Attended a public memorial for a very dear and highly respected woman who dedicated her life to…read morePeace. Homily was presented by The Rt. Rev. Robert L. Fitzpatrick, Bishop of Hawaï'i. Members of The Kai'ulani Choir sang beautiful hymns throughout the service, and a loving Hula was performed to start off the evening's program. What a spiritual experience it was sitting in this church, looking around at the Altar and the stained glass windows, feeling the cool evening breeze flow through the sanctuary. Although I'm not a religious person, I would consider coming back for a Sunday Mass.

What a beautiful cathedral. Saw a string quartet preform and the sound and ambiance was amazing. I…read morewish they had stadium seating (ha ha). There are historical portraits in the hallways, lauhala fans in the pews, stained glass windows with screens and covered walkways the restrooms and offices.

This is now my regular parish - it just happens to be close to my current home. I wasn't baptized…read moreor confirmed here, but I still feel welcomed! I really like the big screens that show the songs at appropriate times - this eliminates the need for hymnals and thus being better for the environment! I also enjoy the air conditioning - the two churches that I visit in town do not have a/c. Sometimes I see coworkers at mass - it kinds strange seeing them outside of work - like...hey!! what are you doing here? Oh, yeah - you have a life, too! Father Herman is a good guy. He's humble and down-to-earth. It's easy to understand his homilies - which is important for me. I had met him in person as I went to a class at St. Ann's with my co-worker, called "Catholics Returning Home". We both learned a lot. I never went to Sunday School because my elementary and high schools were Catholic. Recently, I had an emergency & I needed a place to go have a good cry. It was not during regular church hours, but I tried the door of the chapel... it was open! I spent a few minutes by myself in the presence of the Lord, reflecting on the meaning of life and pondered the mystery of death and why my friend, Lucille, was taken from this earth in such a strange fashion. I was able to compose myself and write a few lines in the Book of Special Intentions near the door of the chapel. I felt at peace and that my prayers would be answered... Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May Lucille's soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen!

IMHO, it's the parishoners that make a particular church succeed. When there are people…read moreenthusiastic about their faith, then it makes the service a whole lot more entertaining than mundane. St. Ann's is a perfect example. Granted Fr. Herman is awesome, but I think it's because he is a true local guy. He went to Damien for high school! Not to say that priests from outside the state aren't great, but being effective at connecting with the local people is a great help. That's one of the main reasons why I give this place 5 stars. St. Ann's is a newer built church so it has the ac and projector screens etc. I do find the ac on the cooler side, so I try to have sleeves or a sweater on. This makes me think of the churches in Italy where it's required to have your shoulders covered when you enter. Parking in the lot is adequate, but be prepared to wait to exit after Mass. If you need to be somewhere in a hurry, park on haikū road, but careful crossing the street if you're on the mall side.

Sacred Hearts Center is a residence for members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus…read moreand Mary... This is the religious community that brought the Catholic faith to Hawai'i. While there is a chapel on-site, it is for the exclusive use of the community members and their guests. It is not a Catholic Church. Blessed are those who are invited to visit this community. To the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, honor and glory!

*DISCLAIMER: this review is not based on any of the church center services*…read more Then why do I show I checked-in if I didn't attend anything this church center has to offer? I have been coming off and on to a scrapbooking meeting held the third Sunday of every month for the past few years. Only recently did the group change locations to this current place. And I finally showed up for the first time after being out of the game for a couple of years when it was still held at it's old location at a golf course in Waimanalo. I was little intrigued to see this place because I thought of all places to borrow a room, why at a Catholic Church? But shortly, one of my friends informed me that one of the ladie's husband used to hold meetings here for the Elks club and that is how we arrived here. The place is quiet, at the end of a cul de sac in a residential neighborhood, up a long and winding (and narrow) drive way. There was plenty parking in front. The room is air conditioned and there are ferral cats roaming the place. The bathrooms are clean. The room is spacious, air conditioned, and clean. And it's only a 5 minute drive from Windward Mall. If I didn't participate in this scrapbooking club I would never have guessed such a place existed so close to mall that I occasionally go to. I adore this quiet little place and wouldn't hestitate to go back.

What a beautiful church. Father Edgar was very welcoming and he even called all the visiting people…read moreto come up for a special blessing.

Attended 0630 weekday Mass here as part of my attempt to visit all the churches in the Diocese of…read moreHonolulu. I enjoyed the liturgy very much, which was celebrated with a small intimate, friendly congregation that seem to radiate joy, peace, and love. The locals immediately spotted me as a stranger and warmly welcomed me and asked where I was from. It was a most pleasant exchange with lovely people that I now consider friends. The priest/celebrant was very erudite, and it being the feast day of St John Chrystostom, one the major doctors of the church, he tied in parts of St John's life with the Gospel reading of the day from St Luke's (the "splinter in the eye" discourse). His homily was very well done. Tucked away in a quiet part of Kalihi Valley (just past the bridge/crossing over Kalihi stream), this church wa founded in the early 19th century by Portuguese immigrants who populated most of the present day Kalihi valley. The original church was located about half a mile away in the current cemetery but now only a marker commemorates the spot. The present church was constructed in 1948-1949 with the first Mass and consecration taking place in 1950. The block architecture supports this fact, as it is very similar in structure and form to Blessed Sacrament church (Pauua Rd) also built in the late 1940s. Aside from the positive experience, the absolute best surprise of all was the discovery of a mauka-sited shrine or as they call it in Europe, a "grotto" filled with holy reminders and statues. This grotto (one parishioner told me) was built by the Portuguese about the time the church was constructed in 1950. It contains a wonderful hiking trail that takes you up to the top of a hillock overlooking Kalihi valley, the Likelike, and the airport. Along the way, there are places to stop and rest if desired but I made it all the way without stopping. The peaceful atmosphere and beauty are amazing and it was refreshing for the soul to just spend a few minutes (well.... maybe I spent a little bit more than a few minutes... time seemed to stand still...) in quiet contemplation and prayer. I cannot express in words how wonderful that short hike and quiet time gazing at rainbows was for setting up the rest of my day for mental success. Highly recommend a visit here not only to attend Mass and give worship to God but also to make a short stop at the grotto. By the way, they allowed me to keep my car parked in the church parking lot while I hiked up the mauka.... mahalo! Since street parking is limited, come early so you can get a good spot (tandem parking only by the way). Next time I will locate the cemetery and try to post photos of the original church site. Mahalo nui loa for reading my review. Pax et Bonum.

Beautiful church with wood and stone decor! Love the natural, open feeling! The u-shaped seating…read morehas a friendly atmosphere! The parking lot has a good traffic flow. Easy to find because of the church steeple!

The church is not much to look at, but don't let appearances deter you. They have a very vibrant…read morecommunity. So vibrant in fact that they have perpetual adoration! The adoration chapel is small but nice. As for the liturgies, I have only been to one but plan to return for more. The music was contemporary, which normally is not my style, but in this case it was performed exceedingly well with skilled instrumentation and an excellent cantor who kept a proper tempo and elevated the singing with her bright tone. The readers speak very good english and clearly practice beforehand as they are comfortable in their pronunciation and confident in their delivery. The priest was enthusistic and welcoming. He clearly put time and thought into his homily. As an added bonus there was ample parking even at an Easter liturgy.

"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

Small but mighty. This church is immersed in God's wonderful creation and outside of the sanctuary…read moreis a gorgeous hill that keeps you humbled and mindful of your beautiful surrounding. The building's architecture is interesting as well. It looks like something from a different time but is awesome and unique in its own right. Come check out this beautiful church!

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

Ring in the New Year with a visit to Izumo Mission in Honolulu. Visiting Izumo Shrine on New Year's…read moreDay has been a personal tradition of mine for many years. After watching the first sunrise of the year, I make my way here to begin the year with gratitude, reflection, and hope for what lies ahead. Each visit, I receive omamori for traffic safety and good fortune, along with a lucky arrow for protection and continued blessings throughout the year. The shrine feels especially meaningful on New Year's Day, filled with a quiet sense of reverence mixed with shared optimism from the community. Even with the crowds, the experience remains calm and grounding. If you plan to visit on New Year's Day, it's best to arrive early, as it can become quite busy later in the day. It's a meaningful and time-honored way to welcome the New Year and carry on a tradition that connects reflection, intention, and good fortune.