About Our Lady of Seven Sorrows · Kaunakakai, Hawaii
Our Lady of Seven Sorrows is a Roman Catholic mission church on the east side of Molokai, Hawaii, located in the small community of Kalua'aha right across from Ni'aupala Fishpond. Built in 1874 by Blessed Father Damien of Molokai (now Saint Damien), it is one of only two churches he constructed on the island that are still standing today. The mission is served from Saint Damien of Molokai Parish in Kaunakakai, within the Diocese of Honolulu, and is pastored by members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC.) — the same religious order Damien himself belonged to. Sunday Mass is celebrated here at 7:00 AM, and the oceanfront lawn with its large wooden cross is the setting for the parish's beloved annual Easter Sunrise Mass.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- Our Lady of Seven Sorrows (the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Patrick Fanning, SS.CC.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Honolulu
Why belong here
Worshipping at Our Lady of Seven Sorrows means joining a tiny, tight-knit Catholic community gathered in a building Father Damien himself raised by hand in 1874 — one of only two churches he built on Molokai that are still standing. The 7:00 AM Sunday Mass in Kalua'aha offers a quiet, ocean-side setting in the Diocese of Honolulu, served by the same Congregation of the Sacred Hearts (SS.CC.) that Damien belonged to, with faith formation for children, an active pastoral council, and the annual Easter Sunrise Mass held at the great wooden cross on the lawn. For Catholics on the East End of Molokai, it is the spiritual home Damien envisioned when he asked his superiors for 'a chapel and a presbytery in the principal area of the island.'
Mass times at Our Lady of Seven Sorrows
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:30 PM at St. Damien Church (Kaunakakai), or by appointment with the parish priest
Our Lady of Seven Sorrows — Mission Church on Molokai
Our Lady of Seven Sorrows is one of the four Catholic churches that make up Saint Damien Parish of Molokai, alongside St. Damien in Kaunakakai (the main parish), St. Joseph in Kamalo, and St. Vincent Ferrer in Maunaloa. It sits on the East End of the island in the community of Kalua'aha, directly across from Ni'aupala Fishpond, and is the spiritual home of the Catholic families of that coastline. Sunday Mass is celebrated here at 7:00 AM, and the mission is administered by the Sacred Hearts Fathers (SS.CC.) who pastor Saint Damien Parish from Kaunakakai.
- Type: Mission church
- Diocese: Honolulu
- Sunday Mass: 7:00 AM
- Associate parish: Saint Damien of Molokai, Kaunakakai
History — Built by Father Damien in 1874
In 1873 Father Damien wrote to his religious superiors explaining that on the 'topside' of Molokai there were about 200 Catholics 'scattered about' with 'neither chapel nor house for the priest,' and asked permission to build a chapel and presbytery at Kalua'aha. The following summer he spent four months as a carpenter raising the church himself — 44 feet long, 22 feet wide, with 10 Gothic windows and a 50-foot tower. The crucifix was the central focus of the worship space, just as it remains today. One of his most faithful helpers was Andrew Kapalaau Poaha, whose family has remained part of the Molokai Catholic community ever since and is buried in the Queen of Peace Cemetery on the OLSS grounds.
- Founded 1874
- Builder: Blessed Father Damien of Molokai, SS.CC.
- Rebuilt in the early 1960s, retaining original Gothic design
- Andrew Kapalaau Poaha and his wife helped with construction
Kalua'aha — Heart of the Old Molokai Catholic Mission
Kalua'aha was the center of the Molokai Catholic Mission for many years. Nearby Pukoo Landing frequently welcomed missionary priests crossing the channel from Lahaina, Maui. Father Thomas Geloen, SS.CC. administered the various island missions from the Kalua'aha parish church for twenty-eight years, and his rectory still stands on the property.
- Center of the old Molokai Catholic Mission
- Pukoo Landing nearby — frequent arrival point for missionary priests from Maui
- Father Thomas Geloen, SS.CC. served 28 years from the Kalua'aha rectory
The Architecture and Worship Space
Father Damien's 1874 church was Gothic in style: 44 feet long by 22 feet wide, with 10 Gothic windows and a 50-foot tower. The crucifix was and remains the central focus of the worship space. In the early 1960s the structure was rebuilt; the new church preserves the original dimensions, character, and Gothic styling so that a visitor today sees substantially the building Damien raised. A large wooden cross on the expansive lawn faces the ocean and serves as the site for the parish's annual Easter Sunrise Mass.
- 44 ft long × 22 ft wide
- 10 Gothic windows
- 50-foot tower
- Crucifix central to worship space
- Large wooden cross on the ocean-facing lawn (Easter Sunrise Mass)
Easter Sunrise Mass
Every Easter the parish celebrates the Sunrise Mass outdoors at the great wooden cross on the ocean-facing lawn of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows. It is one of the most beloved traditions of the Molokai Catholic community and a pilgrimage highlight for visitors who come to walk in Father Damien's footsteps.
- Held at the large wooden cross on the property facing the ocean
- Annual Easter Sunday tradition
Parish Clergy and Staff
Our Lady of Seven Sorrows is served by the clergy and lay staff of Saint Damien Parish of Molokai, members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC.).
- Rev. Patrick Fanning, SS.CC. — Pastor
- Rev. Patrick Killilea, SS.CC. — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Michael Shizuma — Active Ministry
- Stevie Chaikin — Pastoral Council
- Loretta Kalilikane — Office Assistant
- Pamelyn Fukuoka — Bookkeeper
- Grace Kashiwamura — Religious Education
- Jersula Manaba — Religious Education
Ministries and Faith Formation
Saint Damien Parish, which includes Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, St. Vincent Ferrer, and St. Joseph, organizes parish life around five broad ministry areas: Worship/Liturgy, Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation, Social Ministry, Parish Support, and Stewardship. Religious Education for the children of the parish is coordinated by Grace Kashiwamura and Jersula Manaba. New members are warmly welcomed to register and become involved.
- Worship / Liturgy
- Faith Formation, Education, and Sacramental Preparation
- Social Ministry
- Parish Support
- Stewardship
- Pastoral Council
Visiting and Pilgrimage
Our Lady of Seven Sorrows is one of two surviving 'living shrines' to Father Damien on the topside of Molokai (the other being St. Joseph in Kamalo). Catholic visitors and pilgrims commonly combine a visit here with stops at the Damien museum sites at Kalawao/Kalaupapa. The church sits in Kalua'aha across from the historic Ni'aupala Fishpond, easily reached along Kamehameha V Highway.
- Located in Kalua'aha, across from Ni'aupala Fishpond
- Along Kamehameha V Highway on the East End of Molokai
- Pairs naturally with St. Joseph Church, Kamalo, as the other surviving Damien-built church on topside Molokai
Supporting the Parish
The Saint Damien Parish community is very small and most parishioners are on fixed incomes, yet it maintains four church buildings on the topside of Molokai. Tax-deductible donations can be made online via PayPal (no PayPal account required) or by check payable to 'St. Damien Parish of Molokai' mailed to P.O. Box 1948, Kaunakakai, HI 96748.
- Donate online via PayPal through the parish website
- Checks payable to St. Damien Parish of Molokai
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 1948, Kaunakakai, HI 96748
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Damien (Saint Damien of Molokai)1874 builder
Built Our Lady of Seven Sorrows as a carpenter; journeyed from Kalawao over the Wailau Valley to serve the Catholics of the East End.
- Father Burgermann, SS.CC.early resident priest
One of the first resident priests on Molokai, based at Kalua'aha; sickly, and assisted by Father Damien.
- Father Thomas Geloen, SS.CC.served ~28 years
Administered the various island missions from the Kalua'aha parish church for twenty-eight years; his rectory still stands.
- Father John Van Gils, SS.CC.prior to 1976
Restored both of Father Damien's surviving mission churches (Our Lady of Seven Sorrows and St. Joseph).
- Father Simon, SS.CC.1976 onward
Named pastor of the East End missions in 1976.
- Father Brian Killilea, SS.CC.
Referenced on the parish history pages as a later SS.CC. priest serving the Molokai missions.
- Rev. Patrick Fanning, SS.CC.current
Current Pastor of Saint Damien Parish of Molokai and its associated missions, including Our Lady of Seven Sorrows.