About Blessed Sacrament · Honolulu, Hawaii
Blessed Sacrament Parish is a Roman Catholic parish tucked into the lush Pauoa Valley on the mauka (mountain) edge of downtown Honolulu, Oahu. Built in 1938 by the Sacred Hearts Fathers as a mission church of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, it was elevated to full parish status within the Diocese of Honolulu in the mid-1940s. The parish is widely known across Oahu as the only parish on the island that regularly offers BOTH the Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo) Mass and the Extraordinary Form (Traditional Latin Mass) of the Roman Rite. Under its current pastor, Father Steve Nguyen, Blessed Sacrament remains a small, welcoming faith community known for its devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, its weekly Wednesday evening Divine Mercy Mass, and the beloved Our Lady of Pauoa Valley shrine on the church grounds.
- Established
- 1938
- Patron
- Blessed Sacrament (the Body and Blood of Christ)
- Rector
- Rev. Steve Nguyen
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu (Vicariate: West Honolulu)
Why belong here
Blessed Sacrament offers something rare on Oahu: a small, intimate parish where the full Catholic tradition is celebrated side-by-side. Worshippers can attend a quiet weekday Novus Ordo Mass in English, a Sunday morning Mass, the weekly Wednesday evening Divine Mercy Mass (with Holy Hour, chaplet, and adoration), or the Traditional Latin Mass each Sunday and on First Saturdays — all at the same church. The parish keeps a tight-knit schedule of faith formation (CCD), OCIA (formerly RCIA), youth ministry, Bible study, a Respect Life group, and a food pantry, and it is home to the beloved Our Lady of Pauoa Valley shrine. For Catholics who love the Eucharist and want both reverence and warmth, it is a hidden gem in the valley behind downtown Honolulu.
Mass times at Blessed Sacrament
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- Sunday: 9:15 AM – 9:45 AM
- Wednesday: 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (Holy Hour / Eucharistic Adoration before evening Mass)
History of Blessed Sacrament Parish
Blessed Sacrament traces its origins to 1937, when Bishop Stephen Alencastre, SS.CC. — Vicar Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands — purchased land in Pauoa Valley north of Punchbowl for a new mission church of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. Construction was completed in 1938 under the Sacred Hearts Fathers, and the church was solemnly blessed and its first pastor installed by Vicar Delegate Rev. Victorinus Claesen, SS.CC. on December 18, 1938. Within a decade, the mission had grown into a full parish of the newly constituted Diocese of Honolulu. Over the decades, the parish has been enriched by devoted pastors — including SS.CC. Fathers Joseph Verschueren, Gregory Rottier, and Mark Consalvi — and by the generosity of parishioners like the Mendonca family, whose 1952 gift of a Marian statue eventually became the heart of the 'Our Lady of Pauoa Valley' shrine. Father Consalvi established the weekly Wednesday evening Divine Mercy Mass in 2000, a devotion the parish continues to this day. In 2023, the parish proudly marked its 85th anniversary with Bishop Larry Silva and civic leaders in attendance.
- 1937: Bishop Stephen Alencastre, SS.CC. purchases land in Pauoa Valley.
- December 18, 1938: Church solemnly blessed; first pastor Father Joseph Verschueren, SS.CC. installed.
- September 1940: Two-story rectory completed under second pastor Father Gregory Rottier, SS.CC.
- Mid-1940s: Mission becomes a full parish of the Diocese of Honolulu.
- 1952: Mendonca family donates Marian statue honoring Korean War hero Leroy A. Mendonca.
- 1992: Marian shrine first renovated and re-dedicated by Rev. Mark Consalvi.
- March 31, 2007: Shrine re-dedicated and named 'Our Lady of Pauoa Valley' by Bishop Larry Silva.
- August 12, 2023: 85th anniversary celebrated with Bishop Silva, civic proclamations, and parish-hall gathering.
Architecture & Grounds
Blessed Sacrament was designed in the architectural style of the Southern California Catholic missions, with the large belfry tower intended as a symbolic reminder of the rock of St. Peter. The two-story rectory next to the church was added in 1940 under the parish's second pastor. The grounds include the beloved 'Our Lady of Pauoa Valley' shrine, encircled with red clay tiles and lit by two light stands gifted by an anonymous Vietnamese family. A parish hall sits below the main church and serves as the gathering space for fellowship meals, faith formation, and parish celebrations.
- Southern California mission-style design
- Large belfry tower symbolic of the rock of St. Peter
- Two-story rectory built 1940
- Our Lady of Pauoa Valley Marian shrine
- Parish hall below the main church
Pastoral Staff & Clergy
Blessed Sacrament is served by a small, dedicated pastoral team led by Father Steve Nguyen, a diocesan priest originally from Tam Ha, South Vietnam, ordained in 1999. He is assisted by two permanent deacons — Deacon Joseph Soon and Senior Deacon Ronald T.Y. Choo — as well as a secretary (Tina Welch), Religious Education Coordinator Leimomi Kondo, Liturgy Coordinator Liz Lum, and a wide circle of lay leaders heading the parish's many ministries.
- Rev. Steve Nguyen — Pastor (Diocesan; also promoter of justice and defender of the bond for the Diocese of Honolulu)
- Deacon Joseph Soon — Active Ministry; OCIA & Baptism coordinator with his wife Onolata
- Deacon Ronald T.Y. Choo — Senior Deacon; Finance Council
- Tina Welch — Office Secretary ([email protected])
- Leimomi Kondo — Religious Education Coordinator (CCD)
- Liz Lum — Liturgy Coordinator
- Evelyn Starkey — Pastoral Council / Social Fellowship
- Paul Pancho — Stewardship
Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) at Blessed Sacrament
Blessed Sacrament holds the unique distinction of being the only parish on Oahu that regularly offers both the Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo) and the Extraordinary Form (Traditional Latin Mass) of the Roman Rite. The Tridentine Mass is celebrated according to the rubrics of the 1962 Roman Missal, made freely available to the faithful by Pope Benedict XVI's 2007 motu proprio Summorum Pontificum. Sunday Latin Mass is at 10:00 AM (with the Rosary recited at 9:15 AM), and a First Saturday Latin Mass is celebrated at 9:00 AM. Reconciliation is offered before Sunday Latin Mass from 9:15–9:55 AM. The parish is a destination for Catholics across the island who treasure the older liturgical form.
- Sunday Latin Mass — 10:00 AM (Rosary at 9:15 AM)
- First Saturday Latin Mass — 9:00 AM
- Sunday Reconciliation before Latin Mass — 9:15–9:55 AM
- Celebrated according to the 1962 Roman Missal
Sacraments
Blessed Sacrament prepares parishioners for the Sacraments of Initiation, Healing, and Vocation through the Diocese of Honolulu's guidelines.
- Baptism — Preparation classes every 3 months on two consecutive Wednesdays, 6:30–7:30 PM
- First Communion & Confirmation — coordinated through Faith Formation / CCD
- Marriage — at least 6 months of preparation; contact the Parish Office
- Anointing of the Sick / Visitation — priests and homebound ministers visit the infirm and hospitalized on request
- Funerals — contact the Parish Office before arranging with a funeral home
- Reconciliation (Confession) — see schedule above
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education at Blessed Sacrament is led by Coordinator Leimomi Kondo (CCD) with support from Deacon Joseph and Onolata Soon, who coordinate OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) and Baptism preparation. Adult formation is complemented by a parish Bible Study led by Stephanie Pochinski and a Youth & Young Adults ministry led by K. Febrero.
- CCD (Religious Education) — Leimomi Kondo
- OCIA / RCIA — Deacon Joe & Ono Soon
- Bible Study — Stephanie Pochinski
- Youth & Young Adults — K. Febrero
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Blessed Sacrament's small size belies an unusually rich ministry life. Lay leaders head everything from the parish Food Pantry to a Respect Life group, Bereavement ministry, Homebound visitation, Liturgical Environment, Liturgy Commission, Stewardship, and Pastoral Council, plus a Social Fellowship that organizes gatherings after Mass.
- Bereavement — Erla Pauole
- Finance Council — Deacon Ronald Choo
- Food Pantry
- Homebound Ministry
- Liturgical Environment — Paulette Hepa / Lucy Schlemmer
- Liturgy Commission — Liz Lum
- Respect Life — Fred Hagen / Lynette Wijnveldt
- Social Fellowship — Evelyn Starkey / Volunteers
- Stewardship — Paul Pancho
- Pastoral Council — Evelyn Starkey
- Visitation of the Sick and hospitalized
Our Lady of Pauoa Valley Shrine
The Marian shrine on the parish grounds — known since 2007 as 'Our Lady of Pauoa Valley' — stands as a quiet beacon of prayer in Pauoa Valley. The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was donated in 1952 by the Mendonca family in honor of Leroy A. Mendonca, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient who gave his life in the Korean War. Decades later, an anonymous Vietnamese family donated red clay tiles and labor to encircle the statue with two light stands 'as beacons of hope and inspiration.' The shrine was first renovated and re-dedicated by Rev. Mark Consalvi on October 24, 1992, and again re-dedicated and given its present name by Bishop Larry Silva on March 31, 2007.
- Statue donated 1952 by the Mendonca family in honor of Leroy A. Mendonca (Korean War, Congressional Medal of Honor)
- Tiles and light stands added by an anonymous Vietnamese family
- First re-dedication — October 24, 1992 by Rev. Mark Consalvi
- Renamed 'Our Lady of Pauoa Valley' — March 31, 2007 by Bishop Larry Silva
Visiting & Contact
Blessed Sacrament welcomes visitors, pilgrims, and new parishioners. The Parish Office is open limited hours during the week (Mon & Fri 8:00–11:00 AM; Tue & Thu 11:15 AM–2:00 PM). New parishioners can register using forms available at the church entrance. For Sacramental Emergencies, call the parish number at any time.
- Address: 2124 Pauoa Road, Honolulu, HI 96813
- Phone: (808) 531-6980
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: blessedsacramentpauoa.blogspot.com
- Office Hours: Mon & Fri 8:00–11:00 AM; Tue & Thu 11:15 AM–2:00 PM
- Sacramental Emergencies: (808) 531-6980
- New parishioner registration forms at the church entrance
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph Verschueren, SS.CC.1938 – c.1940
First pastor; installed by Vicar Delegate Rev. Victorinus Claesen, SS.CC. on December 18, 1938.
- Father Gregory Rottier, SS.CC.c.1940 –
Second pastor; oversaw construction of the two-story rectory, completed September 1940.
- Rev. Mark Consalvi, SS.CC.served through 2000s; died 2005
Sacred Hearts Father; re-dedicated the Marian shrine on Oct. 24, 1992; in 2000 established the perpetual Wednesday evening Mass honoring Divine Mercy that the parish still keeps.
- Rev. Steve Nguyencurrent
Diocesan priest, born in Tam Ha, South Vietnam, 1970; ordained 1999 (25th anniversary celebrated in 2024); also serves as promoter of justice and defender of the bond for the Diocese of Honolulu.