A Bit of History....
In October of 1988, the parishes on Molokai were consolidated. Two churches
were closed and only one priest was assigned to care for the entire population
topside of the island. The new united group of parishioners formed the
Molokai Catholic Community. When the Parish Pastorial Council asked this
newly formed group to identify their needs, the over-whelming response
was that a new and larger central church facility was needed. St. Sophia,
located on a little over 10,000 square feet in the heart of Kaunakakai,
was too small and there was no room for expansion or redevelopment. The
parishioners' plan called for a new church to be completed by 1995.
Our Hopes and Dreams ~to Worship as One Family
Molokai, one of the least habited Hawaiian islands with a population just
over 7,000 is blessed with natural beauty and a unique spirituality.
Moloka'i was Blessed Damien's home for sixteen years. Damien, a 19th century
Sacred Hearts priest from Belgium, volunteered to care for the Hansen
disease (leprosy) patients at Kalawao, on the Kalaupapa peninsula of Moloka'i.
In his ministry on Moloka'i, Blessed Damien bandaged and comforted the
leprosy patients; built hospitals, houses, chapels and coffins; organized
picnics; educated the children; and ministered to the patients' spiritual
needs. In his work with the patients who had been exiled to the isolated
Kalaupapa peninsula, Blessed Damien reformed a settlement known for its
lawlessness, filth and despair, into a community of individual respect,
love and laughter. Blessed Damien built a community of love and hope through
teaching and living Jesus Christ's gospel message of unconditional love.
On Sundays at St. Sophia Church in Kaunakakai, when mass is celebrated,
many of our parishioners and visitors are unable to find a seat in the
crowded church. They stand outside the door and sit on folding chairs
in the church carport. Those in wheelchairs, sit in the church doorway,
as we do not have suitable space inside the church. Many of the faithful
hear, but do not see our pastor proclaim the gospel and celebrate the
Eucharist.
The children attend religious educational classes in the church carport
and storgage spaces. Time, weather, and termite infestation have all taken
a toll on St. Sophia Church. Built in 1937, this wooden structure is now
unadequate for our growing congregation.
Our mission is to build a church for the celebration of Mass, and to provide
a contemplative space for our parishioners and visitors to ponder and
determine God's mission for us.
Since 1995, we have raised $1.3 million towards our goal of $3 million.
These funds will be used to construct the Blessed Damien Church, which
will replace St. Sophia's. Your donation will help us reach our goal to
worship as one family, to spread the gospel message of unconditional love
and share the Blessed Damien story.
