Memorial Mass for Brother Jose Degorio, SM

1618 Lower Main Street,Wailuku HI 96793

08 March, 2021

Description

Memorial Mass for Brother Jose Degorio, SM Please join us for a memorial Mass for Brother José Peter DEGORIO, of the Marianist Hall Community, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, who died in the service of the Blessed Virgin Mary on February 15, 2021, in Cupertino, California, USA. at the age of 82 with 63 years of religious profession. Brother José served many years in administrative support positions in California andHawaii, and also taught high school business courses, a role he greatly enjoyed. He will be remembered as a gentle, humble man with a cheerful heart. José Degorio was born on November 19, 1938, in a sugar plantation village inLahaina, Maui. His parents, Lucio and Martha (Ablat) Degorio, were Filipinov immigrants to the Hawaiian Islands, which were then a U.S. territory. José attendedSacred Heart elementary school in Lahaina and St. Anthony School in Wailuku. “AtSt. Anthony’s, the Marianists dedication to Mary and their charism influenced myvocation to religious life,” Brother José later wrote. Young José entered the Marianist novitiate at Santa Cruz, California, upon graduating from high school and professed first vows there a year later, on August15, 1957. He earned a secretarial certificate from Honolulu Business College andbegan serving as business manager for the novitiate community in Santa Cruz in1959. He professed perpetual vows on August 25, 1960, in Honolulu. Over the following year, Brother José served as treasurer to the Honolulu MarianistCommunity and then as a secretary in the provincial office in Santa Cruz. For the nextseven years (1962 – 1969), he was back in Honolulu, serving in the business office ofSaint Louis School and Chaminade College (now Chaminade University of Honolulu).In 1969, Brother José was called to serve as secretary in the provincial office, whichhad moved from Santa Cruz to Cupertino. He ministered in this role with calm skilland diligence for five years. Then, eager to return to Maui to be near his agingparents, Brother José embarked on a new ministry in 1974. Although he’d neverpictured himself as a teacher, he found joy and fulfillment teaching typing courses at St. Anthony School. He continued to teach typing and, later, shorthand at St. Anthony for 12 years. “It was rewarding because some of my students became secretaries, and one became a court reporter,” Brother José later wrote. He was unabashedly proud of his students and their successes. During these years, he also served as bookkeeper and director of his community. Later in 1986, Brother José moved back to Honolulu and attended ChaminadeUniversity in pursuit of a long-held dream. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1989, atage 50. During this time, he also began teaching at Saint Louis School as typingclasses evolved into word processing classes. “Being in the classroom and workingwith students has been the greatest joy of my ministry,” he wrote in a jubileereflection. Brother José taught at Saint Louis School until mid-1999. Now, Brother José returned to his ministerial roots, serving in the registrar’s andrecords offices at Chaminade University, where his efficiency and attention to detailwere blessedly useful. “He worked long and hard for Chaminade University,including digitizing some of their pre-computer records, which was a great service,”said Brother Tom Spring. “Using my God-given talents in my work as a Marianist has fulfilled my life,” BrotherJosé wrote at the time of his 60th jubilee in 2017. May he rest in peace. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (If anyone is feeling ill with cough, sneezing, fever, sore throat or has traveled outside of Maui, please stay at home until you are well or have been released from 14-day quarantine.)