The front of St. Michael Church in Kailua-Kona under construction March 1. At right is the preserved landmark coral grotto built in 1940. (Courtesy photo by Walter Bacxa)
A rear-view photo of the new St. Michael Church taken last month by Walter Bacxa.
The resemblance is intentional, pastor Father Konelio Faletoi said of the new St. Michael Church that has emerged on Alii Drive in the heart of Kailua-Kona and the 160-year-old structure it replaced.
A similar shot of the original church taken by Marianist Brother Bertram Bellinghausen approximately 120 years ago.
It’s a 19th century shape — long and boxy with a humble bell tower — in a 21st century world.
“Listening to our parishioners and the community, we built our new church to resemble the original St. Michael’s,” said Father Faletoi, with both buildings sharing “the same exterior profile.”
The new structure also incorporates “several elements from our first church,” he said.
The parish will dedicate the church at 5 p.m., March 25. Bishop Larry Silva will preside. Regular Masses will be celebrated there starting March 26.
The pastor said building the church, the first new Catholic church to be constructed on the Big Island in 12 years, was “a long, arduous process.”
“We thank all who donated their time, talent and treasure,” he said. “We continue to believe our most important asset is the faith of our members who continue to carry Christ to the community and its less fortunate persons.”
Seating for 500
At nearly 9,500 square feet with seating for 500, the $11 million ADA accessible church is larger than the original.
The new church was constructed by Heartwood Pacific on the parish’s three-acre property which will have parking for 125 vehicles and eventually, on the south side, a parish center with offices, conference rooms, a library and a certified kitchen.
The church’s landmark coral grotto built in 1940 will move to the front of the future parish center. The on-site cemetery was not disturbed.
A baptismal font, sculpted from a large piece of West Hawaii lava, will greet those entering the church. Inscribed on the mosaic tiles surrounding the font are words originally written over the altar of the first church: “E Ku‘u Keiki: E Ho Mai No‘u Kou Pu‘uwai A E Ike Oe I Ku‘u Alahele” (The Lord Says to Thee: Give Me Thy Heart and Let Thine Eyes Keep My Ways).
“Having the font at the entrance of the church reminds all who enter that it is in the waters of baptism that Christian life begins,” said Father Faletoi.
Six sliding glass doors on the north and south sides of the church open to two lanais the length of the building.
Behind the main altar, a small adoration chapel displays two of the original church’s stained glass windows.
Local artisans crafted the church’s new altar, ambo and presider’s chair. A local woodworker made the cabinets in the two sacristies. The bell tower houses the parish’s 1853 bell, a gift from France.
The new church was designed by Lively Architects of Honolulu. The front is elevated 21 feet to meet building code requirements. Two semi-circular stairways lead to the entrance. Cradled between the stairways is a restored fresh water well once used by the Kailua community.
The well is the central feature in a 35-foot diameter “brick garden” made up of multi-colored bricks engraved with names significant to the area’s Catholic history, and also inscriptions by brick sponsors. Of the 2,450 bricks used, more than 1,000 are inscribed in 14 languages from contributors in 36 states.
The original church
The original St. Michael Church, dedicated in 1855, was built of lava rock and coral sand mortar. Through the years, it was weakened by ocean flooding and eventually deemed unsafe after the earthquake of Oct. 15, 2006. The church was closed and decommissioned in 2009 while services continued on the grounds under a tent. The church was subsequently demolished along with the adjacent wooden administration building, originally a convent for the Sisters of the Holy Family built in 1955.
The tent services moved to Honokohau Industrial Park when construction of the new church began.
The remains of Sacred Hearts Father Joachim Marechal, the priest who oversaw the construction of the original church, were discovered when the old church was demolished. Buried in the church in 1859, his remains have been reinterred under the sanctuary of the new church in front of the altar.
Father Marechal came to Kona in 1848, succeeding Sacred Hearts Fathers Ernest Heurtel and Robert Walsh, the area’s first Catholic missionaries who arrived in 1840. The founding priests built a native-style chapel on the site of the current Kona Plaza Shopping Arcade; a stone hitching post marks the location. The island’s governor John Adams Kuakini later gave the priests what is now the present St. Michael property on which to build a church and school.
Today, St. Michael Parish serves 2,000 local families. It includes the four mission churches of Immaculate Conception in Holualoa, Holy Rosary in Kalaoa, St. Paul in Honalo and St. Peter in Keauhou. The church also welcomes thousands of visitors annually.
St. Michael Parish has an ongoing capital campaign to pay off construction debt and build the future parish center. To contribute, call (808) 326-7771.
