Bishop Larry Silva preaches in Sts. Peter and Paul Church at the Mass celebrating the church’s 50th anniversary Sept. 28. (HCH photo | Patrick Downes)
By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Like a round peg in a square hole, Sts. Peter and Paul Church stands out in Honolulu’s Ala Moana district. In a good way. The circular church rises right off the sidewalk on busy Kaheka Street, the “soul” of a neighborhood of towering condos, commercial buildings, retail outlets and the mighty Ala Moana Shopping Center.
The parish celebrated its 50th anniversary Sept. 28 with Mass with the bishop and a banquet at a nearby hotel.
Priests who had served the parish over the years joined Bishop Larry Silva for the 5 p.m. anniversary liturgy.
“We thank God for all the people who have gone before us, for all who are here now, and for all who will follow us,” the bishop said in his homily.
He urged the congregation not to be “taken up with the riches” of their own parish, but “to go out to those who are spiritually starving and to offer them light, love, mercy and joy.”
In commemoration of the anniversary, Bishop Silva blessed the relics of saints donated to the parish.
Sts. Peter and Paul Church on Kaheka Street. (HCH photo | Patrick Downes)
The first, relics of Sts. Peter and Paul, authenticated in 1905 by Bishop Joseph Mary Constantini, were bequeathed to the parish in 2015 by Margot Aguirre-Harris in memory of the Aguirre family.
Also received and blessed were a piece of tree root and soil from St. Marianne Cope’s original grave in Molokai, and a piece of St. Damien de Veuster’s coffin.
The relics will be displayed in a devotional nave soon to be constructed to the right of the sanctuary.
For the anniversary, the parish also installed 24 new stained glass windows that circle the upper tier of the ceiling, bought through the generosity of parishioners.
After the Mass, more than 450 people gathered at the Ala Moana Hotel for a prime-rib buffet banquet and a program emceed by former TV news reporter Linda Coble, featuring the lively Polynesian music of the family band Kapena.
Dancing hula for the crowd were troupes of parishioners young and old, taught by parish kumu hula Iwalani White.
Parish kumu hula Iwalani White dances “Puamana” with her classes to close the reception. (HCH photo | Patrick Downes)
The pastor, Father Khanh Pham-Nguyen, paraphrasing one of the parish’s patron saints, told the crowd, “It is truly good for us to be here tonight.”
“We are standing on the shoulders” of many devoted men and women, he said, whose faith “inspires the next 50 years.”
A video recorded the thankful testimony of several parishioners.
“I am so happy and humbled to be a part of this great church and these great people,” said one.
Sts. Peter and Paul pastor Father Khanh Pham-Nguyen speaks to parishioners and friends at the 50th anniversary reception in the Ala Moana Hotel. (HCH photo | Patrick Downes)
Another praised “the foresight” of the people who built the church 50 years ago.
Another spoke in gratitude at seeing four generations of her family nourished in the faith at the parish.
Deacon Richard Port, who with his wife Ann have been parishioners since parish Masses were celebrated in hotels, gave a brief history of the parish.
“There are many undeclared saints known only to God who have worshiped here at Sts. Peter and Paul,” he said. “The best years are yet to come.”
“Being a deacon at this parish has been the joy of my life,” he said.
It was announced that evening that the Ports will soon be leaving Hawaii to be closer to their Mainland family.
In his closing remarks, Father Pham-Nguyen, who had been beaming all night, said he expects to attend the 100th anniversary — “in a wheelchair.”
“I pray we will carry on with the mission to shape the next 50 years of this beloved community of Sts. Peter and Paul,” he said. “God is love, and love is our mission.”
Bishop John J. Scanlan created Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in 1968 to serve Honolulu’s Kewalo, Kapiolani, Ala Moana, McCully and Ala Wai districts. Msgr. Francis A. Marzen was named pastor.
For a year and a half before the church dedication on Sept. 28, 1969, at 800 Kaheka Street, Mass was celebrated in the nearby Pagoda, Hilton and Ilikai hotels.
In the 1980s, under Msgr. Marzen’s successor, Father Anthony Bolger, the parish bought a neighboring condo for the priests’ residence, which freed up the accommodations behind the church for office and meeting space.
Subsequent pastors made more improvements and repairs.
During this time the church witnessed the department store across the street change from Holiday Mart to Daiei to Don Quijote.
The wrap-around cover to the parish bulletin for the anniversary weekend reminded parishioners that their church was dedicated the same year the first man walked on the moon.
