HAWAII
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
By Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com
WAILUKU » James Ronald Gonsalves was the exception among about 50 deacons in the Catholic Diocese of Hawaii.
While most deacons are volunteers, he was hired six years ago to be a full-time paid administrator for a parish on Maui and gained praise for bringing St. Ann Church in Waihee out of debt and more than doubling its membership.
"By all measures he was doing a great job," said diocesan spokesman Patrick Downes.
Recent allegations that Gonsalves repeatedly sexually assaulted a boy over three years have stunned many parishioners who valued his friendship and leadership. And the accusations have once again brought attention to the conduct of clergy in Hawaii -- a diocese where at least three other priests have been accused of molesting male youths.
Gonsalves, 68, pleaded not guilty to 62 charges related to the sexual assault of a boy between June 2003 and last month while the deacon was employed at St. Ann. The charges included 30 counts of first-degree sexual assault, which under Hawaii law means forced sexual penetration. The boy was 12 years old when the alleged acts began.