A Maui grand jury indicted James "Ron" Gonsalves, 68, on 30 counts of first-degree sexual assault, a felony punishable by a 20-year prison term; and 32 counts of third-degree sexual assault, which carries a maximum five-year term. He was being held with bail set at $790,000.

Maui police said the incidents allegedly occurred between June 2002 and June 2005, when the youth was ages 12 to 15. Some of the assaults were reported to have occurred at St. Ann Church in Waihe'e, in the Wailuku district.

News of Gonsalves' indictment brought heartbreak and tears to many St. Ann parishioners and cast a pall over tomorrow's celebration of the church's feast day. Church members described their deacon as "big-hearted" and "generous," and said he rescued the struggling parish from the edge of extinction with new programs and fundraising.

"It's a shock. We couldn't believe it," said parishioner Agnes Cockett of the sexual abuse allegations. "We still don't believe it. ... We'll stick by him no matter what."

Lt. Glenn Cuomo of the Maui Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division said the alleged abuse was reported last month, and that investigators had not received any other complaints about Gonsalves, who surrendered at police headquarters late Wednesday afternoon.

At yesterday's arraignment, 2nd Circuit Court Judge Joel August agreed to requests by deputy prosecutor Robert Rivera and defense attorney Philip Lowenthal to seal the indictment to protect the boy's identity.

August set Gonsalves' trial for Sept. 26 and scheduled a hearing for today to discuss bail.

Outside the courtroom, Lowenthal had no comment except to say, "Mr. Gonsalves is pleading not guilty. We're going to contest this matter in court and not in the press."

Gonsalves had led the day-to-day operations of St. Ann Church since 1999, although as a deacon he could not conduct Mass. He was placed on paid administrative leave June 22, the same day officials with the Honolulu Diocese were contacted by the boy's family and first learned of the allegations, according to the Rev. Gary Secor, vicar of clergy for the diocese.

Although other Hawai'i clergy have been accused of sexual abuse, Gonsalves is the first to face criminal charges in the years since the problem became a national scandal for the Catholic Church. Secor said past claims of sexual abuse have been made many years after the conduct was alleged to have occurred, past the statute of limitations for prosecution.

"It's always a tragedy when someone is alleged to have been abused by anyone, and in a church setting we are even more concerned and saddened," Secor said. "We hope justice will be served and that everyone involved will be treated with fairness and compassion."

A Honolulu Diocese statement released yesterday said placing Gonsalves on paid administrative leave "is standard procedure in matters of this nature and does not mean that the diocese has prejudged the situation."

The statement also said: "The diocese is committed to its stated policy of protection of our children and youth. The Catholic Church reaffirms its commitment to seriously address allegations of sexual misconduct, and to respond to such allegations and the persons who bring them to us with truthfulness and compassion. The church also respects the rights of someone accused of misconduct."

The Honolulu Diocese oversees the state's 230,000 Catholics.

Secor said the diocese contacted Maui police June 23 to report the allegations, and were told an investigation already was under way.

Gonsalves has been relieved of all church duties while on indefinite leave, according to Secor, who also heads the Hawai'i church's Standing Committee on Sexual Misconduct. The panel makes recommendations to the bishop on the credibility of sexual abuse claims.

Secor said church officials are cooperating fully with Maui police and prosecutors, and that the standing committee has not met yet on Gonsalves' case because of the active criminal investigation.

As part of the church's standard response in such cases, Secor said the youth's family has been offered victim assistance counseling through Catholic Charities. Diocese spokesman Patrick Downes said no counseling or other services are being provided at this time.

Downes said the diocese contacted Gonsalves when it learned of the allegations, but the deacon declined to discuss the case.

Secor and victim assistance coordinator Joseph Bloom traveled to Maui for weekend Masses on July 16 and 17 to notify St. Ann parishioners of the allegations against Gonsalves.

Gonsalves was ordained as a deacon in 1987. Downes said most deacons are volunteers, but Gonsalves was a diocesan employee while serving as administrator of the St. Ann parish, which does not have its own priest.

The Rev. Peter Dumag has been appointed temporary parish administrator. In a brief comment yesterday, Dumag said the parish is "hanging in there" in the wake of Gonsalves' removal.

Cockett was among a group of five women who were at St. Ann Church yesterday morning to clean the parish hall in anticipation of the feast-day celebration, which will include bingo and the dedication of a statue of their patron saint. The women said the statue was obtained through Gonsalves' efforts.

Church members said that before Gonsalves took over as administrator, St. Ann was perpetually in debt and attendance was dwindling. "When he first came, the church was really run-down with weeds growing and everything," Cockett said. "Ron came and brought life to this church."

To raise money, Gonsalves led the women in twice-monthly bread baking, rising before dawn to turn out up to 700 loaves a month that were sold for $5 apiece. They said sales of "Deacon Ron's Ono Sweet Bread" — with or without raisins — pushed the church into the black.

Parishioners are proud to note that St. Ann is now well-maintained and one of the few Catholic churches on Maui with air conditioning.

In addition to boosting the bottom line, Gonsalves established new ministries and programs, and created enthusiasm in the faith community that spread well beyond Waihe'e, they said. "He had people coming to Mass from Upcountry, Makawao, Pukalani, Kula, everywhere, even though they were out of their district," said Angie Kawaiaea.

At one point, as few as 20 people were turning out for Sunday Mass, but membership is now well over 200 and the church "is bursting at the seams," she said. A video hookup was set up in the parish hall to allow overflow crowds to participate in Mass.

Kawaiaea's husband, Oliver, said he was saddened by the allegations. "We're going to back our deacon until this thing is over with," he said.

The Kawaiaeas and others said they had heard of only a handful of St. Ann parishioners who had stopped attending church because of the allegations against Gonsalves.

The deacon also was active in the much larger St. Anthony Church in Wailuku and was named a distinguished alumnus of St. Anthony High School.

Principal Edwina Wilson-Snyder, who has known Gonsalves since they were both in college, said that in his younger days, he traveled with the Up With People choral group.

Wilson-Snyder said she was unfamiliar with the criminal charges, but described Gonsalves as "a good man" and a "very dedicated individual who tried to do a lot for our school and parish."

Gonsalves also served on the Maui Advisory Board of Catholic Charities Hawai'i.