Fr. Russ Roide, S.J. is the new Pastor and Director of the University Catholic Center. He was born in Los Angeles and comes to Newman Center from St. Francis Xavier Parish and School in Phoenix, AZ where he was pastor. His other assignments include being the first Jesuit pastor of St. Agnes Parish in San Francisco, and eight years as Director of Catholic Campus Ministry at Stanford University. He is somewhat kama'aina as, after he was ordained a Jesuit, he served in high school ministry and administration for ten years. But during the summers he replaced priests on Maui for eleven summers. He is not a stranger to our Aloha spirit.

John Chandler, S.J. returned to the Newman Center July 31, 2008. While he was away, he served as Director of Campus Ministry for Loyola University/Rome, Italy campus, Pastor of St. Agnes in San Francisco and as the Assistant Director of Novices for the California Province. From 1986-1993, he was Director of Campus Ministry for the Honolulu Diocese as well as Director/Pastor of the Newman Center. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1983. His campus ministry experience covers most of his years as priest. While working with the Ethics Committee at SUNY/Buffalo, he was awarded an NEH Grant to study Philosophy of Medicine and Ethics at the Univ. of Tennessee/ Memphis. He holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology, an M.S. in Communications Media and a Master of Divinity degree. He likes to walk Ala Moana, make chocolate fudge and go to movies.

Catharine Low has been with the Newman Center since 1993 when she left the business world and began working with members of the Newman Center community and students at the Manoa campus of the University of Hawaii. Educated as an elementary education teacher and certified in teaching the hearing impaired, she taught children in grades 1-6 and the hearing impaired in her native New Zealand and continued as an elementary education teacher in Hawai'i. She has made her home in Hawai'i since 1967 and is privileged to be part of the team.

Danny O'Regan is our new Campus Minister. He was born and raised in England (from Irish Parents). He graduated with honors with a BA degree in Urban Planning from the University of Sheffield, and decided to become a Missionary through the program Hand of Help in Northern California. Having worked for 5 years as a youth minister at Our Lady of Mercy Church, Danny received his Masters in Multi-Cultural Theology from the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley California in 2006. He moved to San Diego the following summer to work as a Campus Minister at the University of San Diego, and there led the Confirmation and RCIA program for three years.

William Plourde is our Music Director. William has been a member of the community since 1984 and became our music director in the Fall of 1993. Jesuit educated, he attended Loyola High School in Los Angeles and Loyola Marymount University. He holds a Masters Degree in Asian Religions from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and a Masters Degree in Systematic Theology from the University of Notre Dame. William studied music with Paul Salamonovich in Los Angeles and was a musician in LMU’s Campus Ministry. Coming to Hawaii in 1984, he has been a member of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu Compline Choir and then a tenor in the Cathedral Choir at St. Andrew Cathedral. He has also performed with the Hawaii Opera Theater and Honolulu Symphony Chorus. He also directed the Women’s Chorus at Sacred Hearts Academy from 1988 until 2000. Before joining the Newman Center staff, William was Director of Music at Kilohana United Methodist Church. William teaches theology at Sacred Hearts Academy.

Dr. Anna Viggiano is our Director of Religious Education. Anna is resident of Honolulu and has two children: Christina, 24, a masters degree student in public health and Steven, 24, a junior majoring in Finance at the University of Notre Dame. Anna is the State Specialist in charge of Advanced Placement, Learning Centers, the Gifted and Talented Program, and Homeschooling. She has worked with the Hawaii Department of Education for the past 20 years and has been a member of the Newman Center since 1992. She has a doctorate in curriculum and instruction, a masters degree in educational psychology and a masters degree in drama and theatre. She is on the board of the Friends of Kennedy Theatre and the Hawaii Council of Teachers of English. She also represents the State of Hawaii as a delegate to the College Board, the non-profit organization in charge of the AP exams, SAT and PSAT.