Saint Augustine by the Sea Catholic Church facts for kids

The beautiful Saint Augustine by the Sea Catholic Church in Waikiki.

An early chapel that stood in Waikiki.

Saint Augustine by the Sea Catholic Church is a special church in Waikiki, Hawaiʻi. It is part of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. This church is overseen by the Diocese of Honolulu and its bishop. It is run by a group of priests called the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

You can find the church at 130 Ohua Avenue, right next to Kalākaua Avenue in Waikiki. Saint Augustine by the Sea mainly serves visitors. Waikiki is a very popular place for tourists from all over the world.

The church campus also has the Damien Museum. This museum holds several items that belonged to Saint Damien of Moloka‘i. You can also see other historical artifacts there. A 20-minute video is shown about Father Damien and his important work. It tells about his efforts with the Kalaupapa leprosy settlement.

The current priests at the church are Father Lane K. Akiona, SS.CC., who is the pastor, and Father Lucius, SS.CC., who is the parochial vicar.

History of Saint Augustine Church

The first chapel in Waikiki was built around 1854. It is believed that Father Modestus Favens, SS.CC., built it. This chapel was about twenty feet by forty feet and had a steeple. Mass was not often held there. Instead, people mostly gathered for Sunday afternoon prayers and religious lessons.

In 1898, during the Spanish–American War, many American soldiers were camped near Diamond Head. They asked for a Mass to be held. Msgr. Gulstan Ropert, SS.CC., allowed the first Mass for these soldiers in the chapel. The chapel was too small for all the soldiers. So, the military built a temporary wooden structure. It had a roof and open sides made of coconut palm leaves.

Msgr. Ropert blessed this new building. He gave its care to Father Valentin Franckx, SS.CC. Father Franckx later made the chapel better. He added a floor, a metal roof, and lattice walls. When the soldiers left, people in Waikiki kept coming to the chapel on Sundays. Father Valentin would say Mass for them.

Msgr. Ropert approved plans for a more lasting church building. In 1901, on the feast day of Saint Augustine, he dedicated the new church. It was named after Saint Augustine. The carpenters even took a break while the church services were happening. Waikiki was becoming a popular place for tourists. The number of church members and visitors kept growing. The church was made bigger in 1910 and again in 1925. They did this by cutting the building in half and moving the back part closer to the beach. In 1920, the church also got a path to access Kalākaua Avenue.

Gallery

A photograph of St. Augustine by the Sea, taken by Alan Gowans.

• 

  The church is located in the Kapahulu neighborhood of Waikiki.