NEWS FROM PAGES PAST
50 years ago — Nov. 19, 1965
Thanksgiving Day in Japan is Kansha Bi. Though the name is different, the custom of giving thanks is the same the world over. Sister Martin Jerome of Maryknoll and her kimonoed friends join the rest of the country in saying “arigato,” thank you, for the many blessings, both spiritual and material, that have come to Japan. On this national holiday the emperor offers the new rice to the gods, and the Japanese people pray for continued prosperity. (NC photo)
25 years ago — Nov. 23, 1990
Kona’s St. Michael Church officially a parish
Some may be surprised to learn that the landmark St. Michael the Archangel Church in Kailua-Kona has been a mission or “outpost” of the much smaller Immaculate Conception Parish some five and a half miles away in Holualoa. After this week, however, that is no longer the case.
In an official decree dated Nov. 19, Bishop Joseph A. Ferrario announced that the old stone church, the oldest on the Big Island, is now designated as the “parochial church and canonical parish” of North Kona. Immaculate Conception has been renamed a mission of St. Michael. Three other missions, Holy Rosary in Kalaoa, St. Peter in Kahaluu and St. Paul in Kawanui, continue to be a part of the large parish. …
At the 150th anniversary celebration of St. Michael this past July 5, Bishop Ferrario announced that the process to designate the church as a parish would begin.
The bishop will preside over a solemn dedication of the church early next year.
10 years ago — Nov. 18, 2005
Big renovation of Kailua church an exercise in parish cooperation
Big change calls for big help. At St. John Vianney Parish in the Enchanted Lake district of Kailua, the renovation of its 40-year-old church has called upon the cooperation of the entire parish community. …
The project began in 2000, when Father (Thomas) Gross made final arrangements on a plan initiated a decade earlier by the previous pastor Father Joseph Grimaldi. Actual construction began this past July.
Major changes include an expansion of the church size and a move from a vertical to a horizontal configuration inside. The new facility will increase the seating capacity by about 100 seats, according to Father Gross. It will also be air conditioned.
“There are a number of things in the master plan, including making it more conducive for active participation of everyone at Mass,” Father Gross said.
