Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace
French: Cathédrale de Notre Dame de la Paix Portuguese: Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Paz Hawaiian: Malia o ka Malu Hale Pule Nui Latin: Basilicæ cathedralis Sanctæ Mariæ de Pace
Façade from the North
21°18′39″N 157°51′34″W / 21.31075°N 157.859417°W / 21.31075; -157.859417
Location	1175 Fort Street Mall Honolulu, Hawaii
Country	United States
Denomination	Catholic
History
Status	Cathedral Minor basilica
Dedicated	August 15, 1843
Relics held	Sts. Damien de Veuster & Marianne Cope
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architectural type	Basilica
Style	Romanesque Revival, Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	July 9, 1840
Completed	August 15, 1843
Specifications
Capacity	600
Length	155.4 feet (47.4 m)
Width	51.3 feet (15.6 m)
Materials	Coral, marble, plaster, terra cotta, Acacia koa
Bells	2 ("Maigret" & "Aubert")
Administration
Diocese	Honolulu
Province	San Francisco (Region XIII)

The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace is a very important Catholic church in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the main church for the Diocese of Honolulu and is known as a cathedral and a Minor basilica. This means it's a special church with a rich history.

History of the Cathedral
Why This Cathedral is Important
- People Buried Here
- Becoming a Minor Basilica
The Pipe Organ
The Cathedral Campus
Gallery
See also

History of the Cathedral

Starting the Church: Groundbreaking Day

The first Catholic missionaries arrived in Honolulu from France in 1827. They held their first Mass in a simple grass hut. With help from a Hawaiian chief, they got land and built the first Catholic church in Hawaii in 1828.

However, for a while, Catholic priests were not allowed in Hawaii. This was a difficult time for Catholics. But in 1839, the Hawaiian government allowed religious freedom. As a way to make up for past difficulties, the king gave land and money to the missionaries.

On July 9, 1840, they started building the new church. This day was special because it was the Feast of Our Lady of Peace, who is the patron saint of the missionaries' group. Many native Hawaiians were baptized and received their first communion that day. The church was built using blocks of coral harvested from the nearby shores.

Building and Changing Over Time

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace was officially opened on August 15, 1843. About 800 people attended the special ceremony.

Over the years, the church changed a lot. At first, it had a simple wooden altar. People sat on mats instead of pews. Later, a new bell and a domed bell tower were added. In 1866, the dome was replaced with a wooden spire.

In the 1870s, the roof was raised, and a beautiful vaulted ceiling with gold decorations was added. New stained glass windows were installed, and a choir loft was built. A fancy French marble altar was also put in. The old clock, which is still the oldest clock in Hawaii, was moved.

In 1893, a large bronze statue of Our Lady of Peace was placed in the church.

In the early 1900s, the church got a new porch, but it was too expensive to finish the planned Gothic style. Instead, the wooden floors were replaced with cement, and the wooden spire was changed to a concrete bell tower.

In 1926, the church was updated again to a Romanesque revival style. A new portico with doric columns was added, and new stained-glass windows from Germany arrived. Italy even gifted a new Carrara marble altar. In 1940, steel and concrete supports were added to the roof.

Drawing 1843, with domed tower
Between 1883 and 1905
Gothic porch 1910

Changes After the Second Vatican Council

In 1956, the church's inside changed again. A marble crucifix replaced a wooden one. The old Calvary scene behind the altar was painted over. New bronze items were added, like a tabernacle and communion rails.

In the 1960s and 1970s, after a big meeting called the Second Vatican Council, churches around the world made changes. The communion rails were removed, and a new altar was built so the priest could face the people during Mass. The old pulpit was replaced with a simpler lectern. Hawaiian Koa wood was used for wall panels and doors, bringing local culture into the church.

1886, Altar of Repose for
King Alfonso XII of Spain
c. 1900
Changes to the sanctuary after Vatican II c. 1970s
2014

Recent Updates to the Cathedral

As Honolulu grew, the cathedral became too small. In 1984, another church, Saint Theresa Catholic Church, was made a co-cathedral to help.

The statues of saints in the cathedral were sent to France for cleaning and then put back in a new order. In 1993, the pews were rearranged to face each other, and the altar was moved to the center aisle.

Later, the flooring was replaced with stone tiles, and new sound systems were installed.

In 2010, a big project began to make the cathedral look more like it did in the late 1800s. This included adding replica paintings of the Stations of the Cross and new chandeliers. There are also plans for a new chapel to hold special items (relics) of St. Damien de Veuster and St. Marianne Cope.

By 2018, for the cathedral's 175th anniversary, the altar was moved back to the front, and the pews were turned to face it again. Pillars were repaired and painted to look like marble, and new paintings of Saints Damien and Marianne were placed above the altar.

Why This Cathedral is Important

The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace has played a big part in the history of Hawaii. It reminds us of the early struggles and eventual acceptance of the Catholic Church in the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Many important events happened here:

St. Damien de Veuster became a priest here in 1864.
St. Marianne Cope began her work in Hawaii here in 1883.
It is the oldest building still standing in the downtown area of Honolulu.
It is also known for its unique and beautiful architecture.

The cathedral was added to the Hawaii Register of Historic Places and National Register of Historic Places in 1972, showing its importance.

Tintinnabulum, umbraculum and kahili flanking crucifix 2018

It is believed to be the oldest cathedral in the United States that has been used continuously since it was built.

People Buried Here

Two bishops are buried inside the cathedral:

Bishop Louis-Désiré Maigret, whose tomb was found during renovations in 1981.
Bishop John Joseph Scanlan, who was buried next to Maigret in 1997.

There are also spaces for four more bishops to be buried in the future.

The remains of St. Marianne Cope were placed in a special container (reliquary) near the altar in 2014. They are next to a relic of St. Damien.

Becoming a Minor Basilica

In 2014, Pope Francis gave the cathedral the special title of Minor Basilica. This happened on the day we remember St. Damien. A special Mass was held to celebrate this on October 11, 2014.

Being a Minor Basilica means the church gets special symbols:

The umbraculum (a ceremonial canopy)
The tintinnabulum (a ceremonial bell)

These symbols were carried in a procession and placed in the church during the celebration.

The Pipe Organ

Choir loft and second organ photographed by Brother Bertram c. 1900s

The cathedral has had three different pipe organs. The first one came from France. The second, from England, was a gift from a church member. A large statue of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music, was placed in front of it in 1906.

The current organ was installed in 1934. It has 3 manuals (keyboards), 37 stops, and 2,159 pipes! It was blessed in a special ceremony and its first concert was even broadcast on the radio.

The Cathedral Campus

West façade and main entrance, Fort Street Mall

The church building is part of a larger area owned by the Diocese of Honolulu. This land was bought a long time ago during the Hawaiian Kingdom Era.

The campus includes:

The Diocesan Chancery, which holds the offices for the bishop and other church leaders.
The Hawaiʻi Catholic Herald newspaper office.
The rectory, where the priests who serve the cathedral live and work.

Some parts of the campus are leased to businesses, like the Century Square building. There are also plans to build new affordable homes for seniors where the old parish hall used to be. Underneath the campus, there's a large underground parking lot that used to be a freshwater well.

Gallery

Paneled (pointed barrel) ceiling commissioned by Bishop Maigret
Statue of Our Lady of Peace with plaques in English, French, Portuguese, and Hawaiian with the words, "In memory of the first Roman Catholic Church, Our Lady of Peace 1827 to 1893."
Depiction of Pope Pius XI blessing Stephen Peter Alencastre as fifth and last Vicar Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands
Reliquaries of Saints Damien de Veuster and Marianne Cope
High altar with the painting of Saints Marianne and Damien, c. 2020
The cathedra, or throne of the bishop
Figures of Jesus and the saints on the altar were once a part of the pulpit
Main doors of the bishop, made of koa