Charles Kekumano

Charles Alvin Kekumano (12 May 1919 – 19 January 1998) was a Roman Catholic priest from Hawaii. He is considered the first ordained Native Hawaiian priest.

Life Charles Kekumano was born in 1919 in Kona on the island of Hawai‘i. In 1961 he was named an honorary chaplain of the Papal household, with the title of Monsignor, by Blessed John XXIII, the first native Hawaiian to hold such an honor. Kekumano was involved in many civic organizations, including the American Red Cross, the Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu. He also served on the University of Hawaii Board of Regents, the Honolulu Police Commission, the Maui Charter Commission, and the Hawaii Commission on Children and Youth.

In 1997 he was co-author of the essay "Broken Trust" which criticized Kamehameha Schools, the largest private landowner in Hawaii, resulting in their reorganization. He died of cancer on January 18, 1998, in St. Francis Hospice in Honolulu, at the age of 78.

Recognition and legacy Monsignor Kekumano was awarded Humanitarian of the Year in 1992 from the Hawaii State Chapter of the American Red Cross. The Maryknoll School established an award and scholarship in his honor.