Renewal was a recurring theme at a press conference held Wednesday at Sacred Hearts Academy by Catholic leaders in Hawaiʻi, including representatives of the Hawaiʻi Catholic Community Foundation, a nonprofit that manages the Roman Catholic Church’s monetary giving.
“Bless our times of celebration for this bicentennial, but most of all, let it be a time of renewal for us so that we pay deep in our faith and go out and share the good news of Jesus with all we meet,” Honolulu Bishop Clarence “Larry” Silva said in the opening prayer.
He continued in his remarks: “We look ahead to 2027, mindful that the first Catholic missionaries arrived here in Hawaiʻi 200 years ago. Really this is the story about the people of Hawaiʻi that embraced the Catholic faith, and who lived that faith for generations. ... That spirit of faith has been present in our schools, in our care of those who are sick or struggling, and in the simple every day ways people look after one another. ... We look forward because the gospel is not something lived in the past tense, but something we are asked to live now, and we want to share that gospel with great compassion, humility and aloha.”
Today marked the kick-off of bicentennial anniversary celebrations, soon to be followed by opening mass on July 9 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa on Oʻahu, as well as at participating Neighbor Island parishes, and culminate in a grand bicentennial convocation on July 7–9, 2027.
Led by Chancellor Deacon Keith Cabiles, the Bicentennial Planning Committee will coordinate faith-centered events, community gatherings, educational and cultural programs, global pilgrimages and a processional over the next couple years. Have an idea for an event or wish to partner? Email bicentennial@rcc.org.
Father Lane Akiona, U.S. Province of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, who is also a member of the committee, spoke about the final phase of a years-long renewal for the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace.
“The history of Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace is a symbol of lasting resilience — the oldest Catholic cathedral in continuous use, a sacred place where St. Damien was ordained in 1864, and where St. Marianne and the Franciscan sisters were welcomed in 1883,” he said. “This legacy is deeply intertwined with history of these Islands, a legacy of encounter, adaptation and ultimately, shared purpose.”
Major interior and exterior work is still underway at Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, though, leaders are hopeful it will be reopened by Aug. 16, 2027, the anniversary of its original dedication in 1843, according to Silva.
The land it sits on in Downtown Honolulu was gifted to the Catholic Church by King Kamehameha III. The Catholic Church recently bought a building in the neighborhood for nearly $6 million, Pacific Business News reported in March.
“Now construction is construction; they’re working very hard, so we never know, but that is the target date,” Silva said, adding that the goal is to have it restored to resemble the place St. Damien and St. Marianne read scripture.
He notes that the new reliquary chapel is being built as an attachment to the cathedral and will contain remains of St. Marianne and relics of both.
Interior upgrades include a full-immersion baptismal font, pews, confessionals, new and restored artwork, new tile flooring, lighting, AV system, electrical and more. Work is being done to restore the vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows and the pipe organ, as well as exterior painting and landscaping.
As of May 31, more than $13 million has been collected through the Cathedral Renewal campaign, according to the Hawaiʻi Catholic Community Foundation. The goal for the campaign is to raise a minimum of $15 million to fund all the remaining project phases.
What’s the significance of this bicentennial anniversary?
Deacon Mike Browning, board chair at Sacred Hearts Academy and a parishioner at St. John Apostle and Evangelist Church in Mililani, says that his hope is that the community at-large can join in the celebrations. “Iʻm not just talking about the Catholic community, Iʻm talking about all the brothers and sisters that live and work in this beautiful state. That the missionary zeal touches each and every heart."
He added: Proclaiming the gospel can be through words, “but we use our feet and our hands, and most certainly our loving hearts, with our neighbors."
Silva noted, “These are meant not just to be fun celebrations, which we know they will be, but opportunities for us to be renewed in that mission that Jesus gave us to tell others about Him."
The current list of bicentennial events can be found at catholichawaii200.org.
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
