Father (later Bishop) Louis Maigret’s Aug. 15, 1843, journal entry recording the day of the dedication of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace was certainly succinct. It starts with a single word, “Komohale,” Hawaiian for “housewarming,” or “coming into a new house.” The image above is from Bishop Maigret’s journal from the Sacred Hearts congregational archives collection in Kaimuki.
The rest of the entry, translated from shorthand French, is “3 Masses celebrated simultaneously. 800 communicants. Blessed and rang the bells.”
There is no mention of the church’s name, the three years it took to build it, or details of the celebration. Three Masses were possible because the cathedral had one main altar and two side altars.