About St. Francis · Kalaupapa, Hawaii
St. Francis of Assisi Church (commonly called St. Francis Church, Kalaupapa) is a Roman Catholic parish located on the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the island of Molokai, Hawaii. It is the parish church for the patient-residents of the historic Kalaupapa Settlement and is served by priests of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC.) — the same religious order that sent Saint Damien of Molokai to minister there beginning in 1873. The present church was dedicated in 1908 in Italian Gothic style, and it sits within what is now Kalaupapa National Historical Park. Note: although its history page is hosted on the St. Damien Catholic Parish (topside Molokai) website, St. Francis Kalaupapa is administratively its own parish in the Diocese of Honolulu.
- Established
- 1873
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Patrick Killilea, SS.CC.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Honolulu
Why belong here
St. Francis Church Kalaupapa is the spiritual home of the patient-residents of the Kalaupapa Settlement, served continuously by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary since Father Damien arrived in 1873. Daily Mass, Saturday morning Mass, and Sunday Mass keep the rhythm of Catholic life and devotion alive in one of the most historically significant Catholic sites in the Pacific, within the sacred landscape of Kalaupapa National Historical Park. For the remaining resident-patients and the small Catholic community on the peninsula, the parish is the continuing living legacy of Saints Damien and Marianne Cope — a place of prayer, fellowship, and welcome to pilgrims who come (with sponsor and permit) to venerate the saints and pray where they prayed.
Mass times at St. Francis
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Francis Church, Kalaupapa
St. Francis of Assisi Church sits on the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the north shore of Molokai, Hawaii, and is the parish church for the small Catholic community of patient-residents living in the Kalaupapa Settlement. It is served by priests of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC.) and is part of the Diocese of Honolulu. The parish's informational page is hosted on the St. Damien Catholic Parish website for topside Molokai, but the parish itself is administratively distinct — the page clearly notes that St. Francis Church is not a part of the St. Damien Catholic Parish on topside Molokai.
- Parish of the Diocese of Honolulu (Central Vicariate)
- Served by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC.)
- Located inside Kalaupapa National Historical Park
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 9, Kalaupapa, HI 96742-0009
History of St. Francis Church
The parish traces its origins to 1873, when Father Damien of Molokai — a Belgian priest of the Sacred Hearts — arrived on the Kalaupapa Peninsula to minister to Hansen's disease patients quarantined there. Damien built a small chapel that same fall, named Our Lady Health of the Sick; two years later he rebuilt it, and in 1881 he enlarged this second structure to serve as the parish church for Kalaupapa town.
- 1873: Father Damien builds the original chapel, Our Lady Health of the Sick
- 1875: chapel rebuilt
- 1881: chapel enlarged to serve as parish church
- 1900: replaced by a much larger ornate wooden church named St. Francis of Assisi; Damien's earlier church relocated to the present Damien Hall site
- 1906: the wooden church burns to the ground in under an hour after altar boys are careless with lighted charcoal
- 1908: present reinforced-concrete Italian Gothic St. Francis Church rebuilt and dedicated
Architecture of the 1908 Church
The present St. Francis Catholic Church is built in the Italian Gothic style in reinforced concrete, replacing the ornate wooden church lost in the 1906 fire. Its design is distinctive for its combination of Gothic ecclesiastical features with a tropical utilitarian roof.
- Italian Gothic style, reinforced concrete
- Corner bell tower with kicked eaves
- Gothic arches with double-hung windows
- Quatrefoil windows
- Side buttresses
- Large corrugated-metal gable roof
Clergy and Staff
The parish is staffed by two Sacred Hearts priests. The current pastor has served since 2012; a parochial vicar assists with ministry on the peninsula.
- Rev. Patrick Killilea, SS.CC. — Pastor (installed July 11, 2012)
- Rev. Patrick Fanning, SS.CC. — Parochial Vicar
Father Patrick Killilea, SS.CC. — Pastor
Father Patrick was born and raised on a small farm in the west of Ireland. Like Father Damien, he is a son of farmers and was recruited by the Sacred Hearts in Ireland in 1962. He came to the seminary in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, in 1963 and was ordained in his homeland in 1969. Most of his years of ministry were spent in SS.CC. parishes in southeastern Massachusetts, with three years of service in the Bahamas. He first visited Kalaupapa in 2004, returned to fill in for the summer of 2006, and was installed as pastor of St. Francis Church by Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva on July 11, 2012. In 2023 he celebrated 60 years of profession in the Sacred Hearts order.
- Ordained 1969 in Ireland
- Joined Sacred Hearts in Ireland, August 1962
- Served SS.CC. parishes in SE Massachusetts and three years in the Bahamas
- First visited Kalaupapa 2004; filled in summer 2006; installed pastor July 11, 2012
- 2023 jubilarian — 60 years of religious profession
Father Patrick Fanning, SS.CC. — Parochial Vicar
Father Patrick Fanning is a Sacred Hearts priest serving as parochial vicar alongside Father Killilea at St. Francis Church. In a reflection posted on his Twitter account on September 30, 2022, he wrote of his new assignment: "Moving to new assignment on Molokai… years after studying about Fr. Damien in 5th grade…saying I would never join a religious congregation that would send a priest alone to an island. God has a sense of humor."
Connection to Saint Damien of Molokai
St. Francis Church is inseparable from the story of Saint Damien of Molokai (Jozef De Veuster, SS.CC.; 3 January 1840 – 15 April 1889), the Belgian priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts who arrived at Kalaupapa on 10 May 1873 and served the patients until his death from leprosy at age 49. Damien built the first chapel on the Kalaupapa side in 1873, and the parish church that bears the name of his patron — Saint Francis of Assisi, patron of missionaries — has continued the Sacred Hearts mission ever since. Damien was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1995 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on 11 October 2009; his feast day is 10 May (obligatory in Hawaii, optional elsewhere in the United States).
- Damien arrived Kalaupapa 10 May 1873
- Built first chapel (Our Lady Health of the Sick) that same fall
- Beatified 4 June 1995 by Pope John Paul II
- Canonized 11 October 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI
- Feast day 10 May; patron of people with leprosy and patron saint of the Diocese of Honolulu
Visiting Kalaupapa and Access
Kalaupapa is administered by the Hawaii State Department of Health, and access has been tightly restricted. All tours are currently cancelled until further notice, and the mule trail down the steep north shore cliffs — historically the main way in — is closed. Flying is essentially the only permissible way in and out, and visitors must prearrange a visit and secure a permit. Father Patrick Killilea and the Franciscan sisters help sponsor approved visitors. The parish phone number is (808) 567-6238 and email is [email protected] for inquiries.
- All tours cancelled until further notice
- Mule trail closed; air travel is the normal access
- Department of Health permit required in advance
- Father Killilea and Sister Lau serve as sponsors for visitors/pilgrims
- Phone: (808) 567-6238 — Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- St. Damien (Father Damien De Veuster, SS.CC.)1873–1889
Built the original 1873 Our Lady Health of the Sick chapel, rebuilt and enlarged it, then in 1900 (posthumously named) the wooden St. Francis of Assisi replaced it. Died 15 April 1889; canonized 2009.
- Rev. Patrick Killilea, SS.CC.installed July 11, 2012 – present
Born and raised on a small farm in western Ireland; joined the Sacred Hearts in Ireland in 1962; ordained in Ireland in 1969; most of his ministry served in SS.CC. parishes in southeastern Massachusetts and three years in the Bahamas. Visited Kalaupapa in 2004, filled in for the summer of 2006, and was installed as pastor by Bishop Larry Silva on July 11, 2012.