Maria Lanakila Church in Lahaina, which was miraculously untouched by the devastating wildfire except for some smoke damage, stood in the burn zone Aug. 3 amid cleanup efforts and properties that still bear the scars of last year’s disaster. (Celia K. Downes / Hawaii Catholic Herald)
By Celia K. Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
The visit to Maria Lanakila Church started on a warm Saturday morning outside Longs Drugs on Honoapiilani Highway.
Father Kuriakose Nadooparambil arrived promptly at 9:30 on Aug. 3 to take a reporter into Lahaina’s burn zone, which remains closed to the public a year after the wildfire disaster that claimed 102 lives and displaced thousands of residents.
The first step was to find a way in. Checkpoints at access roads ensure that only authorized individuals can enter.
Once Father Nadooparambil located a checkpoint, the drive to Maria Lanakila didn’t take long. Soon the car pulled into the driveway of the garage attached to the rectory, which stands to the left of the church.
Stillness pervades the burn zone. Many areas have been cleared of debris, but others remain frozen in time, hearkening back to that dreadful day, Aug. 8, 2023, when a wildfire burned out of control and ravaged the historic town.
Cars incinerated by the blaze still sit in a parking lot near the shore. Numerous sites bear the scorched skeletons of buildings and other structures. Occasionally a property somehow undamaged by the fire can be spotted amid the destruction, its presence a striking anomaly amid the devastation.
Such is the case with Maria Lanakila, which miraculously survived the wildfire unscathed. The only major damage was caused by smoke; some tiles on the roof also didn’t make it.
Otherwise the church is fine, waiting quietly for its parishioners, its lifeblood, to return.
The air inside the church is warm and still. Statues, the stations of the cross, and the floor are covered during the cleanup, and the altar is bare — Father Nadooparambil said the smoke damage forced the parish to discard many items, including clergy vestments and religious articles, which must be replaced before Maria Lanakila officially reopens.
The rectory, containing offices and meeting rooms, was likewise largely spared except for smoke damage that forced the disposal of everything inside. Those items must also be replaced, Father Nadooparambil said.
Walking around the property reveals the mystery and tragedy of the wildfire’s reach. The flames spread up to and then devastated Dickenson Street, which borders the right side of the church. They consumed the area behind Maria Lanakila, destroying much of Sacred Hearts School and the convent.
Miraculously, a statue of St. Damien stands untouched on that side of the church, down to the lei draped around its neck. The trees immediately behind St. Damien, however, are blackened and withered from the intense heat of the fire — the flames didn’t have to touch them to be destructive.
The left side of the church is another story. Flowers blossom on verdant bushes and trees between Maria Lanakila and the rectory; chickens can be heard rooting around beneath them. There is little sign that a deadly wildfire struck the area.
Finally, the area fronting Maria Lanakila is a story of contrasts. On the church side of Wainee Street, again, the foliage is green (if dry; Father Nadooparambil noted that the church’s landscaping would also need an overhaul after sitting unattended for a year). But the fire took its toll across the street, scorching everything in its path.
Standing in front of the church, looking out toward the horizon, Father Nadooparambil quietly noted, “We could never see the ocean from here before.”
From top: The church’s statue of St. Damien was unharmed, down to the lei draped around its neck; the trees behind it, though, suffered damage from the wildfire’s intense heat. Surfaces and statues inside Maria Lanakila are covered as cleanup continues. Maria Lanakila’s pastor, Father Kuriakose Nadooparambil, said he visits the church once or twice a week. The area between the rectory and the left side of the church remains verdant, a stark contrast to the fire-damaged right side. (Celia K. Downes / Hawaii Catholic Herald)
