Vicariate of the Sandwich Islands