The 100-year history of St. Rita Church, Haiku, Maui
Submitted by St. Rita Parish
Special to the Herald
1922 to 1950
In his 1978 book, “Pioneers of the Faith,” historian and Sacred Hearts Father Robert Schoofs wrote that the early Catholics of Portuguese, Filipino, Hawaiian, and Japanese ancestries living in the Haiku area worshipped in a small church in Pauwela or at Holy Rosary Church in Kuau. He credited Sacred Hearts Father James Beynes as the builder of St. Rita Church which was dedicated on Nov. 14, 1922, by Bishop Libert Boeynaems from Honolulu. (Other accounts recognize Father Jules Verhaeghe as the church founder). The Maui News reported that the dedication was followed by a concert and bazaar hosted by parishioners.
On June 1, 1923, the Catholic mission of Honolulu signed a 99-year lease for the land under the new church with the Maui Agricultural Company. St. Rita Church was first designated a mission church of Holy Rosary Church. Then sometime in the early 1940s, it became a mission of St. Joseph Church, Makawao. In 1944, the Maui Agricultural Company sold the lease to Takaichi Miyamoto.
In 1946, a Quonset hut was built behind the church with military surplus materials. The structure was used for church gatherings, religious education classrooms, a youth center, scout activities and a meeting space for community groups like Alcoholics Anonymous. On March 31, 1948, the 4,698-square-foot adjacent lot, where the rectory stands today, was purchased by the Diocese of Honolulu from Toki Daizen.
Parish status
In February 1950, Bishop James J. Sweeney, established St. Rita Church as an independent parish and named Sacred Hearts Father Modestus Vos as its first pastor. Father Vos was known for being very strict, demanding a silent reverence of all during Mass. He is credited with establishing the Holy Name Society and Ladies Sodality and greatly increasing Mass attendance by visiting the homes of Catholics.
For his first two years as pastor, Father Vos lived at St. Joseph, Makawao, with Sacred Hearts Father Raphael Smulders because there was no rectory in Haiku. County records show that, in 1952, a 1,452-square-foot rectory was built with scrap materials, possibly from the abandoned Marine camp in Camp Maui. Upon completion of the rectory, Father Vos took up residence in Haiku.
On March 12, 1950, Celia Andrade was one of the first recorded first Communion recipients at the new parish. That same year, St. Ann Church at Hamakuapoko became a mission of St. Rita Church until it closed in 1967. On June 29, 1952, Bishop Sweeney confirmed 57 boys and girls from the growing parish. Father Vos served the people of St. Rita and St. Ann churches until 1956.
1957 to 2002
In 1963, the wooden church of St. Gabriel, built in 1937 in Keanae, was made a mission of St. Rita. A second church at that site, made from coral and dedicated to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, was built in 1860 when coral mysteriously appeared (some believe miraculously) on the Keanae coast. Parishioners carried the coral in wagons and by hand to the present site. The church was dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima in 1950 by Bishop Sweeney and is today used for church services because of the poor condition of St. Gabriel Church.
In 1975, Sacred Hearts Father Adrian Van Dem Berg and parishioners celebrated the 25th anniversary of St. Rita Church as an independent parish with Mass and dinner.
In 1981, Father Gary Colton became the first diocesan priest to be appointed pastor of St. Rita.
On Aug. 17, 1984, the Maui News ran a story about St. Rita and St. Gabriel’s third annual benefit luau at Haiku Community Center to raise “monies for the renovation of the churches and church hall at St. Rita’s.” Annual fundraising events have been a regular activity of St. Rita over the church’s history.
In 1988, renovation work began. Father Colton brought up to a parish committee the need for new church furnishings. At the meeting, Alvin Estrella told the pastor that he saw the need for new furniture, but repairs to the church’s foundation, which had termite and rot damage, were more critically needed. New altar furniture was purchased and the foundation repairs were completed.
Dan Bissler, co-chair of the church repairs, designed and built the stain glass window at the front door. The old altar was replaced. On June 11, 1989, Bishop Joseph Ferrario celebrated a Mass at St. Rita with Father Colton, Father Smulders and Sacred Hearts Father Anthony O’Brien to rededicate the church.
In 1995, St. Rita Church was clustered with Holy Rosary Church, with Father Colton as pastor and Deacon Patrick Constantino as the administrator, of both parishes. Because of Father Colton’s workload of caring for the parish communities of Paia, Haiku and Keanae, Deacon Constantino also had sacramental duties, including Communion services in the pastor’s absence.
In 1996, Father Colton started a second round of repairs for St. Rita — a new pedestal for the altar, termite tenting, roof repairs and painting inside and out. When Bishop Francis DiLorenzo rededicated the church after the repairs and improvements, he told Father Colton that St. Rita was a model for what can be done when everyone cooperated.
On Oct. 19, 2002, St. Rita Church premiered the video, “St. Rita’s Church, Our First 80 Years” scripted by parishioner Kay Jackson and filmed and produced by parishioner Nathan Perreira, with parishioners sharing memories of parish life. Many told how they grew closer to each other working side by side, sometimes even with non-Catholics, at the many parish fundraising events.
2002 to the present
On Oct. 19, 2002, the Diocese of Honolulu purchased the home of the Hall family adjoining the church property and demolished it to expand the parking lot because on-street parking had become dangerous for families attending services.
In 2011, Father Patrick Freitas started the annual July church picnic and Walk for the Future, a fundraiser, at the Fourth Marine Park at Giggle Hill. Games for the kids, singing by the adults, and the sharing of food made it a day of friendship and getting to know each other as the family of St. Rita.
On Dec. 31, 2012, after years of negotiation begun by Father Freitas in 2007, the Miyamoto family agreed to sell the 0.61 acres under the church to the Roman Catholic Church for $430,000. Esther Yap supervised the payment schedule for St. Rita.
Father Chacko Muthoottil was assigned as pastor in 2016. A portion of the parish hall was converted into a thrift store with display and receiving areas. Faythe Urayanza, Robin Weeks and parish volunteers have made the store a major income stream for the support of parish operations and maintenance.
In 2017, the interior of the parish hall was extensively renovated and repairs to its roof were completed. In 2018, the floor near the altar was raised and tiled.
In 2019, the pews were reinforced and repainted, the old brass tabernacle from St. Gabriel was restored and placed on a newly constructed oak altar on the back wall of the sanctuary. Also, a new crucifix, lighting, ceiling fans, and carpeting were installed.
In 2020, new cabinets, a sink and closet were installed in the sacristy. Other improvements included gates to the parking lot, fencing, sidewalks, repairs to water lines, repainting the interior of the church and the exterior of the hall and rectory, and repaving entrances into the church property.
From 2016-2020 most of the improvements to the church, hall, rectory and grounds were completed by parish volunteers, Wes Weeks, Wayne Yap, Lito Urayanza, Vincent Urayanza and Don Freeman.
We, the parishioners of St. Rita Church, end our first 100 years, proud to announce that the three parcels of land under the rectory, church, hall and parking lot are now owned by the Diocese of Honolulu. The final payment for the land under the church was made in March 2022.
In thanksgiving for all those who have shared their time, talent and treasure to build up the people of God and to create the beautiful worship spaces of St. Rita and St. Gabriel, we celebrate 100 years of memories and love.
ST. RITA CHURCH
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS 1922-2022
SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2022
5 P.M. HEALING MASS
DINNER
SUNDAY, JULY 31, 2022
10:30 A.M. MASS WITH BISHOP LARRY SILVA
LUNCH AND ENTERTAINMENT
655 HAIKU ROAD
HAIKU, HAWAII 96708
Handicap parking available on church grounds. All other parking at Haiku Community Center on Hana Highway. Shuttle vans are available to transport to St. Rita Church.
Saturday July 30, 4 p.m. until pau
Sunday, July 31, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
For information
808-575-2601, stritahaiku@gmail.com
