Clarence Richard Silva
Encyclopedia
Clarence Richard Silva, popularly known as Larry Silva (born August 6, 1949), is a bishop
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is the fifth Bishop of Honolulu
, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI
on May 17, 2005, to oversee the Diocese of Honolulu
. Previous to his appointment to the epicopacy, he served as a diocesan priest and later vicar general
of the Diocese of Oakland
in California
. He is the first person born in Hawaii to lead the Roman Catholic community
of the Hawaiian Islands
. He is also the second person of Portuguese
ancestry to serve the community as its ordinary
.
As Bishop of Honolulu, Silva has his liturgical and canonical seat or cathedra
at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace
; he also has a cathedra at the Co-Cathedral of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus
in Kapālama
. At both of the above cathderal churches, rector
s and parochial vicars administer the daily liturgical and pastoral work. The bishop's administrative offices are located in the Bishop Street chancery
.
to electrician and refrigeration mechanic Richard Silva and homemaker Catherine Alves Silva at Saint Francis Hospital in Liliha. The great grandson of immigrants from the Azores
, Silva was baptized at Saint Anthony Church in Kailua but moved to California during his first year of life. He attended Saint John the Baptist School in San Lorenzo
and Bishop O'Dowd High School
in Oakland
. Convinced of a calling to Holy Orders
, Silva spent his undergraduate years at Saint Joseph College Seminary in Mountain View
where he received a Bachelor of Arts
degree
and Saint Patrick Seminary
in Menlo Park
where he later obtained a Master of Divinity
degree. Silva studied the Spanish language
in Cuernavaca
, Mexico
in 1975 and 1978. During his first sabbatical leave, he studied at the Pontifical North American College
in Rome
, Italy
in 1991.
studies, Silva was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Oakland on May 2, 1975 by Floyd Lawrence Begin
, Bishop of Oakland.
Silva served as associate pastor and pastor at nine parish churches throughout the Diocese of Oakland: Saint Bernard Church from 1975 to 1978, Our Lady of the Rosary Church from 1978 to 1979, Saint Bede Church in Hayward
from 1983 to 1984, Saint Peter Martyr Church in Pittsburg
from 1984 to 1986 and Saint Anthony Church in Oakland
from 1986 to 1991. After taking sabbatical leave from January to August 1991, he returned to his home diocese to serve at Saint John the Baptist Church in El Cerrito
from 1991 to 1994, Saint Andrew and Saint Joseph Church in Oakland from 1994 to 1999 and Saint Leonard and Saint Paula in Fremont
from 2000 to 2003. Employing parish clustering, he served as pastor of two parishes at a time. He oversaw the merger of two parishes into one several times.
Silva served under various leadership positions in the Diocese of Oakland. While associate pastor and pastor of various parish churches, Silva also served as diocesan vocations director from 1979 to 1983. He recruited religious brothers and priests for the Diocese of Oakland. In 2003, Allen Henry Vigneron
, Bishop of Oakland, appointed Silva his vicar general
and moderator of the diocesan curia.
As vicar general and moderator of the diocesan curia, Silva was instrumental in the planning for the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Light
, the replacement of the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales
destroyed in the Loma Prieta earthquake
on October 17, 1989.
over the Hawaiian Islands occurred on July 21, 2005 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center
Arena
. It was the first joint consecration and installation ceremony in Hawaii; former bishops had already been consecrated on the mainland prior to their installation. It was also the first such ceremony held at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center since 1982.
Silva was consecrated by William Joseph Levada, principal consecrator, prefect
of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
, and Archbishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of San Francisco
to which the Diocese of Honolulu is suffragan. The co-consecrators were Allen Henry Vigneron
, Oakland ordinary, and his predecessor, John Stephen Cummins
, Bishop Emeritus of Oakland. Several other bishops were in attendance: Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo Higuera
, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States; Msgr. Anthony Apuron, Archbishop of Hagatna in Guam
; Msgr. Tod Brown, Bishop of Orange
; Msgr. Daniel F. Walsh
, Bishop of Santa Rosa in California; Msgr. Tomas Camacho, Bishop of Chalan Kanoa
(Saipan); Msgr. Quinn Weitzel, Bishop of Pago Pago, American Samoa; Msgr. Wilfredo D. Manpalaz, Bishop of Tagum, Philippines; Msgr. Juan De Dios Pueblo, Bishop of Butuan, Philippines; Msgr. William Skurla, Eparch of the Eparchy of Van Nuys in Phoenix, Arizona
; Msgr. John C. Wester, Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco
; Msgr. George Thomas
, Bishop of Helena
; Msgr. Joseph Estabrook of the Military Ordinariate of the United States; Msgr. Richard Garcia
, Auxiliary Bishop of Sacramento
; Msgr. Patricio Alo, Bishop of Mati in the Philippines; and Msgr. Stephen E. Blaire
, Bishop of the Stockton
. Roger Cardinal Mahony, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
was expected to attend the event, but was unable to attend due to airplane problems in Los Angeles.
The Episcopal coat-of-arms for Bishop Silva was designed by Father Quang Dong and Thanh Dong of the Diocese of Oakland
. Silva means "forest" in Portuguese. The sinister impalement contains three trees in the "forest"; the kukui (Aleurites mollucana) on the right, symbolizing Hawai‘i, the birthplace of the bishop, his parents and grandparents. The kukui yields an oil with healing properties that also provides light; the oak
(Quercus alba) on the left, symbolizing Oakland (Quercopolitana) where Bishop Silva grew up and where he served as a priest for 30 years; and the cross - the tree of life - in the center, with olive
leaves symbolizing Malia O Ka Malu
(Mary, Queen of Peace), patroness of the Diocese of Honolulu (Honolulu is translated from Hawaiian as "peaceful harbor") under whose protection Bishop Silva entrusts his episcopal ministry. Bishop Silva's episcopal motto, "Witness to Jesus" derives from Revelation 19:10.
, fourth Bishop of Honolulu. DiLorenzo dealt with priests accused of abusing minors.
Issues facing Silva upon assuming the episcopacy include the decline of vocations and consequent difficulites in staffing parishes, and sex abuse scandals. He was a principal promoter for the causes of sainthood for St. Damien of Moloka‘i
. He will also be a principal promoter for the causes of sainthood for Blessed Marianne of Moloka‘i.
One of his first acts as bishop-elect was to travel on pilgrimage
to Kalaupapa on the island
of Moloka‘i
on May 19, to pay homage to Blessed Damien and Blessed Marianne. Blessed Marianne had only been beatified and raised to the title of Blessed by Pope Benedict XVI
a few days earlier on May 14. Speaking of his pilgrimage Silva said, "I will let that empower me in my ministry to the people of Hawai‘i. Damien has been my hero since I was a boy." Silva's great grandfather was a patient of the leper colony.
Msgr. Silva was inducted into the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
in 2005.
Msgr. Silva first ordination was Brother Johnathan Hurrell, SS.CC., to the priesthood on November 25, 2005, at Saint Patrick Church in Kaimuki
, Honolulu.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He is the fifth Bishop of Honolulu
Roman Catholic Bishop of Honolulu
The Roman Catholic Bishop of Honolulu is the residential 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...
, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
on May 17, 2005, to oversee the Diocese of Honolulu
Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu
The Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, officially in Latin Dioecesis Honoluluensis, is an ecclesiastical territory or particular church of the Catholic Church in the United States...
. Previous to his appointment to the epicopacy, he served as a diocesan priest and later vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the Diocese of Oakland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Northern California. The diocese comprises Alameda and Contra Costa Counties in the San Francisco Bay Area...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He is the first person born in Hawaii to lead the Roman Catholic community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
of the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. He is also the second person of Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
ancestry to serve the community as its ordinary
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
.
As Bishop of Honolulu, Silva has his liturgical and canonical seat or cathedra
Cathedra
A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...
at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace
Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace — also known by its original French name Cathédrale de Notre Dame de la Paix, its Portuguese variant Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Paz and its Hawaiian derivative Malia o ka Malu Hale Pule Nui — is the Mother Church of the Diocese of Honolulu and houses...
; he also has a cathedra at the Co-Cathedral of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus
Co-Cathedral of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus
The Co-Cathedral of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church and its Diocese of Honolulu. Located in the outskirts of downtown Honolulu, Hawaii, it is larger in physical size as a church and parish territory than the principal Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace...
in Kapālama
Kapālama
-History:The name comes from ka pā lama in the Hawaiian language which means "the enclosure of lama wood". "Lama" was the Hawaiian name for endemic ebony trees of genus Diospyros that were used in religious ceremonies....
. At both of the above cathderal churches, rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
s and parochial vicars administer the daily liturgical and pastoral work. The bishop's administrative offices are located in the Bishop Street chancery
Diocesan chancery
A diocesan chancery is the branch of administration which handles all written documents used in the official government of a Roman Catholic or Anglican diocese....
.
Education
Silva was born on the island of O‘ahuOahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
to electrician and refrigeration mechanic Richard Silva and homemaker Catherine Alves Silva at Saint Francis Hospital in Liliha. The great grandson of immigrants from the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, Silva was baptized at Saint Anthony Church in Kailua but moved to California during his first year of life. He attended Saint John the Baptist School in San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo, California
San Lorenzo , also known as San Lorenzo Village is a census-designated place in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 23,452 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
and Bishop O'Dowd High School
Bishop O'Dowd High School
Bishop O'Dowd High School is a Catholic, co-educational, college preparatory school in Oakland, California, administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland and named for the late auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, James T. O'Dowd . About 44% of students are non-Catholic...
in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. Convinced of a calling to Holy Orders
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
, Silva spent his undergraduate years at Saint Joseph College Seminary in Mountain View
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
where he received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
and Saint Patrick Seminary
Saint Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park
Saint Patrick's Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California is a Roman Catholic post-graduate seminary whose primary mission is the formation of clergy for Western and Pacific Rim dioceses, orders, religious congregations and secular institutes...
in Menlo Park
Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south; Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City...
where he later obtained a Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
degree. Silva studied the Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
in Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It was established at the archeological site of Gualupita I by the Olmec, "the mother culture" of Mesoamerica, approximately 3200 years ago...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1975 and 1978. During his first sabbatical leave, he studied at the Pontifical North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1991.
California apostolate
After completing theologicalTheology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
studies, Silva was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Oakland on May 2, 1975 by Floyd Lawrence Begin
Floyd Lawrence Begin
Floyd Lawrence Begin was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Oakland from 1962 until his death in 1977.-Early life and education:...
, Bishop of Oakland.
Silva served as associate pastor and pastor at nine parish churches throughout the Diocese of Oakland: Saint Bernard Church from 1975 to 1978, Our Lady of the Rosary Church from 1978 to 1979, Saint Bede Church in Hayward
Hayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...
from 1983 to 1984, Saint Peter Martyr Church in Pittsburg
Pittsburg, California
Pittsburg is a city located in eastern Contra Costa County, California, the outer portion of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 63,264 at the 2010 census....
from 1984 to 1986 and Saint Anthony Church in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
from 1986 to 1991. After taking sabbatical leave from January to August 1991, he returned to his home diocese to serve at Saint John the Baptist Church in El Cerrito
El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, California
-Transportation:The city's primary transportation infrastructure consists of the El Cerrito Plaza and El Cerrito del Norte BART stations along with several local bus lines, operated by AC Transit, providing access to the surrounding area and the nearby cities of Albany, Berkeley and Richmond...
from 1991 to 1994, Saint Andrew and Saint Joseph Church in Oakland from 1994 to 1999 and Saint Leonard and Saint Paula in Fremont
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
from 2000 to 2003. Employing parish clustering, he served as pastor of two parishes at a time. He oversaw the merger of two parishes into one several times.
Silva served under various leadership positions in the Diocese of Oakland. While associate pastor and pastor of various parish churches, Silva also served as diocesan vocations director from 1979 to 1983. He recruited religious brothers and priests for the Diocese of Oakland. In 2003, Allen Henry Vigneron
Allen Henry Vigneron
-References:-External links:[Oakland Diocese Biography http://www.oakdiocese.org/notes.htm]...
, Bishop of Oakland, appointed Silva his vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
and moderator of the diocesan curia.
As vicar general and moderator of the diocesan curia, Silva was instrumental in the planning for the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Light
Cathedral of Christ the Light
The Cathedral of Christ the Light and also called the Oakland Cathedral, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland in Oakland, California. It is the seat of the Bishop of Oakland...
, the replacement of the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales
Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales in Oakland
Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales in Oakland was an 1893 church, which served as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland in Oakland, California from 1962 until it was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake....
destroyed in the Loma Prieta earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
on October 17, 1989.
Episcopal consecration and installation
Silva's consecration as bishop and installation as prelatePrelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
over the Hawaiian Islands occurred on July 21, 2005 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center
Neal S. Blaisdell Center
The Neal S. Blaisdell Center in downtown Honolulu, Honolulu CDP is a community center for the City & County of Honolulu. Constructed in 1964 on the historic Ward Estate and originally called the Hawaii International Center, the center was renamed after Mayor of Honolulu Neal S. Blaisdell...
Arena
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
. It was the first joint consecration and installation ceremony in Hawaii; former bishops had already been consecrated on the mainland prior to their installation. It was also the first such ceremony held at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center since 1982.
Silva was consecrated by William Joseph Levada, principal consecrator, prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
, and Archbishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of San Francisco
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. It covers the City and County of San Francisco and the Counties of Marin and San Mateo...
to which the Diocese of Honolulu is suffragan. The co-consecrators were Allen Henry Vigneron
Allen Henry Vigneron
-References:-External links:[Oakland Diocese Biography http://www.oakdiocese.org/notes.htm]...
, Oakland ordinary, and his predecessor, John Stephen Cummins
John Stephen Cummins
John Stephen Cummins is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Oakland from 1977 to 2003.-Early life and education:...
, Bishop Emeritus of Oakland. Several other bishops were in attendance: Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo Higuera
Gabriel Montalvo Higuera
Gabriel Montalvo Higuera was born in Bogotá, Colombia. He was an archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church, and was the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States from 1998 until 2005.- Ministry and Assignments:...
, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States; Msgr. Anthony Apuron, Archbishop of Hagatna in Guam
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the overseas dependency of Guam. The prelate is an archbishop which pastors the mother church, Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica.-History:The...
; Msgr. Tod Brown, Bishop of Orange
Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church whose territory comprises the whole of Orange County, California, in the United States...
; Msgr. Daniel F. Walsh
Daniel F. Walsh
Daniel Francis Walsh is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fifth Bishop of Santa Rosa in California.-Biography:...
, Bishop of Santa Rosa in California; Msgr. Tomas Camacho, Bishop of Chalan Kanoa
Roman Catholic Diocese of Chalan Kanoa
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Chalan Kanoa is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the Northern Mariana Islands and is a suffragan of the Metropolitan Province of Agaña...
(Saipan); Msgr. Quinn Weitzel, Bishop of Pago Pago, American Samoa; Msgr. Wilfredo D. Manpalaz, Bishop of Tagum, Philippines; Msgr. Juan De Dios Pueblo, Bishop of Butuan, Philippines; Msgr. William Skurla, Eparch of the Eparchy of Van Nuys in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
; Msgr. John C. Wester, Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. It covers the City and County of San Francisco and the Counties of Marin and San Mateo...
; Msgr. George Thomas
George Leo Thomas
George Leo Thomas is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as Bishop of Helena since 2004.-Biography:...
, Bishop of Helena
Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena
The Diocese of Helena is the Catholic diocese for western Montana. It was erected from the year-old Vicarate of Montana on March 7, 1884, while Montana was still a territory. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Portland, which encompasses Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.For its first...
; Msgr. Joseph Estabrook of the Military Ordinariate of the United States; Msgr. Richard Garcia
Richard John Garcia
Richard John Garcia is an American Roman Catholic bishop. He was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the fourth ordinary bishop of the Diocese of Monterey in California on December 19, 2006, and was installed at a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Roger Mahony on January 30, 2007.-Episcopal...
, Auxiliary Bishop of Sacramento
Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento is an ecclesiastical territory or particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States...
; Msgr. Patricio Alo, Bishop of Mati in the Philippines; and Msgr. Stephen E. Blaire
Stephen Blaire
Stephen Edward Blaire is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fifth and current Bishop of Stockton.-Biography:...
, Bishop of the Stockton
Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Central Valley and Mother Lode region of California in the United States. It comprises the Counties of Alpine, Calaveras, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne...
. Roger Cardinal Mahony, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the archdiocese comprises the California counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the...
was expected to attend the event, but was unable to attend due to airplane problems in Los Angeles.
The Episcopal coat-of-arms for Bishop Silva was designed by Father Quang Dong and Thanh Dong of the Diocese of Oakland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Northern California. The diocese comprises Alameda and Contra Costa Counties in the San Francisco Bay Area...
. Silva means "forest" in Portuguese. The sinister impalement contains three trees in the "forest"; the kukui (Aleurites mollucana) on the right, symbolizing Hawai‘i, the birthplace of the bishop, his parents and grandparents. The kukui yields an oil with healing properties that also provides light; the oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
(Quercus alba) on the left, symbolizing Oakland (Quercopolitana) where Bishop Silva grew up and where he served as a priest for 30 years; and the cross - the tree of life - in the center, with olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
leaves symbolizing Malia O Ka Malu
Malia O Ka Malu
Malia O Ka Malu or Our Lady of Peace is an appellation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Hawaiian language and an official title of the motherchurch of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace...
(Mary, Queen of Peace), patroness of the Diocese of Honolulu (Honolulu is translated from Hawaiian as "peaceful harbor") under whose protection Bishop Silva entrusts his episcopal ministry. Bishop Silva's episcopal motto, "Witness to Jesus" derives from Revelation 19:10.
Hawai‘i ministry
Silva assumes the episcopacy as successor to Francis Xavier DiLorenzoFrancis X. DiLorenzo
Francis Xavier DiLorenzo is a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Honolulu in Hawaii, and is currently the twelfth bishop of the Diocese of Richmond in Virginia.-Early life and career:...
, fourth Bishop of Honolulu. DiLorenzo dealt with priests accused of abusing minors.
Issues facing Silva upon assuming the episcopacy include the decline of vocations and consequent difficulites in staffing parishes, and sex abuse scandals. He was a principal promoter for the causes of sainthood for St. Damien of Moloka‘i
Father Damien
Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC. , born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary religious order...
. He will also be a principal promoter for the causes of sainthood for Blessed Marianne of Moloka‘i.
One of his first acts as bishop-elect was to travel on pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to Kalaupapa on the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
of Moloka‘i
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
on May 19, to pay homage to Blessed Damien and Blessed Marianne. Blessed Marianne had only been beatified and raised to the title of Blessed by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
a few days earlier on May 14. Speaking of his pilgrimage Silva said, "I will let that empower me in my ministry to the people of Hawai‘i. Damien has been my hero since I was a boy." Silva's great grandfather was a patient of the leper colony.
Msgr. Silva was inducted into the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
Order of the Holy Sepulchre
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is a Roman Catholic order of knighthood under the protection of the pope. It traces its roots to Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, principal leader of the First Crusade...
in 2005.
Msgr. Silva first ordination was Brother Johnathan Hurrell, SS.CC., to the priesthood on November 25, 2005, at Saint Patrick Church in Kaimuki
Kaimuki, Hawaii
Kaimukī is a residential neighborhood in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States.-History:In the 19th century the area was a farm of King Kalākaua, where ostriches roamed wild over the mountain side. It later became the site of a carnation farm for funeral flowers...
, Honolulu.