About Sacred Heart · Honolulu, Hawaii
Sacred Heart Church in the Punahou neighborhood of Honolulu is a historic Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Honolulu that, together with Maryknoll School, forms one of the most visible Catholic campuses on Oʻahu. The parish describes itself as a community of 'Missionary Disciples' centered in the Eucharist, with a mission 'to form hearts after the Sacred Heart of Jesus' through prayer, worship, and service. Sacred Heart was established in 1883 as a Marquesville mission chapel and grew into the Gothic Revival church that stands on Wilder Avenue today, a building that has been on both the Hawaiʻi and National Registers of Historic Places since the early 2000s.
- Established
- 1883
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Ese'ese 'Ace' Tui
- Diocese
- Diocese of Honolulu
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a historic, eucharistically-centered parish where families can worship in a beloved Gothic Revival church, send their children to Maryknoll School (the parish school), and grow in faith through a full life of faith formation. The parish combines a deep liturgical tradition — daily Mass, weekday adoration, monthly First Friday and First Saturday devotions, and a contemporary Sunday evening Mass — with practical formation for keiki through Grade 12, an OCIA (formerly RCIA) process for adults and children, and a community that explicitly welcomes inquirers and parishioners into its ongoing faith journey.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- Third Thursday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration ending with Benediction)
- Friday 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Adoration and Benediction)
Our History
Sacred Heart Parish was established in 1883 by French Picpus priest Father Clement Evrard, SS.CC., as a Marquesville mission of Our Lady of Peace Cathedral. After Father Clement's death in 1909, Father (later Bishop) Stephen Alencastre commissioned Honolulu architect E. A. P. Newcomb to design the present Gothic Revival church, which Bishop Libert Boeynaems, SS.CC., blessed on November 1, 1914. The Maryknoll Fathers administered the parish for 71 years before returning it to the Diocese of Honolulu, and the church is now on both the Hawaiʻi State Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1883 – Father Clement Evrard, SS.CC., builds the original wooden chapel at Wilder Avenue and Metcalf Street.
- 1909 – Father Stephen Alencastre, SS.CC., succeeds Fr. Clement and commissions the new church.
- 1914 – Bishop Libert Boeynaems blesses the new Gothic Revival church (Nov. 1).
- 1920s – Bishop Alencastre assigns the parish to the Maryknoll Fathers.
- 1923 – Bachelot Memorial Hall dedicated June 23 with an address by Governor Wallace Rider Farrington.
- 1927 – Maryknoll Sisters arrive and open Maryknoll Grade School; Mediterranean Revival rectory is built.
- 1990s – Maryknoll Fathers turn Sacred Heart over to diocesan administration after 71 years.
- 1999 – Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo clusters Sacred Heart with St. Pius X (Manoa) into the Manoa-Punahou Catholic Community.
- 2001 – Church added to the National Register of Historic Places (Feb. 6).
- 2014 – Parish celebrates its 100th anniversary.
- 2019 – Bishop Larry Silva declusters Sacred Heart and St. Pius X effective Jan. 1.
- 2023 – Improvements at Heart campaign; blessing of Bachelot Hall construction (April 27).
- 2024 – Bachelot Hall reopens in August as the Performing Arts Center.
Architecture & Historic Significance
The present Sacred Heart Church is a Gothic Revival structure built of simulated 'blue stone' blocks — the first church of its kind built in Hawaiʻi — designed by Honolulu architect Edgar Allen P. Newcomb and built by local contractor John Walker. Its most celebrated feature is the set of original stained-glass windows, donated by individual parishioners and parish societies and made in Le Puy, France, which continue to adorn the church today.
- Gothic Revival exterior with simulated 'blue stone' block construction (1914).
- Original Le Puy, France stained-glass windows, donated by parishioners and parish societies.
- Bachelot Memorial Hall (1923), designed by Newcomb and Guylor R. Miller.
- 1927 two-story Mediterranean Revival rectory designed by Rothwell, Kangeter & Lester; built by Walker & Olund.
- Listed on the Hawaiʻi State Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places (Feb. 6, 2001).
Pastoral Team & Staff
Sacred Heart is currently led by Pastor Father Ese'ese 'Ace' Tui, with Father Nicholas Apetorgbor serving as Parochial Vicar and Father Kurt Meyer in residence. The lay staff includes Business Manager Noel Simbajon, Secretary / Liturgy Coordinator Annie Ragus, Religious Education Coordinator Elizabeth Nievera, and Wedding Coordinator Catherine M. Leslie-Lockwood. Parish office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (closed on all state and federal holidays).
- Rev. Ese'ese 'Ace' Tui — Pastor
- Rev. Nicholas Apetorgbor — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Kurt Meyer — In Residence
- Noel Simbajon — Business Manager
- Annie Ragus — Secretary / Liturgy Coordinator
- Elizabeth Nievera — Religious Education Coordinator (Faith Formation Chairperson)
- Catherine M. Leslie-Lockwood — Wedding Coordinator
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at Sacred Heart Church and Maryknoll School is built around the Greek meaning of 'catechesis' — 'to echo the teaching' — and is grounded in Christ's command to make disciples of all nations. Children in Grades K–12 gather on Sundays from 9:30 to 10:45 AM for age-appropriate lessons on Scripture, prayer, and the sacraments, and then join the 11:00 AM Mass as a parish ʻohana. Preparation for Confirmation and First Holy Communion is a two-year journey, and classes are open to both sacrament-prep students and fully initiated children and adults who want to continue growing in faith.
- Faith Formation: Grades K–12 (Sundays 9:30–10:45 AM)
- Sacramental Preparation (Baptism, Confirmation, First Holy Communion — two-year journey)
- Continuing Faith Formation for already-initialized children and adults
- OCIA (formerly RCIA) — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults for unbaptized adults and children age 7+
- Break Open the Word (BOW) — weekly Scripture sharing for OCIA catechumens, held in the Rectory Dining Room and open to inquirers and parishioners
Maryknoll School
Maryknoll School is the parish school of Sacred Heart Church. Founded by the Maryknoll Sisters, who arrived in 1927 to open Maryknoll Grade School, it is today Hawaiʻi's largest coed Catholic school, serving students from pre-K through Grade 12. The school shares the parish's mission 'to form hearts after the Sacred Heart of Jesus,' nurturing both mind and heart so that young people grow into 'men and women of faith, character, and compassion.' The Maryknoll Community Center — a 35,000-square-foot, three-story multipurpose facility for Mass, athletics, school assemblies, and special events — anchors the campus, and Bachelot Hall reopened in August 2024 as a Performing Arts Center.
- Hawaiʻi's largest coed pre-K–12 Catholic school.
- A mission of Sacred Heart Parish; founded by the Maryknoll Sisters in 1927.
- Maryknoll Community Center: 35,000 sq ft, three stories, multipurpose year-round gathering place.
- Bachelot Hall reopened August 2024 as the Performing Arts Center after renovations blessed April 27, 2023.
Ministries & Parish Life
Sacred Heart's ministries focus on forming Missionary Disciples centered in the Eucharist. They range from formal catechesis (OCIA, K–12 Faith Formation, Sacramental Prep, and Continuing Faith Formation) to lay leadership through the Parish Pastoral Council, youth and young adult ministry, and sacramental and liturgical support through the Wedding Coordinator and Liturgy Coordinator. The parish also invites parishioners to get involved through catechist and BOW ministries, with contact person Elizabeth Nievera as Faith Formation Chairperson.
- OCIA / Adult Faith Formation
- Catechists
- Break Open the Word (BOW) Scripture sharing
- Faith Formation K–12 and Continuing Faith Formation
- Sacramental Preparation
- Youth and Young Adult Ministry
- Parish Pastoral Council
- Wedding Coordination
Devotions & Special Liturgies
Beyond daily and Sunday Mass, Sacred Heart nurtures a devotional life rooted in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. First Fridays bring seven hours of Eucharistic Adoration ending in Benediction, and First Saturdays continue the healing mission of the parish with the Anointing of the Sick after the 6:30 AM Mass. The parish describes itself as 'centered in the Eucharist, spreading the word of God,' and its Sunday 5:00 PM Mass offers a more contemporary liturgical style.
- First Friday Adoration & Benediction (7:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
- First Saturday Anointing of the Sick (after 6:30 AM Mass)
- Third Thursday Confession (7:00–8:00 PM)
- Sunday 5:00 PM contemporary Mass
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Clement Evrard, SS.CC.1883–1909
French Picpus priest who arrived in Honolulu in 1864 on the same ship as Father Damien; built the original wooden Sacred Heart chapel at Wilder Avenue and Metcalf Street as a Marquesville mission of Our Lady of Peace Cathedral.
- Father (later Bishop) Stephen Alencastre, SS.CC.1909–1920s
Succeeded Fr. Clement; commissioned architect E. A. P. Newcomb to design the present Gothic Revival church, blessed Nov. 1, 1914; later became a bishop and formally assigned the parish to the Maryknoll Fathers.
- Maryknoll Fathers1920s–c.1996
Administered the parish for 71 years before handing it back to diocesan administration; the Maryknoll Sisters opened Maryknoll Grade School in 1927.
- Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo1999
Clustered Sacred Heart with St. Pius X in Manoa into the Manoa-Punahou Catholic Community.
- Father Gordian Carvalho2007–end of 2018
Shared pastor of the Manoa-Punahou Catholic Community from 2007 until his retirement.
- Father EJ ResintoJan 2019–
Appointed pastor of Sacred Heart on the declustering of the Manoa-Punahou Catholic Community; ordained a priest for the Diocese of Honolulu in 2016 and raised on Kauai.
- Father Ese'ese 'Ace' Tui
Current pastor of Sacred Heart Church and Maryknoll School.