About St. Roch · Kahuku, Hawaii
St. Roch Catholic Church is a parish in the Diocese of Honolulu serving the rural North Shore community of Kahuku on Oahu, Hawaii. Originally founded in 1917 on land ceded by the Kahuku Plantation Company, the parish today oversees its main church in Kahuku and the mission church of St. Joachim in nearby Punalu'u. Guided by its mission to 'Be the heart of Jesus for others' and its vision to 'be joyful disciples equipped to witness Jesus by living and sharing our faith with all,' St. Roch provides Sunday and weekday Masses, reconciliation, adoration, Divine Mercy devotions, religious education, Knights of Columbus service, and a wide range of lay ministries led by its parishioners.
- Established
- 1917
- Patron
- Saint Roch (St. Roch)
- Rector
- Father Joseph 'Bong' Diaz
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu
Why belong here
St. Roch is the spiritual home of the rural Koolauloa (North Shore) Catholic community, with two worship sites — St. Roch Church in Kahuku and its mission, St. Joachim, in Punalu'u — that together keep Mass available across a long stretch of Oahu's windward coast. The parish lives its mission to 'be the heart of Jesus for others' through active lay ministry: a Knights of Columbus council, Divine Mercy devotion, altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, music ministry, religious education, a marriage preparation team, a bereavement coordinator, stewardship, and a building and grounds committee that maintains the grotto and grounds. With roots reaching back to 1917 on land given by the Kahuku Plantation Company, it is a parish where generations of plantation, surf-town and North Shore families have worshipped together.
Mass times at St. Roch
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Friday: 7:15 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. (St. Roch)
- Wednesday: 8:15 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. (St. Roch)
- By appointment every Tuesday and Thursday (St. Roch)
- Saturday: 4:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. (St. Joachim, Punalu'u)
Adoration times
- First Friday Holy Hour: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Meditation at St. Roch: 3:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. on every second and fourth Wednesday
About St. Roch Parish
St. Roch Catholic Parish has served the Catholic faithful of Oahu's Koolauloa (North Shore) District since 1917, when its first church was built on land ceded by the Kahuku Plantation Company and blessed. Today the parish operates from its main church at 56-350 Kamehameha Highway in Kahuku and shares ministry with its mission church, St. Joachim, in Punalu'u. Its stated mission is to 'Be the heart of Jesus for others,' and its vision to 'be joyful disciples equipped to witness Jesus by living and sharing our faith with all.' The current pastor is Father Joseph 'Bong' Diaz.
Parish History
Founded in 1917 on sugar-plantation land, St. Roch grew with the Kahuku community through the 20th century. The parish marked its centennial in August 2017 with a Thanksgiving Mass celebrated by Bishop Larry Silva and a full year of faith and fellowship events, including a novena, retreat, bazaar, church and hall repairs, convalidation of marriages, beach party at St. Joachim, Bible workshop, month-long house-to-house rosary in 29 homes from Pupukea to Hau'ula (closing with a 'living rosary' at Mary's grotto), homeless outreach, and a Simbang Gabi Mass. The 2017 centennial Mass theme was 'Christ Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.'
- 1917 — First church blessed and dedicated on land ceded by the Kahuku Plantation Company.
- 2017 — Centennial Thanksgiving Mass presided over by Bishop Larry Silva (Aug 20); year-long celebration events.
- Centennial theme: 'Christ Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.'
St. Joachim Mission, Punalu'u
The parish's associated mission, St. Joachim Church, is located at 53-543 Kamehameha Highway in Hau'ula and serves the Punalu'u community. A Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at St. Joachim at 5:00 p.m., and Reconciliation is offered there every Saturday from 4:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Mark Hazzard serves as Music Director for St. Joachim.
- St. Joachim Church — 53-543 Kamehameha Hwy, Hau'ula, HI 96717
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 5:00 p.m.
- Confession — Saturday 4:15 – 4:45 p.m.
Parish Ministries
A full slate of lay-led ministries supports the life of St. Roch, organized under the pastor Father Joseph 'Bong' Diaz. Each ministry is led by a named parishioner coordinator, reflecting the parish's strong stewardship culture.
- Altar Servers — Carolyn Alameida
- Bereavement Coordinator — Sharin Au
- Bookkeeper — Margaret Primacio
- Building Committee Chairmen — James Oellien
- Bulletin Editor — Roy Nacapuy
- Divine Mercy Chairman — Lydia Daquioag
- Church Secretary — Kay Yumoto-Wagner
- Marriage & Wedding Chairman — Pastor & Kay Yumoto-Wagner
- Extraordinary Ministers — Junior Garo
- Finance Council Chair — Jodi Lam
- Knights of Columbus Grand Knight — Roy Nacapuy
- Lector Coordinator — Myrna Ramos
- Music Director (St. Roch) — Amy Swiderski
- Music Director (St. Joachim) — Mark Hazzard
- Pastoral Council Chair — Federico Mejia Jr.
- Religious Education Coordinator — Amy Swiderski
- Sacristan — Cleofe Mejia
- Safety Manager — Earl Alameida
- Stewardship Coordinator — (parishioner)
- Ushers — Jun Garo
- Groundskeeper Chairman — Alberto Pasol
- Young Adults ministry
- Web Master
Religious Education
Faith formation for children and adults is coordinated by Amy Swiderski, who also serves as the parish Music Director for St. Roch. The Religious Education program is part of the parish's broader five-year plan to increase fellowship and faith formation in the Koolauloa community.
- Religious Education Coordinator — Amy Swiderski
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the sacraments on the schedule above (Mass and Confession) and by appointment for baptism, marriage, and anointing of the sick. Marriage preparation is led jointly by the pastor and the parish secretary/marriage chairperson, Kay Yumoto-Wagner.
- Reconciliation — see schedule
- Marriage / Wedding preparation
- Baptism — by arrangement with parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
Parish Staff & Councils
St. Roch is led by Pastor Father Joseph 'Bong' Diaz and supported by a Parish Secretary (Kay Yumoto-Wagner), Religious Education Coordinator (Amy Swiderski), Pastoral Council Chair (Boy / Federico Mejia Jr.) and Finance Council Chair (Jodi Lam), as listed by the Diocese of Honolulu.
- Pastor — Fr. Joseph 'Bong' Diaz
- Secretary — Kay Yumoto-Wagner
- Religious Education — Amy Swiderski
- Pastoral Council — Boy Mejia / Federico Mejia Jr.
- Finance Council — Jodi Lam
Parish Patron: Saint Roch
The parish is named for Saint Roch (c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79), a French-born pilgrim and confessor from Montpellier venerated especially as a protector against plague and infectious disease, and patron of bachelors, dogs, invalids, the falsely accused, pilgrims, surgeons and others. His universal feast day in the Roman Calendar is August 16, which the parish observes as its patronal feast. He is traditionally depicted as a pilgrim revealing a plague sore on his thigh, accompanied by a dog carrying bread.
- Patron — Saint Roch of Montpellier
- Feast day — August 16
- Venerated as protector against plague and epidemics
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
Parish Office hours are 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The office phone is 808-293-5026 (fax 808-293-1737), email [email protected], and the mailing address is P.O. Box 295, Kahuku, HI 96731.
- Parish Office: 808-293-5026
- Fax: 808-293-1737
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Sydney Fernandes
Mentioned as pastor of St. Roch Church in a 2000 Honolulu Star-Bulletin article on longtime volunteer Angel Ramos.
- Father Jun Postrano
Served as pastor during the 2017 centennial year; led the October 30-day house-to-house rosary under his spiritual guidance.
- Father Joseph 'Bong' Diaz
Current pastor (Parish Priest); listed on the official website and the Diocese of Honolulu parish page.