PERSON: David Gierlach

St Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church

Priest

Fr. David Gierlach has lived in Hawaii since 1981. He holds a B.A. from the State University of New York at Binghamton (1977), a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from the Maryknoll School of Theology (1981) and a Juris Doctor from the University of Hawaii School of Law (1989).

Fr. David worked with the elderly poor in Chinatown as a VISTA volunteer in the early 1980s; became an alcohol/drug counselor at Hina Mauka for 5 years and departed Hina Mauka for law school as its Deputy Director. During his career as an attorney, Fr. Gierlach became quite active with the Episcopal Church, having found a home at St. John’s by the Sea in Kahalu’u. After many years of lay leadership, Fr. Gierlach felt he could no longer run from the call to ordained ministry, a call that was felt since his teenage years.

Fr. Gierlach was ordained a deacon in 2006, and after having served as deacon of St. Elizabeth’s for 9 months, was ordained priest in 2007. The call to St. Elizabeth’s has been a great joy for him and his children Elaine, Alexandra and Joseph.

— stelizabeth720.org