Saint Augustine by the Sea Catholic Church facts for kids

Saint Augustine by the Sea Catholic Church

The first chapel in Waikiki, built around 1854.

Saint Augustine by the Sea Catholic Church is a special church in Waikiki, Hawaii. It is part of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. This church is guided by the Diocese of Honolulu and its bishop. Priests from the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary help lead the church.

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

The church also has the Damien Museum. This museum holds important items that belonged to Saint Damien of Moloka‘i. He was a priest famous for helping people with leprosy on the island of Moloka‘i. The museum shows a 20-minute video about Father Damien's life and his amazing work.

Today, the church is led by Father Lane K. Akiona, SS.CC., who is the pastor. Father Lucius, SS.CC., also helps as a parochial vicar.

History of Saint Augustine by the Sea

Building the First Chapel in Waikiki

The very first chapel in Waikiki was built around 1854 by Father Modestus Favens, SS.CC. It was a small chapel, about twenty feet wide and forty feet long, and it had a steeple. People didn't have Mass there very often. Instead, they usually gathered on Sunday afternoons for prayers and religious lessons.

Serving Soldiers and the Community

In 1898, during the Spanish–American War, many American soldiers were staying near Diamond Head. They asked for a Mass, so Msgr. Gulstan Ropert, SS.CC., allowed the first Mass for soldiers in the small chapel. The chapel was too small for all the soldiers. So, the military built a temporary wooden building with a roof made of coconut palm leaves. Msgr. Ropert blessed this new building and asked Father Valentin Franckx, SS.CC., to take care of it. Father Franckx later made it better by adding a floor, a metal roof, and walls. Even after the soldiers left, people in Waikiki continued to come to this chapel for Sunday Mass with Father Valentin.

A Permanent Church for a Growing Community

Msgr. Ropert decided it was time to build a stronger, more lasting church. In 1901, on the special day of Saint Augustine, he dedicated the new church. It was named Saint Augustine by the Sea. Waikiki was becoming a popular place for tourists, and more and more people, both locals and visitors, came to the church. The church became 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 special path to Kalākaua Avenue, making it easier to reach.

Gallery

St. Augustine by the Sea, a photograph by Alan Gowans.

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  The church is in the Kapahulu neighborhood of Waikiki.