STEPHEN ALENCASTRE

Bishop 'Stephen Peter Alencastre', SS.CC., (November 3, 1876—November 9, 1940), was the fifth and last vicar apostolic of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands — now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu. In addition to being the Vicar Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands, Msgr. Alencastre was also given the title of Bishop of the titular see of Arabissus, Italy. He was the first bishop of Hawai‘i to have been raised in the Hawaiian Islands, and after continuing and completing much of the work begun by his Sacred Hearts predecessors, the mission area of the Hawaiian Islands was then elevated to the official diocese of Honolulu by the Pope within a few months following his death. The history of the Catholic Sacred Hearts mission in the Hawaiian Islands was documented and later published in a book called ''Pioneers of the Faith''.
Bishop Alencastre's personal mission included continuing to expand on the number of parish churches in the Islands and building a seminary to form vowed religious locally to the priesthood. This came to fruition with the building of St. Stephen's Seminary, named in honor of the Bishop's own patron saint. He was also partly responsible for the expansion in the variety of religious orders in Hawaii, inviting such groups as the Sisters of St. Joseph de Carandolet to help with the growth of the Catholic faith in the Islands.
Born on the island of Porto Santo in the Madeira Islands of Portugal and brought to Hawaii as an infant, Alencastre was later ordained to the priesthood on April 5, 1902 at the age of 25 as a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary after returning to Belgium from Hawaii for his seminary studies. When Msgr. Libert H. Boeynaems fell ill, Msgr. Alencastre was appointed co-adjutor vicar apostolic with right of succession on April 29, 1924. On August 24 of that year, it was then that he was ordained bishop of the titular see of Arabissus at the age of 47. On May 13, 1926, Alencastre succeeded Boeynaems as vicar apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands. After his death while returning to Hawaii on a boat from Los Angeles in 1940, Bishop Alencastre was laid to rest at the Honolulu Catholic Cemetery in downtown Honolulu.
A window in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu depicts his episcopal crest, as well as a portrayal of a blessing being bestowed upon him by Pope Pius XI. His episcopal motto was "''Opportet illum regnare''," derived from a phrase in 1 Corinthians 15: 24-26, meaning "''He'' (Christ) ''must reign.''" Bishop Alencastre was the first to include in his episcopal crest: the pūlo‘ulo‘u (kapu sticks), the colors of the Hawaiian flag, and the hat characteristically worn by Blessed Fr. Damien de Veuster, SS.CC. (also of his religious order). The inclusion of this final element in an episcopal crest is also seen in that of the now-Bishop of Honolulu, Larry Silva.