Ever stop to think how a simple chapel evolved into this beautiful house of worship? This is Saint Augustine by the Sea Catholic Church. It stands as a beacon of faith in Waikiki.
Saint Augustine by the Sea ministers to many visitors. Waikiki sees countless domestic and international travelers. The church’s story began humbly. Father Modestus Favens built the first chapel around 1854. It was a modest structure. It only measured about twenty by forty feet and had a steeple.
Mass was not a frequent event there. Instead, Sunday afternoon devotions and religious instruction took place. Everything changed during the Spanish-American War in 1898. American soldiers encamped near Diamond Head. They requested a Mass. Msgr Gulstan Ropert authorized the first Mass for them in the chapel.
The chapel proved too small. The military constructed a temporary wooden structure. It had a roof and coconut palm frond walls. Msgr Ropert blessed it. He entrusted it to Father Valentin Franckx. Father Franckx improved the chapel. He added flooring, galvanized roofing, and lattice walls. The community continued using the chapel after the soldiers left.
Msgr Ropert approved plans for a more permanent church. On Saint Augustine’s feast day in 1901, he dedicated the new church. Carpenters paused their work for the services. Waikiki grew as a tourist destination. The number of parishioners and visitors increased. The church was enlarged in 1910 and again in 1925. Workers essentially cut the building in two. They moved the back closer to the beach. In 1920, the church secured access to Kalākaua Avenue.
In 1962, the present church was dedicated. Local architect George McLaughlin designed it. The design suggests hands folded in prayer. The twenty-sided stained-glass windows display religious scenes. They show the mysteries of the rosary. Also, the arrival of missionaries is depicted. The first lay catechists in Hawaiʻi are shown too. Father Damien and the bishop receiving the current church also appear.
Today Saint Augustine by the Sea Catholic Church is in urban Honolulu. It sits at the eastern end of Waikiki. Modern development and high-rise hotels surround it.
Inside Saint Augustine by the Sea, you can find the Damien Museum. It houses relics of Saint Damien of Molokaʻi. You can also see related historical artifacts. A twenty-minute video tells the story of Father Damien. It details his work with the Kalaupapa leprosy settlement.
Saint Augustine by the Sea Catholic Church has a rich history. It began with a small chapel. It evolved into the vibrant church we see today. It remains a welcoming place for all.