Tripler Army Medical Center

About the Catholic Chapel at Tripler Army Medical Center

The Catholic chapel at Tripler Army Medical Center is the Roman Catholic worship site embedded inside the largest U.S. Army medical facility in the Asian and Pacific Rim. It is part of Tripler's Department of Ministry and Pastoral Care and operates under the canonical authority of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS). Its mission is to provide the Mass, the sacraments, and 24-hour pastoral care to active-duty service members, retirees, veterans receiving care at Tripler, their families, and the hospital staff. The chapel is on the third floor of D-Wing; a separate 24-hour Meditation Chapel is also available on the sixth floor of A-Wing, room 007, near the Surgical Suite.

Mass and Worship Schedule

The official religious-services schedule published by Tripler Army Medical Center lists Catholic Mass on weekdays and weekends, alongside Protestant, Jewish and Muslim services coordinated across the Hawaii military community. Catholic Mass is celebrated in English; no Filipino, Korean, Spanish, or Tagalog Masses are listed on the published schedule.

• Monday — 12:00 p.m.
• Tuesday — 12:00 p.m.
• Wednesday — 12:00 p.m.
• Thursday — 12:00 p.m.
• Saturday Vigil — 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday — 11:00 a.m.

Sacraments and Pastoral Care

Because Tripler is a hospital chapel, sacramental ministry reaches far beyond the chapel walls. Patients may receive Holy Communion, Anointing of the Sick, and Reconciliation at their bedside on request. The Chaplain's Office also provides pastoral counseling for religious, personal, marriage and family concerns.

• Confession — upon request (contact 808-433-5727)
• Anointing of the Sick — bedside ministry to patients
• Holy Communion — brought to patient rooms on request
• Pastoral counseling — religious, personal, marriage and family issues
• 24/7 on-call Catholic chaplain

Other Faith Services at Tripler and on Oahu

The Tripler chaplaincy coordinates religious services across faith traditions for the Hawaii military community. Jewish services are held at the Aloha Jewish Chapel at Pearl Harbor (808-477-1459). The Islamic Prayer and Study Group meets Fridays at 1:00 p.m. in Bldg. 791, Schofield Barracks (808-655-9307 / 808-655-8763). General Protestant worship at Tripler is celebrated Sundays at 9:00 a.m. Referrals for other religious groups can be made through the Tripler Chaplain's Office at 808-433-5727.

• Protestant — General Protestant worship, Sunday 9:00 a.m. at Tripler
• Jewish — Aloha Jewish Chapel, Pearl Harbor (808-477-1459)
• Muslim — Islamic Prayer and Study Group, Friday 1:00 p.m., Bldg. 791 Schofield Barracks
• Meditation Chapel — 6th floor, A-Wing, room 007 at Tripler, open 24 hours

History of Tripler Army Medical Center

Tripler's history stretches back to 1907, when several wooden buildings in Fort Shafter's Palm Circle served as a military hospital on O'ahu. In 1920 the facility was named after Brevet Brigadier General Charles Stuart Tripler, a Civil War surgeon whose innovations shaped American military medicine. After the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the old 450-bed hospital could no longer meet demand, and in 1942 plans were drawn for a much larger replacement on Moanalua Ridge. Lt. Gen. Robert C. Richardson Jr., Military Governor of the Territory of Hawai'i, hired the New York firm York & Sawyer; the distinctive pink-coral exterior was reportedly chosen by Richardson himself and modeled on the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Wings A through E were completed in 1948 at a cost of $41 million, and a major 1985 expansion added the F, G and H wings (433,000 square feet).

• 1907 — Hospital established in wooden buildings at Fort Shafter
• 1920 — Named for Civil War surgeon Bvt. Brig. Gen. Charles Stuart Tripler
• 1941 — Pearl Harbor attack exposes need for a larger hospital
• 1942 — Plans drawn for a new facility on Moanalua Ridge
• 1944–1948 — Wings A–E constructed ($41 million)
• 1985 — F, G and H wings expansion completed (433,000 sq ft added)

Clergy and Leadership

Catholic ministry at Tripler is currently delivered by a contract Roman Catholic priest endorsed by the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. A previous contract (Purchase Order W912CN20P0051, awarded July 2020) was held by Father Louis Albrecht; a new solicitation (W912CN-25-Q-A024) was posted in July 2025 to continue this ministry from September 2025 through September 2031. The Archdiocese for the Military Services, headed by Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, is the sole Department of Defense ecclesiastical authority for endorsing Catholic priests who serve the U.S. Armed Forces. Catholic chaplains from the broader U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii, including Father Jason Dechenne, CH (CPT), USA, and Father John M. Shimotsu, CHC, CAPT, USN, have ministered alongside the Tripler contract priest and the garrison's Catholic Pastoral Life Coordinator.

• Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio — Archbishop for the Military Services, USA (ecclesiastical endorser)
• Father Louis Albrecht — contract Catholic priest, 2020–2025 contract period
• Father Jason Dechenne, CH (CPT), USA — Catholic priest, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii
• Father John M. Shimotsu, CHC, CAPT, USN — Catholic priest, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii
• Mrs. Tracey Harger — Catholic Pastoral Life Coordinator, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii (2019 recipient, Medal of the Archdiocese)

Volunteer and Pastoral Life Coordination

Because uniformed Catholic chaplains are frequently unavailable due to unit duties, deployments, or convalescence, lay Catholic Pastoral Life Coordinators play a vital role in sustaining worship and faith formation at Tripler and across U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. In 2019, Mrs. Tracey Harger was awarded the Medal of the Archdiocese by Archbishop Broglio for volunteering up to 40 hours a week over three years — setting up and preparing for Masses and services, teaching sacramental preparation courses, maintaining sacramental records, and providing continuity of leadership when priest-chaplains were absent.

• Sacramental preparation courses
• Liturgical setup and coordination for Masses and services
• Maintenance of sacramental records
• Continuity of community leadership when chaplains are deployed or unavailable

Visiting Tripler AMC

The chapel is inside the main Tripler Army Medical Center building, D-Wing, 3rd floor. Patients, staff, family members, and authorized visitors may attend scheduled Masses; those wishing to receive the sacraments should call the Chaplain's Office at 808-433-5727. The hospital sits on Moanalua Ridge and is visible from across the Honolulu district; parking is available on the Tripler campus. Because Tripler is an active military installation, visitors should be prepared for standard military access procedures.

• Chapel location: D-Wing, 3rd floor
• Chaplain's Office: 808-433-5727 (24/7)
• After-hours contact: Hospital Information Desk, 808-433-6661
• Address: 1 Jarrett White Road, Honolulu, HI 96859
• Website: https://tripler.tricare.mil/Patient-Resources/Religious-Services