Pope Leo XIV has appointed Father Michael Thomas Tupou Castori, SJ, a 1978 graduate of Jesuit High School Sacramento, as the next bishop of the Diocese of Honolulu. The Vatican announced the appointment on May 6, accepting the resignation of Bishop Larry Silva, who has led the diocese since 2005. Bishop-elect Castori’s episcopal ordination and installation are scheduled for July 28 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu.

A Sacramento native, Bishop-elect Castori was born on October 21, 1960, grew up in Carmichael, and graduated from Jesuit High School Sacramento, Class of 1978, before earning a bachelor’s degree in classics from Harvard University. After serving with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Baltimore, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1987. His Jesuit formation included advanced degrees in philosophy, divinity, biblical studies, and Near Eastern religions from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, the University of California, Berkeley, and Fordham University.

Ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1998, Bishop-elect Castori has served the Church through diverse ministries in education, parish life, prison ministry, and leadership. His assignments have included campus ministry and teaching at Santa Clara University, chaplaincy at San Quentin State Prison, associate pastor at All Saints Catholic Church in Hayward, and vicar for clergy for the Diocese of Oakland.

Bishop-elect Castori has extensive experience in the South Pacific, serving in pastoral ministry and education in Tonga, Guam, Fiji and the Marshall Islands. His middle name, “Tupou,” was given to him by a Tongan family of which he became a member during his time in the region. He also served as chaplain to Tongan Catholic communities in Northern California for nearly three decades. Most recently, he served as rector of the Arrupe Jesuit Residence at Seattle University.

Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento offered prayers and congratulations, noting that Bishop-elect Castori brings the faith and formation of Northern California to the Church in Hawaii. The Diocese of Honolulu encompasses the entire state of Hawaii, serving Catholics across more than 6,400 square miles.

From Jesuit High School Sacramento to service in the global Church, the Jesuit community proudly congratulates our alumnus, on this historic appointment and prays for him as he prepares to shepherd the people of Hawaii in the Jesuit tradition of faith, justice, and service.

 “If you really stay with the promises that our Lord made to us, you will find hope and others who are working together…and try to lift up those who are least in society, mend the brokenhearted. This is our faith.” 

—Bishop-Elect Castori, SJ