About Hawaii:
The British explorer and cartographer Captain James Cook is often credited with discovering the Hawaiian Islands, arriving on Kauai in January 1778. He named them the Sandwich Islands in honor of John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, his patron. However, it was actually the Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos who discovered the islands in 1555 AD.
About Catholic presence in Hawaii:
Catholicism arrived in the Hawaiian Islands (then the Kingdom of Hawaii, or Sandwich Islands) in the early 19th century, after Protestant missionaries from New England had already established a strong presence.
On July 7, 1827, the first permanent Catholic missionaries—priests and brothers of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Picpus Fathers)—arrived in Honolulu Harbor on the French ship La Comète. Led by Father Alexis Bachelot, they celebrated the first recorded Mass on Hawaiian soil a few days later (July 13 or 14) in a grass hut. By early 1828, a simple church stood on land granted by King Kamehameha III (the future site of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace).
The Catholic missionaries faced strong opposition from influential American Protestant advisors to the Hawaiian royalty. After the death of King Kamehameha I in 1819, Queen Regent Kaʻahumanu—a newly converted Protestant—began banning Catholic practices. With the support of New England Protestant missionaries, Priests were expelled in 1831 and native Hawaiian Catholics faced persecution, including imprisonment and forced labor. A brief return attempt also failed.
Persecution eased only after French naval pressure: Two years later, on July 10, 1839 the French frigate Artemise under the command of Captain Cyrille Laplace sailed into Honolulu Harbor and issued a manifesto demanding, among other things, freedom to practice the Catholic religion in the Hawaiian Kingdom. Threatened with military action, the King was forced to sign a treaty, and Catholicism was allowed once again.
Bishop Stephen Rouchouze (first vicar apostolic for the region) arrived in 1840 with reinforcements. Construction of the coral-block Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace began that year; it was dedicated on August 15, 1843 (it remains the oldest continuously used Catholic cathedral in the United States). The mission expanded across the islands with churches, schools, and further personnel from the Sacred Hearts Congregation.
Notable later figures include St. Damien de Veuster (ordained in the Honolulu cathedral in 1864; he ministered to people with Hansen’s disease/leprosy on Molokaʻi from 1873 until his death in 1889) and St. Marianne Cope (who arrived in 1883 with Franciscan sisters to care for the same patients). Hawaii remained a missionary territory (Vicariate Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands) under Sacred Hearts bishops until September 10, 1941, when Pope Pius XII established the Diocese of Honolulu. Today the diocese covers all the Hawaiian Islands and serves a substantial Catholic population (historically around 15–16% of residents in recent decades).
The U.S. annexed Hawaii in 1898, making it a territory, which highlighted the rise of the United States as a Pacific power. Hawaii became the 50th state in the U.S. in 1959.
It is a popular vacation destination for millions each year. According to the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism visitors are primarily from the mainland U.S. but also come from Canada and Japan as well as other countries.
The Hawaiian Islands:
Although there are actually over 1500 islands that make up the chain, there are only seven that attract tourists:
The Island of Hawaii (the largest…and usually called “the Big Island”, to differentiate it from the state of Hawaii as a whole), plus the islands of Kuai, Lanai, Maui, Moloikai, Oahu, and Niihau. Number eight, Niihau, is privately owned and open to only a few visitors.
As mentioned, Hawaii is a major tourist destination, with travelers arriving both by air (Honolulu is the major international airport) and from cruise ships.
Many cruises call on the islands, and one ship..the NCL “Pride of America” is actually based here and visits four of the islands, meaning there are no “Sea Days”….. the ship serves as your floating hotel…….you cruise at night and each day is spent in port. Unfortunately, they skip Molokai, which is of great interest to Catholics, since it is the place where Saint Damien ministered to the lepers and home to his shrine.
Some cruise lines may have a Catholic priest on board for Mass (Holland America has a Catholic priest on board every cruise)…you can check those out here.
Thinking of a destination wedding in Hawaii? Be sure to check with the Diocese of Honolulu for requirements.
And, remember, Catholics don’t get married on the beach!
Catholic churches and places of interest in Hawaii:
There are many, many Catholic churches on the islands, in fact if you are looking for a place to attend Mass, you have the wonderful problem: not of where to find a Catholic church….but rather, which one to choose! The Diocese of Honolulu, which covers all the islands, has hundreds of churches and mission churches. They even have a list of Sunday Masses shown on their map, with a list of about 80 churches to choose from.
Here are have just a few of those:
Island of Hawaii….”the Big Island”
Many Catholic churches on the island
Island of Kuai:
Island of Lanai
Lanai city: Sacred Hearts Church
Island of Maui:
Kahului: Christ the King Church (near the cruise port)
Lahaina: Maria Lanakila Catholic Church
Island of Molokai:
North Shore of the island: Shrine of St. Damien of Molokai
Island of Oahu:
Honolulu: Many Catholic Churches
In addition to those listed above, you can find a complete listing on the Diocesan website here.