About Immaculate Conception · Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Ewa Beach on the leeward (west) coast of Oahu, Hawaii, within the Diocese of Honolulu and the Leeward Oahu Vicariate. The parish community worships in a Gothic Revival wooden church that was blessed by Bishop Stephen Alencastre, SS.CC., on September 8, 1929, and dedicated to Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception. Today it serves a fast-growing, multi-generational community of families and young adults with three Sunday Masses, daily weekday morning Mass (except Thursday), and active faith formation, youth, and young-adult ministries.
- Established
- 1929
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Siegfred Dosdos
- Diocese
- Diocese of Honolulu (Vicariate of Leeward Oahu)
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is the historic mother parish of the Ewa plain, worshipping in a beloved 1929 Gothic Revival wooden church that the original plantation families literally built themselves. Today's community is multigenerational and growing fast: three Sunday Masses (7:00 AM, 9:30 AM, and 5:00 PM), daily weekday Masses, a Saturday Vigil, regular confession, First Friday adoration, and a full slate of ministries — religious education (CCD), Youth and Young Adult Ministry, RCIA/OCIA, Couples for Christ, Music Ministry, Children's Liturgy, Adult Faith Formation, and a Parish Pastoral Council focused on Faith Formation, Leadership Development, Marriage and Family Life, and Youth Ministry. The parish welcomes anyone wanting to deepen their relationship with God and to be part of a unified Christian family of faith.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM (in the confessional to the right of the church's front entrance)
- By appointment — call the parish office
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month: 7:00 AM — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by the recitation of the Holy Rosary; Mass at 8:00 AM
Welcome & Mission
Immaculate Conception Parish in Ewa, on the leeward (west) side of Oahu, declares its firm loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Diocesan Bishop of Honolulu. The parish mission is to reach out to everyone with the embrace of Christ, drawing strength from its unity as a Christian family of faith. The parish vision is to create a welcoming, inclusive community where every person can deepen their relationship with God and one another while serving those in need.
- Mission: "Our strength is in our unity as a Christian Family of Faith…"
- Vision: a welcoming, inclusive community grounded in faith and service
- Parish Office Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (closed for lunch 12:30–1:00 PM)
Parish History
Catholic presence in the Ewa plain dates to the 1840s, with regular mission visits by Fr. Arsenius Walsh, the "Apostle of Hawaii." The first assigned priest was Fr. Aganthange Froult in 1855; from 1857 to 1891 Fr. Raymond Delalande, SS.CC., rode on horseback throughout Ewa, the North Shore, and the Waianae Coast, celebrating Mass in the small Honouliuli chapel. After the Ewa Plantation Company formed in 1886, Portuguese, Filipino, and Japanese Catholic immigrants settled around the sugar mill. In 1891 the community built a cemetery and a new chapel near the mill. Bishop Stephen Alencastre, SS.CC., exchanged land in Honouliuli for the current Renton Road lot, and Father Charles Windels, SS.CC. — a Belgian priest who arrived in Ewa in December 1913 — designed and built the present Gothic Revival wooden church, which Bishop Alencastre blessed on September 8, 1929, and dedicated to Mary under the title Immaculate Conception.
- 1840s – Fr. Arsenius Walsh makes Ewa a regular mission stop
- 1855 – Fr. Aganthange Froult becomes the first priest assigned to Ewa
- 1857–1891 – Fr. Raymond Delalande, SS.CC., ministers across Ewa, North Shore, and Waianae
- 1879 – First artesian well bored; sugar industry takes off
- 1886 – Ewa Plantation Company formed; Catholic plantation families settle
- 1891 – Parishioners build a cemetery and a new chapel near the sugar mill
- Late 1920s – Bishop Alencastre trades Honouliuli land for the Renton Road site
- December 1913 – Father Charles Windels, SS.CC., arrives in Ewa
- September 8, 1929 – Bishop Alencastre blesses the Gothic wooden church
- 1951 – Our Lady of Perpetual Help established as a mission on Fort Weaver Road
- July 1969 – Bishop John Scanlon makes OLPH an independent parish
The Church Building & Architecture
The present church is a Gothic Revival wooden structure built in the late 1920s. Designed by Father Charles Windels, SS.CC., it stands along Renton Road in Honouliuli and is the visual landmark of the Ewa plain Catholic community. Its asymmetrical Gothic composition, with a tower and pointed-arch openings, reflects the rural wooden-church idiom common to early-20th-century Hawaiian plantation parishes. All the original furnishings — pews, statuary, and liturgical appointments — were donated by the people of the parish, and the building itself was a combined priest-and-parishioner effort.
- Style: Gothic Revival wooden church
- Architect: Father Charles Windels, SS.CC. (Belgian, Sacred Hearts)
- Blessed and dedicated: September 8, 1929
- Furnishings: donated by the parishioners
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education for children is provided through the parish CCD program, coordinated by Shirley Sunio. The parish also runs a full Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA / RCIA) process for those seeking to become Catholic or complete their sacraments, plus ongoing Adult Faith Formation. Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during Mass for younger parishioners.
- CCD / Religious Education — Shirley Sunio ([email protected])
- OCIA / RCIA — Eden Pulga; Wanda Bega
- Adult Faith Formation — Manny Meno
- Children's Liturgy — Normand Robert
Youth & Young Adult Ministry
The Youth & Young Adult Ministry's stated mission is "Guiding our Youth to go deeper in the Faith and inspiring our Young Adults to serve the Church so that we may bring Christ's love to future generations." All adult leaders are VIRTUS Safe Environment–trained through the Diocese of Honolulu. The ministry regularly holds events such as the annual Discovery Camp and accepts both volunteers and parent registrations at no fee, while also accepting designated donations through Faith Direct to support youth retreats and fundraisers.
- Leaders: Mark & Maricel Sebastian ([email protected])
- Discovery Camp — annual youth event
- VIRTUS Safe Environment training required for all volunteers
- Donations accepted via Faith Direct to the Youth & Young Adult fund
Family, Music & Liturgical Ministries
Immaculate Conception's parish life is sustained by a broad network of lay-led ministries that animate the liturgy, strengthen family life, and welcome new members. Couples for Christ supports marriage and family life, the Music Ministry leads the congregation in sung worship, and the Liturgy Coordinator works with the pastor to plan celebrations.
- Couples for Christ — Rico & Vinya Manianglug
- Music Ministry — Larry Duclayan
- Liturgy Coordinator — Cecilia Pantohan
- Marriage & Family Life — a stated five-year-plan priority
Council of Ministries (Parish Pastoral Council)
The Parish Pastoral Council, also called the Council of Ministries, is made up of representatives from each parish ministry. It assists the pastor in long-term planning and develops a rolling five-year plan organized around four priorities: Faith Formation, Leadership Development, Strengthening of Marriage and Family Life, and Youth and Young Adult Ministry.
- Faith Formation
- Leadership Development
- Strengthening of Marriage and Family Life
- Youth and Young Adult Ministry
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
The parish walks with families through all the major moments of Catholic life: welcoming children through Baptism, preparing engaged couples for Matrimony, anointing the sick, and accompanying families through the Rite of Christian Burial. House Blessings are also available for registered, practicing Catholic parishioners in good standing with the Church.
- Baptism — Preparation required; contact Baptism Coordinator Lowena Nagamine
- Confirmation — through OCIA/RCIA and CCD programs
- Eucharist — at all scheduled Mass times
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 4:00–4:30 PM or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — call the parish office
- Matrimony — contact the parish office to begin preparation
- Rite of Christian Burial — coordinated with the parish and Hawaii Catholic Cemeteries
- House Blessing — by request (2–3 weeks' notice)
Visit & Contact
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, closing for lunch from 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM. Visitors are warmly welcomed, and House Blessings can be requested online through a fillable PDF form submitted to the parish office or emailed to [email protected].
- Address: 91-1298 Renton Road, Ewa Beach, HI 96706-1913
- Phone: (808) 681-3701
- Fax: (808) 681-3117
- Email: [email protected]
- From H-1 West: take Exit 5A (Ewa), turn right onto Renton Road
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Raymond Delalande, SS.CC.1857–1891
First priest to serve Ewa Plains; French missionary of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts from Normandy who traveled by horse through Ewa, the North Shore, and the Waianae Coast.
- Father Charles Windels, SS.CC.arrived Ewa December 1913; built the church 1929
Energetic Belgian priest who designed, supervised, and personally contributed to the construction of the Gothic wooden church that still stands.