Catholic Church to celebrate 200 years in Hawaii

News admin June 18, 2026 0 Comments

Catholic Church to celebrate 200 years in Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Catholic Church is celebrating two centuries of Catholicism in Hawaii.

Catholic leaders from across the state gathered at Sacred Hearts Academy Wednesday to announce plans for a two-year celebration to commemorate the milestone.

The 200th anniversary will be recognized with special events, community gatherings, educational initiatives, cultural programs, and faith-centered celebrations.

According to the church, the first Catholic missionaries arrived in Hawaii back in 1827.

Today, there are 250,000 members of the Catholic Church in the state.

“This story is not just about the early missionaries,” said Bishop Larry Silva, Bishop of Honolulu. “It’s about the people of Hawaii — generation after generation — who received the faith, lived it, and shared it in their own families and communities.”

The Diocese of Honolulu and Hawaii Catholic Community Foundations said the Bicentennial Year officially begins July 9 with masses across Hawaii.

In addition to the planned events for the bicentennial celebration, organizers announced plans to renew and rebuild the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Downtown Honolulu.

Established in 1843 on land gifted to the Catholic Church by King Kamehameha III, the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States, according to Hawaii Catholic faith leaders.

The cathedral was the site where Saint Damien of Molokai was ordained to the priesthood before embarking on his mission to Kalaupapa.

The diocese also announced additional events to take place next year, including a three-day convocation and closing celebration from July 7-9, and a heritage pilgrimage to France and Belgium in October 2027.

Click here for more information on the bicentennial celebration, upcoming events or the Cathedral renewal campaign.