My review is based on the history and architecture of the church and not on attending a service. I…read moream fascinated by architecture and Hawaii offers unique examples of missionary architecture that you just don't see anywhere else in the U.S. So while most visitors go to the beach, I'm most likely poking my nose in old buildings. Central Union Church captured my imagination. The church was built in 1922, but its history dates back much further. Seamen's Bethel was established in 1833 to minister to sailors stopping in Honolulu. This small group grew organically and through a merger, building larger structures until construction of the current structure began in 1922 and completed in 1924. Ralph Adams Cram of Boston was the architect of the structure that is considered by some as the most beautiful church. The Colonial Revival stone block structure is impressive. The local volcanic stone is from the, now closed, Mo'il'ili Quarry. The interior maintains elaborate cornice detail and stained glass windows. I could feel the history when I walked into the massive sanctuary. The building and spire were renovated in the 1980's through local donation. A smaller chapel was added in 1949 with similar architecture. A dedicated parking lot is located west of the sanctuary. This magnificent church is worth a visit if you are interested in historical architecture.

My own church since childhood, they focus on service. Beautiful people, welcoming all, the Senior…read moreMinister is, IMNSHO, literally a saint. Gorgeous music, friendly congregation. I love my church. Come worship with us and celebrate the love that never faileth.

My Hunny and I visited this temple on Mother's Day to give flowers to my Popo and Mom. It's a…read morebeautiful temple and although the parking is very small, somehow they make it work. There's a massive tree in the lot and a lotus blossoms in the nearby plant pots. We could hear the monks chanting during their ceremony and prayer/Meditation. We enjoyed taking photos of the nature surrounding the temple. It's a very peaceful, spiritual place where you can embrace nature. The breeze was cool and refreshing after we finished burning incense and cleared the smoke smell from out clothing. It was a lovely Mother's Day.

I met my dad's cousin for the first time and she told me about this temple. I didn't know what to…read moreexpect. I mean, once you drive up, it's a little hard to believe that it is located in a residential area. It is really something to look at! Respecting the temple is the first thing to remember because you don't know who is watching. It was interesting that I took off my shoes and put them on a shelve with a bunch of other shoes, but no one else was inside. I walked around and looked at the different statues. I read some of the stories. I did take some pictures which I wasn't sure was okay or not. The one Buddha that called to me was the one with the many arms. I felt like him the past few months, doing way too much and juggle more things than I probably could handle. I knelt, lit an incense and said a little prayer. Hopefully He heard me. I also gave a money offering, which you should always do. Definitely worth coming to. Next time I'll spend more time meditating. 谢谢!

Retreat in Honolulu, Hawaii…read more.. I heard about this weekend retreat from my Wednesday night Bible class. I looked up "BCC" (Basic Christian Community) online, found it, signed up, and paid through Eventbright. Easy! BCC emailed instructions and reminders! I was curious! I didn't know anything and hadn't really spoken to anyone about the BCC retreats. There was a list of what to bring (umbrella, flashlight, towel, pillow, toiletries, etc.). Val, from my Wednesday night group, suggested that I bring a sleeping bag. I found the St. Anthony's Retreat Center with GPS. I drove slowly and saw the entrance on the right side of Kalihi Street. I stopped at the sign where participants could drop off their car key, have the valet park their car, and someone would help with bringing luggage to the assigned room. The buildings were old-school cool. This place used to be an orphanage in 1909. It was run by the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary until Hawaii became the 50th State and Foster Care looked after orphans. In 1974, Sister Gertrude changed St. Anthony Home into St. Anthony Retreat Center. It was renovated and expanded in 1999 to 2008. Our group used the dorms (which had running water, beds, and showers with hot water), dining room and chapel downstairs, and the meeting hall in the building next door, which had 4 restrooms. The grounds were very beautiful with white statues of an angel, Jesus, and St. Christopher. I found the grotto with Mary, but I didn't find the outdoor Stations of the Cross. I'll have to go exploring in the future!

The St. Anthony Retreat Center was originally built in 1909 as the Kalihi Orphanage by the Brothers…read moreof the Sacred Hearts. The facilities are divided into the Historic Halls (original Kalihi Orphanage), Historic Circle Heritage Centers. Each hall has its own parking lot and is separate form each other which affords private and quiet to groups who may be having concurrent events. These facilities are located deep in Kalihi Valley with surrounding plant life that looks like you're in an Old Hawai'i tropical forest and you can even hear or see the Kalihi Stream running through the property. We've had the pleasure of attending birthday celebrations for my husband's aunt and family reunion dinners at this lush and secluded Catholic ministry retreat. Over the past 6 years, we've been here 3 times and only ONCE have we experienced clear blue skies. Perhaps we're receiving a Blessing from the Heavens but, our experiences here have been nothing less than stellar. Anyway, we've been fortunate that our family has gotten reservations at the Mother Alexandrine Hall which has a capacity for 77 people and a kitchenette. This dining hall is air-conditioned, well-kept and ensures private and quietness to retreat groups or celebrations. Parking for attendees or deliveries is convenient to each hall. We hope that we'll be able to return for more family reunions and to celebrate a few more birthdays for my husband's aunt.

Visiting this Japanese temple to get some omamori for friends. It's small but well maintained…read more There's a small office for you to get omamori and the staff was so patient to walk me through as I was not familiar with them. Very peaceful inside. There are some street parking on N Kukui Street. I would avoid the other side of the temple (along the river) where there're gamblings and some people doing shady transactions.

明けましておめでとうございます！…read more Happy New Year as we welcome the year of the horse it's 2026 and I couldn't think of a better place to be right as it hits midnight as this temple has been a long tradition to start the year right. As this shrine dresses up for the occasion many gather here for various reasons whether it's to pray for good fortune, health and happiness, you start with a purification wash first to then make your way up to right the priests and wring the giant bell to follow with the ritual for your offering and prayer which they will help you and once done make your way down for your amazake and purchase your omamori after you rid of your previous years charms. It feels great to start the year right and be grateful for what I've received and to pray for a fabulous year ahead. どうもありがとうございます！m(_ _)m

Looking for a Spirit filled, Biblical based church? Check out One Love!…read more Great teaching, friendly congregations, lots of special events. They love Jesus, and others!

I really love this church. Great place for young people. Great messages, down to earth style. Love…read moreit.

Beautiful Easter Sunday Worship - also spoken in Hawaiian and the word was such a blessing to enjoy…read moreand experience. The choir and music were amazingly lovely.

This is an interesting historical site, and there are a number of placards around the site which…read moreelaborate upon its significance.

"Chinese Mass" at 11:45am on Sundays…read more.. My friend often spoke about Star of the Sea Catholic Church. She attends Sunday service here because it's less crowded, has free parking, and is convenient for her. I decided to have an adventure. I drove out to the Kahala area and sit next to my friend. It was interesting because most of the mass is in English and some parts are in Chinese. Father Paul greeted us in Mandarin. One of the readers spoke in Cantonese. The Homily by Father Paul started in English... Then, he switched to Mandarin and presented his Homily again. Instead of using missalettes (prayer books), there are overhead monitors that display the prayers and responses in both English and Chinese. That's cool! I really enjoyed the music. The male soloist and piano player were quite good! I wanted to sing along, but my friend whispered to me that singing is not encouraged because it could potentially spread COVID. Hmmm! The doors were all open to take advantage of the natural cross ventilation from the tradewinds. The ceiling fans were also being used as well as some floor fans. The statues were intriguing! I was able to recognize St. Christopher, St. Francis, St. Therese, Our Lady of Fatima, and Mother Mary! It was a comforting feeling to be in the presence of greatness! Overall, I had a great experience here! Maybe I will visit more often because it was calm and pleasant!

Hi I just wanted to know if Henry Miner if he already retired? I remember Pastor Frankie Reyes to…read moreintroduce to Henry Miner. I had this strong feeling that they would make great friends. I was happy that they become close friends. I met Frankie when he was much younger and visiting my hospital at Straub hospital. I would like to hear about how is Henry Miner. He also retired from the Post Office at the Airport. Here is my email; p.anami@yahoo.com Mahalo Paddy

I have been attending service at this church for over a couple years with my grandmother. It was a…read morebit overwhelming at first because the entire service is in Japanese. It's a good think my grandmother is there to help translate things for me. Other than the language barrier, there were other things that struck me as different (in our current society). One thing that stuck out is the men and women sit separated, men on the right and women on the left. Also, men go first with everything from putting incense to eating. Extremely traditional Japanese culture at work here. But the main reason why my family comes to this particular church is because of the Sensei, she...yes it is a female...she is very wise beyond her young age. She has a lot of good and positive messages (in Japanese only) that she gives us after each service. I guess you can say that I have started to embrace my Japanese culture. And I look forward to learning more about the beliefs and traditions that built the country where my ancestors were from...