Born to Serve, Chosen and Called
Deacon Patrick Constantino | Photos courtesy St. Ann’s Church Parish
Before I introduce Fr. Jun let me explain the difference between a pastor and administrator who is assigned to a parish by Bishop Larry Silva. An administrator is a priest from our diocese or country on mission to our diocese for a certain number of years. A pastor is a diocesan priest or a priest of a religious community who is assigned to a parish. A parochial vicar is an associate priest at a parish.
It is with great honor to introduce to you Fr. Anastacio “Jun” Pastrano, Jr, installed as the new pastor at St. Ann’s Church, Waihe‘e on July 30, 2022 by Bishop Larry Silva. Fr. Jun was born on June 1, 1959 in Davao, Philippines and ordained on June 15, 1984 in Maniki, Davao, Philippines. He is from the Diocese of Tagum, Davao, Philippines. He has ten siblings—four boys and six girls.
Interesting story of Fr. Jun’s family:
The mother of Fr Jun, Anacleta Requina was born in Kohala, Hāwī in 1924 on Hawai‘i island. They moved to O‘ahu and two sisters were born in Waipahu. His grandparents who were from Cebu and Bohol, worked in Hawai‘i as Sakadas as sugar plantation workers in the year 1920. After the birth of their third child, his grandparents decided to return to the Philippines and settled in Davao, Mindanao Island, where his mother grew up and married Anastacio Postrano and was blessed with ten children.
In the year 1990, his family decided to move back to the United States, Hawai‘i. They thought they would have a tough time coming to Hawai‘i but with God’s help, no problem! Because their mother was an American citizen, they automatically became U.S. citizens, even if they were born in the Philippines. What a blessing!
Fr. Jun is Visayan but can speak llokano fluently because their neighborhood in Davao was mostly llocanos. He came to Hawai‘i to minister to our community by Bishop Francis DiLorenzo. His first assignment when he came to Hawai‘i in 1995 was with Sr. Grace Dorothy Lim, under the Filipino Ministry. His ministry was to work with Filipino communities on Hawai‘i island to catechize and bring them back to the mainstream of our church. He has served at St. Joseph in Hilo and later became Administrator to Our Lady of Lourdes, Honoka‘a, St. Michael Church in Kona, St. Benedict Church in South Kona, St. Roch Church in Kahuku, as Pastor at St. Mary’s Church in Hāna and present Pastor of St. Ann’s Church in Waihe‘e. He also served as Vicar Forane for West Hawai‘i. In 2016, he was officially incardinated to the Diocese of Honolulu. Thank God for Fr. Jun, gifted to give of himself to our Dioceses!
Reflection and Message from Fr. Anastacio “Jun” Postrano, Jr.:
Today, I look back with deep gratitude and sincere humility for God’s faithfulness and blessing. Domine non sum signus. Lord, I’m not worthy, yet God called me. That’s because God calls not so much the worthy. It’s all the grace of God. Amping ug Padayon kanunay sa pag-alagad. Stay safe and continue to serve our community. Tambayayong tang tanan. Let’s all work together for the good of our ‘Ohana. Basta adunay “Gugma,” adunay “Panaghiusa.” As long as there is LOVE, there is always “UNITY.”
Congratulations to all my fellow kababayan here in Maui and other islands of Hawai‘i. Mahal ko kayong lahat. God bless. Aloha ug Mabuhay! Dios ti Agngina da kayyu Amin.
– Fr. Jun Postrano, Pastor, St. Ann’s Church, Waihe‘e, Maui
On July 1, 2022, Patrick Constantino retired as a Deacon for the Roman Catholic Church in Hawaii, after serving for thirty-five years and becoming on June 18, 1987, the first Deacon of Filipino ancestry for the Roman Catholic Church in Hawaii. For twenty-two years, he served as Administrator at Holy Rosary Church in Paia, St. Rita Church in Haiku and St. Gabriel Church in Keanae. His last assignment before retiring was at St. Joseph Church in Makawao.
Prior to his ordination, Constantino was in government–first appointed in 1966 as Assistant Sergeant of Arms by the Speaker of the House Elmer F. Cravalho. When Cravalho became Maui’s first Mayor, Constantino became his Executive Assistant–the first of Filipino ancestry. Later, Constantino became the first County Treasurer of Filipino ancestry and the first County Grants Administrator and Risk Manager of Filipino ancestry.
Constantino is married to his lovely wife Corazon for sixty-one years.