STAR-ADVERTISER / 2007
Rising rent is forcing Greg Azur to close Hawaii’s Natural High, which has been at 339 Saratoga Road in Waikiki for 33 years.
Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.
Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.
The Rev. Diana Akiyama has been appointed by Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick of the Episcopal Diocese to be the new priest and vicar at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Kapaau on Hawaii island.
Akiyama, who started Wednesday, was the first Japanese-American woman to become an Episcopal priest in 1989, and served as vicar-in-charge at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Paauilo from January through June, a news release said. Prior to that she served as supply priest at St. James’ and St. Augustine’s Episcopal churches.
Throughout her ministry she has focused on social equality and the role of spiritual formation in overcoming prejudice. She enjoys teaching and is an instructor of theology at Waiolaihui‘ia, the diocese’s theology program on Oahu, where classes take place one weekend a month, the release said.
Akiyama was born and raised in her father’s hometown of Hood River, Ore.
Early in her ministry, she worked as associate dean and then acting dean of the chapel at Stanford University.There Akiyama met and married her husband, Michael Jackson, who was then the associate dean of students. During her time at Stanford, she served on two national committees — on the status of women and on racism — of the Episcopal Church USA.
She was the co-founder of The Sansei Legacy Project, which focused on supporting sansei struggling with racial identity because of the emotional trauma experienced by their nisei parents in relocation camps during World War II.