Memorial Service for my cousin's daughter, Robin Yee (granddaughter of the late Wally Yee, carnival…read moreentrepreneur)... St. Patrick Church - in Kaimuki, Honolulu, Hawaii - was the chosen site to Bless the ashes of my cousin, Robin, because she had attended the attached Elementary School and had gone to mass here with her parents and siblings. It was the best setting because St. Patrick Church is the home parish for my cousin's family. The free parking lot, historical architecture - including grand archways colorful stained glass windows, excellent acoustics (the soloist: Robin's younger sister, the readers: Robin's mom and elder sister, the pianist, and the harpist sounded heavenly), and solid marble foundation - were much appreciated! There was no air conditioning. I sat near the open doors at the back of the church. The cool April morning breeze was sufficient. I saw electric fans along the walls which are probably used in the summer. The restrooms were outside and to the left. I didn't use the facilities and didn't hear of any complaints. Father Clyde presided over the Prayer Service. He was efficient and personable. He had listened to Robin's husband's eulogy and made appropriate comments about the sweet, young couples' partnership in his Homily! I had met Father when he signed the Guest Book. He welcomed us (there were four of us at the Reception Table) and kindly asked if we needed anything. Outside, on the covered walkway, a table was set up for each guest to take a bento lunch home. The tradewinds were gentle and the sunshine was warm. It was a beautiful day at a wonderful place which held many memories for my cousin, her classmates, coworkers, friends, and family!

This was my 1st visit to the church during Sunday mass. My previous visit was for a wedding many…read moreyears ago, My family and in-laws were here for my nephew's baptism. We sat on the pews which faced the altar. The baptism had a candle lighting that was done by the god mother of my nephew. The father read from his handbook about for the spiritual message and process. Some people were hot because there were not enough windows inside so air can come nor any electric fans. People had to use a manual fan. Anyways, Samoa church choir sang in English. I thought there was a certain dress code that people needed to follow. Some people wore jeans and slippers. Overall, there were nice stained glasses.

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.

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.

A warm, welcoming, but deeply contemplative parish. We came here one Sunday as visitors and were…read moreso surprised at the beautiful but simple liturgy celebrated in the Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo). We could feel the love the congregation have for God and we were treated so kindly as if we were ohana. After Mass, we got to meet the pastor. He is a witty, funny, but very erudite young priest from northern China who spent years studying in Rome. He was amazing and had us laughing with his subtle but hilarious sense of humor! It's was so incredible to meet a young man who grew up in the midst of China's anti-Christian persecution and still held fast to the faith and became a priest despite the danger. We came early so we could participate in the rosary and pre Mass prayers. There is much peace here... so much that we returned on the next day (Labor Day so we had off from work ) for the weekday celebration of the holy sacrifice of the Mass just so we could visit this peaceful church again. We will definitely return again if we find ourselves on that part of Oahu. The history of this parish is quite interesting. Originally a mission church of St Elizabeth's in Aiea in 1942, it moved over to where Holy Family parish is now (next to HNL airport). This new church was finally constructed in 1973 at its present location in Salt Lake. But not before suffering a tremendous setback. In 1972, a few weeks before construction completion, unknown persons committed arson in the middle of the night and burned the new church almost to the ground. Perpetrators were never caught. The local parishioners found the funds to rebuild the church in a different architectural style 14 months later. While the architecture is modern, it is surprisingly not offensive to classical church design. Open and full of light, the church is constructed in a way that allows quiet contemplation and yet still retains the majesty required of a church dedicated to the Almighty ever living and loving Triune God. I especially liked the round stained glass "rose" window depicting the Holy Spirit situated "ad orientum" (facing East) that delivers beautiful diffused light to the altar. Wonderful church, wonderful parishioners, wonderful priest! So glad we came! Mahalo for reading my review. Pax et Bonum.

This is a beautiful place of worship, located in the heart of Salt Lake. There's lots of parking…read morearound the church and if you lucky, there's street parking too. The church is huge and updated, lots of pews to sit on, and I can imagine during mass, it caN get crowded. Unfortunately, I came to attend a funeral service and wake service, the ushers were very warm and greeted us with a smile. The main comfort room is located down a stairway, under the church, where a large multi purpose room is located. The services went well, and after mass, the family hosted a lunch out front of the church. There's a tent and tables for the guest. Again, there is a shopping center just around the corner for everything else. It's a great place to visit and worship.

Such a cute little church located in the heart of Kalihi!…read more Public services, worship sessions, and support offer seven days a week to the community. Atmosphere is warm and cozy. Very inviting. No judgement or uneasiness felt when I attended a few of their Sunday sermons. I love that they have a space dedicated for kids. Refreshments and candies offered.

This is the 4th church I have attended since becoming a Christian. Everyone is on fire for the…read moreLord! We have all nationalities in attendance. The church has three pastors-Cynthia Louie, Carlos Rodriguez a day Rodney Iaea. Come join us! You won't regret it!

We love Pastor Brian, Lady Z; the Whitelock family and their beautiful sanctuary. This church has…read moreit all with a lively and enjoyable music, the welcoming and caring environment of the sanctuary and from the congregation. As well, Pastor Brian's sermons always "hit home" and deeply move us. Thank you for having such a positive and profound impact on our family. We truly feel blessed to be a part of this amazing church. God bless you all always!

Great church family that preaches the Word with passion and has lively, upbeat worship.read more

Awesome worship and Word. We had a wonderful time in the Lord. The church family was very friendly.read more

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.