A Catholic Church has apparently survived the wildfires that have devastated Maui.
In the days immediately following the fire, the Diocese of Honolulu had been unable to verify the fate of Lahaina's Maria Lanakila Catholic Church and its nearby parish school, K-8 Sacred Hearts School. The day before the fire, Aug. 7, half of the school's roof blew off from the heavy winds.
Father Robert Ni Ni, a Missionaries of Faith priest who is pastor of the neighboring parish of St. Rita in Haiku and recently had been assigned to Maria Lanakila as parochial vicar, said he had heard conflicting reports on the fate of the church. He said it would be a "miracle” if the church survived.
The fate of Maria Lanakila Church was for several days the subject of rumor.
The daily Honolulu Star-Advertiser had reported that the church had burned down. Another news source reported the church was still standing, Father Ni Ni told the Hawaii Catholic Herald, Honolulu's diocesan newspaper, by phone Aug. 10.
The Star-Advertiser corrected its report Aug. 11 with a story that the church was still standing.
The Lahaina fire ripped down Front Street, leaving the famous waterfront home to visitors' shops and restaurants a smoldering pile of ashes. The church is a block from Front Street.
With all the power and cellphone service out, the fate of Maria Lanakila Church was for several days the subject of rumor. The day after the fire ripped through Lahaina town, the word going around was that the church was "gone." However, diocesan vicar general Msgr. Gary Secor said that on Aug. 9 he had yet to talk with someone who had actually seen the destroyed church, much less shown him a photo of it.
By Aug. 10 the diocese had received enough ground and aerial photographic evidence to determine that the church and rectory survived intact, while the school was heavily damaged. However, no one from the church has been able to visit the site because the area is closed off indefinitely as the search for victims continues.
Father Ni Ni reported that the pastor, Father Kuriakose Nadooparambil, and a visiting priest are safe as are three sisters of the Missionaries of Faith who work for the parish, and all the school and parish lay employees. At least five lost their homes, however.
Father Ni Ni has been one source of information about Lahaina as communication lines are down all over.
The day after the fire ripped through Lahaina town, the word going around was that the church was "gone."
When the fire struck, Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva was on vacation in California as he returned from World Youth Day. His office quickly organized a Zoom virtual rosary to pray for the victims.
"What is needed is prayer for those who have lost their homes and businesses, prayers for our firefighters and first responders and police, and all those you are trying to protect the community, prayer for our social service agencies which are gearing up to help those who are most in need in this time of crisis and trial," he said, introducing the virtual prayer session that was attended by about 300 people.
"And so we pray to our Blessed Mother for victory over all these tragedies," he said, noting that Maria Lanakila translates into "Our Lady of Victory."
"We ask the Lord to quench those fires immediately, so that they will no longer do any damage, so that they will be a memory of the past so we can begin the work of recovery and rebuilding," he said in closing.
According to the National Park Service, Lahaina holds deep cultural significance for Hawaiians as the district "was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom." The Lahaina Historic District, which encompassed downtown Lahaina, Front Street and its vicinity, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962, according to the park service's website.
The first Mass was celebrated in Lahaina in 1841 by Sacred Hearts Father Modestus Favens, in a grass structure belonging to the Spanish cowboy Joakini. A bronze plaque on Front Street marked the spot.
According to the parish website, Maria Lanakika Church was established in 1846.
On May 4, 1873, a stone church replaced the old adobe building and grass hut chapels that originally served the community of Maria Lanakila.
In 1918, Sacred Hearts Father Bruno Bens renovated the termite-eaten walls of the church.
According to the book "A Pilgrimage Through Time," edited by Dominican Sister Malia Dominica Wong, that church was torn down in 1928 by Sacred Hearts Father Engelbert de Fries and rebuilt with red tile bricks.
The picture of the Ascension of Our Lord above the sanctuary, a copy of a painting in the Vatican Museum, came from France. The paintings of Sts. Joseph and Mary to the left and right of the altar were said to be donated by Hawaiian King Liholiho and Queen Emma.
In 1862, Sacred Hearts Father Aubert Bouillon opened Sacred Hearts School with two classrooms. The English-speaking school was run by laywomen until the Sisters of St. Francis took it over from 1928 to 2001.
A new school building and convent, built of donated second-hand lumber, were blessed in 1951 by Bishop James J. Sweeney.
An arsonist burned the school down in 1971. The sisters rebuilt it with donations and by selling sweetbread, pickled mango and other items.
