Pope Leo XIV appoints Jesuit priest as bishop of Honolulu

Pope Leo XIV appointed Father Michael T. Castori, SJ, as the new bishop of Honolulu on May 6. He is a member of the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits.

The pontiff accepted the resignation of Bishop Clarence R. Silva, 76, who has led the diocese since 2005.

According to a press release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Castori was born on Oct. 21, 1960, in Sacramento, California. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1998.

Castori has earned several academic degrees, including a bachelor’s degree in classics from Harvard University in 1982, a master of divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley in 1998, and a doctorate in Near Eastern religions from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2008.

He also received a licentiate in sacred theology from Fordham University in 2009.

He has held several teaching roles, including as an assistant professor at Santa Clara University and the Ateneo de Manila in the Philippines.

His pastoral experience includes service as chaplain to the Tongan Catholic communities in northern California and to San Quentin State Prison.

Before being appointed to Honolulu, he served as the rector of the Arrupe Jesuit Residence in Seattle.