The church building today, above, rests in the nearby village of Kaimu and is open to visitors. (Photo courtesy of Big Island Processing)
As lava from Kilauea volcano on the Big Island continues to encroach on the town of Pahoa, some local Catholics can recall a time almost 25 years ago, when similar preparations were being made to spare as many homes and livelihoods from a molten rock flow headed straight for the village of Kalapana.
Kalapana, a subdivision on the Big Island’s eastern coast, was completely overrun by lava during a six-month period in 1990. Dozens of homes, a Protestant church and a decades-old family store were among the community’s structures buried under 60 feet of volcanic rock.
Saved from calamity was a lucky little Catholic church. Star of the Sea, a historic “painted church,” was transported by flatbed truck out of the lava’s path to a safe area in neighboring Kaimu.
Star of the Sea still stands today. A small group of dedicated caretakers has kept the church building intact, sharing with visitors its story of survival and its enduring link to a Big Island town that once was.
Used lumber and house paint
Star of the Sea church on the Big Island was transported by flatbed truck out of Kalapana just before lava covered the entire town in 1990.
The tiny, light green church, with colorful, hand-painted works of religious art adorning its ceiling and walls bears a rich history. Sacred Hearts Father Evarist Gielen built Star of the Sea in 1930 as a mission of Sacred Heart Church in Pahoa, which was built in 1898 about 10 miles inland from Kalapana.
Star of the Sea was constructed out of lumber from nearby run-down churches for a mere $2,500. Father Gielen used house paints mixed with linseed oil to decorate the church with vivid scriptural scenes and devotional drawings. Other visitors lent their artistic touches to Star of the Sea in the 1960s and 1970s.
It is one of three Big Island “painted churches,” the others being St. Theresa Church in Mountain View and St. Benedict in Honaunau.
Star of the Sea sturdily withstood numerous natural disasters — hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis — that have struck the Big Island. Its first notable threat from lava happened in 1977, when a flow from Kilauea volcano reportedly stopped a half mile from the church.
Star of the Sea is one of three Big Island “painted churches” , with religious artwork adorning its ceiling and walls. (Photo courtesy of Big Island Processing)
By 1986, the entire area in the vicinity of the church had to be evacuated as lava ran relentlessly through Kalapana. A few parishioners, however, continued to attend weekly Sunday morning Mass at Star of the Sea until May, 1990. A Kohala contractor that month offered to move the 22 by 48 ft. church building, with its bell tower and rear sacristy, free of charge.
Star of the Sea originally sat on a half-acre of diocesan land in Kalapana about 25 yards from the ocean. The quaint country church now rests in the adjacent village of Kaimu, roughly 1.5 miles east of its previous location, just off Highway 130 mile markers 19 and 20. It is surrounded by lush farmland and lies a short distance from the Big Island’s eastern shoreline.
No longer an active church
Star of the Sea is owned today by the Kalapana Ohana Association. It was “decommissioned” by the diocese and no longer serves as an active Catholic house of worship. Visitors, however, are still able to stop by and appreciate the church’s historical heritage.
Roseanna Kanoa, owner of the Big Island Processing company, has been investing her time, talent and treasure to take care of Star of the Sea. She grows fruits and sells products made from noni plants at her business across the street from the church.
Kanoa told the Hawaii Catholic Herald in a Nov. 12 phone interview that she began taking interest in Star of the Sea after curious tourists regularly came over to her farm asking questions about the church.
The Kalapana Ohana Association, Kanoa said, has very few “active members,” and for years couldn’t afford the insurance and logistical requirements to have the church open for visitors.
In 2005, Kanoa began sprucing up the church building and using her own money to finance its needs. Community volunteers and Big Island Processing staff have also pitched in their services to maintain the church property.
“That’s how I got involved … so they can open the doors,” she said. “It’s our own goodwill to do.”
Star of the Sea is open every day. Visitors can enjoy its homespun artwork, say a quick prayer in the pews and take home souvenirs and religious items for a small donation.
Mass is still celebrated there on the first Friday of each month. Since the diocese does not administer the Star of the Sea, Big Island priests volunteer to celebrate these liturgies.
Only about 10 faithful attend the monthly Mass, Kanoa said. Most of them are parishioners from Sacred Heart Church in Pahoa. Kanoa noted that very few parishioners from the old-time Kalapana Catholic community have returned to visit Star of the Sea.
The church has become a popular stop for travel companies and cruises stopping by the Big Island. One tour company, Kanoa said, provides “a good donation” for the church every month. In turn, she has allowed this company to set up a canopy on the property for its tourists to enjoy lunch next to the church.
The donations received from tourists have “doubled” over time, Kanoa noted. It is a blessing for her and those who have come to love caring for Star of the Sea. They are now able to finance repairs to the aging church roof and work with contractors to freshen up its exterior paint.
The paintings inside the church are beginning to peel but remain in good condition. Kanoa explained that these works of art would be impossible to restore without the help of a specialized craftsman.
“Most of it is still intact,” Kanoa said. “Other than that, it’s a very warm (church). People come down to say prayers, whether they’re Catholic or not.”
Kanoa, a Catholic originally from Maui, said she and other volunteers would gladly maintain Star of the Sea for as long as they can. The church’s remote location can be a problem, however. Kanoa noted that drug users have trespassed on the property before and desecrated the sacred space.
“We’ve been robbed a few times,” she said.
The ongoing lava flow that has been smoldering toward Pahoa “is going to create a lot of turmoil” as well, Kanoa added. She resides in Mountain View and worries how the lava will affect road closures and the commute into Kaimu.
She hopes visitors will continue to come to the church nonetheless.
“I don’t know what’s the future for Star of the Sea,” Kanoa said.
