| |  | Fr. David Gierlach began life in upstate New York (a mistake of geography in his view!). Upon graduating from the State University of New York at Binghamton with a B.A. in history (1977) and the Maryknoll School of Theology with a M.A. in religious studies (1981), found his true home here in Hawai’i in 1981. He served as a Vista volunteer doing community organizing in Chinatown in the early 1980s, and then served as a drug and alcohol abuse counselor, Clinical Director and finally Deputy Director of the Hina Mauka Addiction Treatment Center in Kaneohe for five years. Following law school at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai’i, Fr. David embarked on a 22 year career as a trial attorney. But always the call to ordained ministry lurked. Fr. David was ordained to the holy priesthood in May, 2007. He served 2 years as the Vicar of St. John’s by the sea Episcopal Church in Kahalu’u and 14 years as the Rector of St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in Kalihi- Palama. He is the author of Jesus Christ! He Still Matters and Christian Transformation: 12 Steps To Personal and Social Change. Father David’s primary passion is to look out for the least, the lost and the left behind among us. Not only those who are economically distressed, but also those who are in emotional or spiritual trouble. God resides with the vulnerable, and if we wish to see the face of God, it is among the vulnerable that we’ll do so. Fr. David’s wife is Kerry Hashitate, a HeadStart preschool teacher of 30 years (now retired) and his three children are Elaine, a psychologist, Teatuahere, a high school teacher and Joseph, a pilot. Finn and Misty round out the family!
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