Pope Leo XIV has appointed Sacramento native Father Michael T. Castori, SJ, as bishop-elect of the Diocese of Honolulu, marking a joyful moment for the Church in Hawaii and for the Catholic community in Northern California that helped form him in faith.
The Vatican announced May 6 that Pope Leo XIV had accepted the resignation of Bishop Larry Silva, who has served the Diocese of Honolulu since 2005, and named Father Castori as his successor. Bishop-elect Castori’s episcopal ordination and installation will take place July 28 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu.
Bishop Jaime Soto of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento offered prayers and congratulations following the announcement.
"I offer Bishop-elect Michael Castori, SJ, the prayers of the clergy, religious, and faithful of the Diocese of Sacramento. I am delighted that our Holy Father, Pope Leo, has chosen a Sacramentan to succeed the Most Reverend Larry Silva, who is retiring. Bishop-elect Castori will shepherd the dynamic archipelago Diocese of Honolulu and participate in the global episcopal communion around our Holy Father seeking oneness with the Most Sacred Heart of the Christ."
Born in Sacramento on Oct. 21, 1960, Bishop-elect Castori grew up in Carmichael and graduated from Jesuit High School Sacramento as part of the class of 1978. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in classics from Harvard University before entering the Society of Jesus.
Over the course of his priesthood, Bishop-elect Castori has served the Church across the United States and throughout the Pacific region in pastoral ministry, education and chaplaincy. His ministry has included service in Tonga, Fiji, and Guam as well as years of pastoral work in California.
Ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1998, Bishop-elect Castori has ministered in prisons, hospitals, universities and parish communities. He served as chaplain to Tongan Catholic communities in California from 1996 to 2024 and spent years in prison ministry at San Quentin State Prison.
A scholar of biblical studies and Near Eastern religions, Bishop-elect Castori earned advanced degrees from Fordham University, the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley and the University of California, Berkeley. He also studied Hebrew at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and speaks English, Spanish, Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Tongan.
Before his appointment to Honolulu, Bishop-elect Castori served as rector of the Arrupe Jesuit Residence at Seattle University in Washington state. He previously served in the Diocese of Oakland as vicar for clergy, and as a member of the priest personnel board.
His years of ministry throughout the Pacific have given him a deep familiarity with the cultures and communities that shape the Church in Oceania.
As Bishop-elect Castori prepares to begin this new chapter of ministry, the faithful of the Diocese of Sacramento join in prayer for him and for the people of the Diocese of Honolulu. May the Holy Spirit guide him in wisdom, charity and faithful service as he prepares to shepherd the Church in Hawaii.
The Diocese of Honolulu encompasses the entire State of Hawaii and serves Catholics across more than 6,400 square miles.