Immaculate Conception Church, Ewa

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

91-1298 Renton Road, Ewa, HI 96706-1913

The historic Immaculate Conception Catholic Church stands along Renton Road on leeward Oahu in Honouliuli.

The first priest to serve in Ewa Plains was the Rev. Raymond Delalande SS.CC., a priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts from Normandy, France. Between 1857 and 1891, Father Delalande traveled by horse throughout his large mission territory, which at that time also included the North Shore and Waianae Coast. During this time, Mass was held in a small chapel in Honouliuli, near Pearl Harbor.

The sugar industry did not take off until the year 1879 when the first artesian well was bored. In 1886, the Ewa Plantation Company was formed. Shortly thereafter, Portuguese, Filipino, and Japanese immigrants arrived to work on the plantations, which included a large number of Catholics. Eventually, a village, called Ewa, formed out of the community around the local sugar mill. In 1891, the community built a cemetery and replaced the dilapidated chapel with another simple structure near the mill.

In the late 1920’s, Bishop Stephen Alencastre, SS.CC., exchanged a piece of land in Honouliuli for the present lot on Renton Road as a new location for a larger church. Father Charles Windels, SS.CC., an energetic and enterprising Belgian priest who had arrived at Ewa in December, 1913, designed, supervised, and greatly contributed to the construction of the Gothic wooden church that stands today. Bishop Alencastre solemnly blessed the church on September 8, 1929, and dedicated it to Mary under the title of Immaculate Conception. Due to his success, Father Windels was shortly thereafter transferred to (now Co-Cathedral) St. Therese of the Child Jesus to carry out a similar building project.

Blessed Sacrament Church, Pauoa

Blessed Sacrament Church, 2124 Pauoa Rd., Honolulu, HI 96813

Blessed Sacrament Church is located in Oahu’s beautiful Pauoa Valley. In 1937, Bishop Stephen Alencastre purchased a piece of land north of Punchbowl to serve as a mission church of Our Lady of Peace Cathedral. The Vicar Delegate Rev. Victorinus Claesen, SS.CC, solemnly blessed the church and installed the first pastor, Father Joseph Verschueren, SS.CC., on December 18, 1938. Blessed Sacrament’s second pastor, Father Gregory Rottier, SS.CC., oversaw construction of the two-story rectory completed in September, 1940.

The church was constructed in the style of the Southern California Catholic missions. The large belfry tower is symbolic of the rock of St. Peter.

The Our Lady of the Valley Shrine prominently stands “as a beacon of inspiration and hope in Pauoa Valley.” The Mendonca family donated the statue of the Virgin Mary in 1952 in honor of Leroy A. Mendonca, whose sacrifice in the Korean War was honored by the Congressional Medal of Honor. The shrine was renovated twice and re-dedicated, respectively, by Rev. Mark Consalvi on October 24, 1992, and Bishop Larry Silva on March 31, 2007.

Malia Puka O Kalani, Keaukaha

326 Desha Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720

Malia Puka O Kalani (Mary, Gate of Heaven) Catholic Church stands in Keaukaha, a 600-acre section of Hilo situated between Hilo Bay and Hilo International Airport.

In 1921, U.S. Congress passed the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, designating portions of land owned by the former Kingdom of Hawaii for Native Hawaiian homesteads. Local Catholics received approval from the Hawaiian Homes Commission in 1928 to establish a Catholic Church in Keaukaha. The Rev. Martin Dornbush, SS.CC., then pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Hilo, assumed responsibility for the development of the new parish.

In 1934, Father Dornbush used lumber from an abandoned chapel in Kaiwiki to construct a large hall in Keaukaha to serve as a temporary worship and community space. A new 120-seat church, dedicated to Mary, Gate of Heaven, was solemnly blessed April 7, 1940.

Today, the parish still preserves traditional Hawaiian culture in its liturgical environment and celebrations.

The sanctuary features the original artwork of Ken Charon and Julianna Ziegler, as well as handcrafted Hawaiian Koa wood furniture, and pieces from New Zealand.