Photos by Walter Bacxa
Special to the Herald
It’s been more than seven years since an earthquake revealed severe damage to St. Michael Church in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island, requiring the tearing down of the 157-year-old structure.
Now, its parishioners are eagerly anticipating the completion of a new church and are getting a look at the final few pieces being laid in place for their future house of worship.
Parishioners gathered at St. Michael Church in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island Feb. 8 to assemble a larger-than-life crucifix for their new church sanctuary. Pastor Father Konelio Faletoi, at top in the pink shirt, examines the elaborate wooden carving of Jesus which was shipped to Hawaii from artists in Peru. Father Faletoi said he and the parishioners worked in three teams — one group assembled the wooden cross, another put together the sculpture of Jesus, and the third team hung the crucifix on the wall. The task brought together men from the English- and Spanish-speaking communities at St. Michael.
These photos from Walter Bacxa, music minister at St. Michael, chronicle the labor of love that pastor Father Konelio Faletoi and a team of parishioners undertook Feb. 8 putting together a stunning, larger-than-life crucifix for the church sanctuary.
It took the men three hours to assemble the 16-foot tall wood cross and 8-foot tall wooden sculpture of Jesus. The sacred art piece weighs more than 400 pounds and was shipped to the Big Island in two crates from special artisans in Peru.
Father Faletoi had been gathering ideas for a crucifix during the last couple of years. He was inspired by crucifixes he had seen while traveling to South America, Europe and other churches abroad.
The pastor presented his ideas to the Anthem Church Supply company on the Mainland, which connected him to a unique cooperative of craftsmen in Peru called Artesanos Don Bosco. These skilled sculptors and artists in the Andes Mountains learn to create furniture and sacred artwork in a free school started by a Salesian priest.
Father Faletoi, who has a large Hispanic congregation at St. Michael, said he was excited to learn of the Artesanos Don Bosco mission. Many of the Peruvian artists come from poverty and support their families through the funds they earn from their artwork.
The crucifix for St. Michael, Father Faletoi said, took the Artesanos “less than a year” to create.
He noted that it was a “very spiritual” experience when the solid wood cross and intricately detailed carving of Jesus were uncrated at the Kailua-Kona church. Some of the parishioners “were moved” and “in tears” after helping to assemble the crucifix.
“This is actually a prayer for us to put the body of Christ together on the cross and to put it on the wall,” Father Faletoi said. “It really wasn’t work. It was prayer.”
Construction on the new St. Michael Church is almost finished, and according to Father Faletoi it’s on track for a blessing and dedication ceremony March 25.
The assembly and mounting of the crucifix, he said, will be an enduring memory for him and for the men who put it together.
“It’s going to be something that they’ll tell their children and their children’s children,” he said. “This is like, once in a lifetime.”
