St. Raphael

St. Raphael is the oldest Catholic church in the island of Kauai. It was founded in 1841, two years after Catholics were granted religious freedom in Hawaii. The monarchy and the ruling party were predominantly Protestants at that time. For timeline comparison, though construction of the cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu began in 1840, it was not completed until 1843, so St. Raphael is technically the oldest church in Hawaii!

The parish was established by Fr. Arsenius Walsh, SS.CC., an Irish priest who was a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, based in Paris, and better known as the "Picpus Fathers". The order was founded during the turmoil of the French Revolution. (Fr. Damien belongs to the same order.) After the Sacred Heart missionaries' tenure ended on July 2003, the diocese of Honolulu asked the missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette to take charge of this holy place.

What’s interesting about this parish is they have two church buildings on their grounds! They kept the original stone church and built a more modern larger church as a result of hurricane Iniki in 1992. The old church is very beautiful, especially when you walk inside. It has this sacred “mana” that transports you to another time.

The newer church building is nice, too. It was formally blessed in 2012. It gives off retro-Hawaii vibes for me. Just look at that altar with the cut-out design in the background. The structure also has that all-around open air layout.

We came here for the Saturday vigil mass. The parish was very welcoming. They were very much aware of the marathon event the next day. When they asked for first time visitors to stand up, almost half the congregation got up. Then the priest asked the runners to go to the front for a blessing. How awesome is that? It gave our running another dimension. It shows how ordinary things can be holy.

I regret that we did not arrive earlier to explore more of the church grounds. It seems like they have the Stations of the Cross meander from near the new church and ends at the Risen Christ grotto. That path would have been something to tread. Maybe for next time.