About Our Lady of Sorrows · Wahiawa, Hawaii
Our Lady of Sorrows Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Wahiawa, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, within the Diocese of Honolulu and the Central Oahu Vicariate. Founded as a mission in 1928 and elevated to parish status in 1939, the parish serves the central Oahu community from its church and rectory on California Avenue, which were blessed in 1959 by Bishop James Sweeney. Today Our Lady of Sorrows is a multi-generational, multicultural parish that celebrates Mass in English and Ilocano, runs a Religious Education program and a Youth Ministry, and offers a full slate of liturgical ministries (altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, hospitality/ushers, sacristans, and music).
- Established
- 1928 (mission); 1939 (parish)
- Patron
- Our Lady of Sorrows (the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of her Seven Sorrows)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Octavius Moo (Parish Administrator, as of 2023)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Honolulu (Vicariate: Central Oahu)
Why belong here
Our Lady of Sorrows is a long-established parish that takes stewardship seriously — giving of time, talent, and treasure — and welcomes everyone through education, social action, worship, and the proclamation of the Gospel. It offers English and Ilocano Masses, a Religious Education program for children, a Wednesday-night Youth Ministry for middle- and high-schoolers, and a wide range of liturgical roles (altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers, music, hospitality, sacristans) so that nearly any parishioner can find a meaningful way to serve.
Mass times at Our Lady of Sorrows
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM - 4:45 PM
- Also by appointment (call the parish office)
History of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish
Our Lady of Sorrows began as a 1928 mission church in the plantation town of Wahiawa, was elevated to parish status in 1939, and built its present church on California Avenue in 1959. Through the decades it has been served by pastors from the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the Diocese of Honolulu, the Third Order Regular Franciscans, and a stable of diocesan clergy, while running its own parish school for nearly 40 years.
- 1928 — Mission established; original structure moved from Ewa
- 1939 — Mission becomes a parish under Bishop Alencastre
- 1959 — New church and rectory blessed by Bishop Sweeney
- 1961-62 — School and convent built; Sister Joan Malden, BVM, first principal
- 2003-04 — 75th anniversary celebrated
- 2018 — 90th anniversary celebrated
- 2020 — Parish hall and restrooms rebuilt
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Religious Education program prepares children for the sacraments and accompanies families in passing on the Catholic faith. The parish is regularly in need of catechists and assistants and lists concrete reasons to volunteer — growing in one's own faith, sharing in Jesus' ministry, handing on a 2000-year-old Tradition, and evangelizing.
- Coordinator: Alan Kim (ext. 9723) / [email protected]
- Open registration for the school-year program
- Volunteer roles: catechists and catechist assistants
Youth Ministry
The parish Youth Ministry provides a safe, fun Catholic community for middle- and high-school youth, answers questions about faith, and gives young people a chance to encounter Jesus personally. Youth Nights are held Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 PM in the Parish Hall.
- Contact: Lisa Gomes and Udie (Trudy) Algoso — [email protected]
- Core Team of adult volunteers ('youth ministers')
- Annual participation in the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) and diocesan youth events such as Big Island Youth Day
- Special events: Living Stations of the Cross, Holyween, lock-ins, fundraisers
Young Adult Ministry
A Young Adult Ministry is listed for the parish, giving young adults their own pathway for faith formation, fellowship, and discernment within the OLS community.
- Led by Kainoa Fukumoto (Music / Young Adult coordinator)
Liturgical Ministries
OLS believes liturgical participation — whether visible or behind the scenes — is a baptismal call to serve one another. The parish schedules all liturgical roles through an interactive online scheduler and invites parishioners to fill out a ministry-interest form.
- Altar Servers
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Hospitality / Ushers
- Lectors
- Music Ministry
- Sacristans
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry supports the sung liturgy at all weekend and daily Masses. Kainoa Fukumoto serves as Music Director and also coordinates the Young Adult Ministry.
- Music Director: Mr. Kainoa Fukumoto (ext. 4337)
- Coordinator of the Young Adult Ministry as well
Stewardship
OLS describes itself as believing 'in stewardship as a way of Christian living,' meaning parishioners give back to God the best of their time, talent, and treasure. The parish holds an Annual Stewardship Renewal each year and uses online giving through the WeShare platform.
- Time, talent, and treasure
- Annual Stewardship Renewal Month
- Online giving via olswahiawa.weshareonline.org
Parish Staff
The parish is led by a Parish Administrator, supported by permanent deacons, an Office Manager, a Religious Education Coordinator, a Youth Ministry coordinator, a Music Director, and a Liturgy Coordinator.
- Parochial Administrator: Rev. Fr. Nicholas Apetorgbor (ext. 9721)
- Deacons: Rev. Mr. Dino (Celestino) Emwalu; Rev. Mr. Wally Mitsui (retired); Rev. Mr. Benjamin Awana (retired)
- Office Manager: Ms. Rossana 'Rani' Laurel (ext. 9720)
- Religious Education Coordinator: Mr. Alan Kim (ext. 9723)
- Music Director: Mr. Kainoa Fukumoto (ext. 4337)
- Liturgy Coordinator: (ext. 4337)
- Youth Ministry: Lisa Gomes & Udie Algoso
Our Lady of Sorrows School (Historical)
From 1961 to 2003 the parish ran its own Catholic elementary school, Our Lady of Sorrows School, staffed initially by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM). The school and convent were consecrated by Bishop Sweeney in 1962, with Sister Joan Malden, BVM, as the first principal. Mrs. Deborah Bee was the first lay principal (1991-2002), followed by Mrs. Margaret Yamamoto (2002-03); at the end of the 2002-2003 school year the parish made the difficult decision to close the school.
- Sisters of Charity of the BVM staffed the school and convent
- 1962: school and convent consecrated by Bishop Sweeney
- 2002-2003: school year closed; parish school operations ended
Facilities & Campus
The parish campus at 1403-A California Avenue includes the 1959 church, the rectory, the former convent/school building, and the parish hall, which underwent a major rebuild in 2020.
- Church (blessed 1959)
- Rectory (1959)
- Convent (1961-62)
- Parish Hall (rebuilt 2020) — used for Youth Ministry nights and parish gatherings
Contact & Visit
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Visitors can find Our Lady of Sorrows in central Wahiawa on California Avenue.
- Address: 1403-A California Avenue, Wahiawa, HI 96786
- Phone: (808) 621-5109; Fax: (808) 622-5073
- Emergency line: (808) 621-0552
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon-Fri, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Peter Van Megan, SS.CC.1939
Appointed first pastor when mission became a parish by Bishop Stephen Alencastre, SS.CC.
- Father Modestus Vos, SS.CC.1944
Second pastor.
- Father Octave Igodt, SS.CC.1949
Led the planning and fundraising drive for the new church at 1403 California Avenue.
- Father Bonaventure Crols, SS.CC.1959
Became pastor shortly before the new church was blessed; Father Paul Zegers, SS.CC., served as associate.
- Father Louis Boeynaems, SS.CC.1966
Last Sacred Hearts pastor of OLS until 2012.
- Father Alan Nagai1969
Introduced stewardship, parish finance committee, and lay school board.
- Father Gary Colton1977
- Father Clarence Liu1982
- Father Salvator Stefula, T.O.R.1984
Paid off the parish debt and made substantial improvements to the church, rectory, and convent.
- Father Dale Guidry1986
Administrator; continued planning process begun in 1987.
- Father Clarence L. "Larry" Fisher1990
Long-serving pastor; retired in 2007.
- Father Edgar Brillantes2007 (administrator); 2008 (pastor)
Appointed administrator by Bishop Larry Silva; incardinated into Diocese of Honolulu and installed as pastor in 2008.
- Father Clyde Guerrero, SS.CC.2012
Marked the return of a Sacred Hearts priest to the parish.
- Father Richard McNally, SS.CC.2013
- Father Ajith Kumar Antony Dass, SS.CC.2016
- Father Falaniko Atonio2019
Parish Administrator; oversaw the 2020 parish-hall rebuild.
- Father Octavius Moo2023
Current Parish Administrator.