Blessed Sacrament Church, rectory and parish hall on Pauoa Road in Pauoa. (Photo courtesy of Liz Lum)
By Liz Lum
Special to the Herald
Blessed Sacrament Church at 2124 Pauoa Road on the quiet mauka edge of busy downtown Honolulu, will celebrate its 85th anniversary on Saturday, Aug. 12. Parishioners will gather in the parish hall to share lunch and memories in appreciation of the rich history of their church.
It all began in 1937 with land purchased by Bishop Stephen Alencastre. The church construction took place in 1938 under the administration of the Sacred Hearts Fathers following the architectural design of the southern California Catholic missions.
Next to the church and the rectory a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary statue graces the grounds. The statue was donated by the Mendonca family in honor of Leroy A. Mendonca for his sacrifice in the Korean War. Later, a Vietnamese family wanted to express its gratitude, anonymously, to Mother Mary, by donating red clay tiles and labor to encircle Mary’s statue with two light stands as beacons of hope and inspiration.
Blessed Sacrament Church’s shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Photo courtesy of Liz Lum)
In 2007, the Blessed Mary shrine underwent a major renovation with the help of many grateful parish donors. They enhanced the site so that the parishioners, families, people of the community and other parishes on pilgrimage could gather, sit and pray, or simply spend some quiet outdoor time with the Blessed Mother.
With this last renovation and re-dedication the shrine has been named “Our Lady of Pauoa Valley.”
From 1938 to 2023, Blessed Sacrament Parish has been a site and a place of “aloha.” In 2023, the 85th anniversary year as a church of the Diocese of Honolulu, Blessed Sacrament remains a “welcoming parish” to parishioners, families, the community, and to visitors, near and far, to celebrate Masses of the Ordinary or of the Extraordinary Form (Latin).
Parishioners are grateful to be able to celebrate this anniversary of a place where they can receive the fullness of their Roman Catholic Faith in beautiful Pauoa Valley, Honolulu, Hawaii. It’s a gift. Thanks be to God.
