A Living Church

Community celebrates St. Damien groundbreaking.

It was a solemnity and emotional groundbreaking ceremony as members of the Molokai Catholic Parish, community members and dignitaries bade farewell to the charred remains of St. Sophia Church to celebrate new beginnings. The blackened Crucifix and Stations of the Cross were laid to rest under the future alter of St. Damien Church, and parishioners gave their final blessing by throwing flowers.

The Bishop of Honolulu, Reverend Larry Silva told the story of how he was given a wooden cross carved from the wood of a monkey pod tree planted by St. Damien at Our Lady of Seven Sorrows.
“So it is we plant a seed today to grow not just into a building but into a living church. This isn’t just for the people here today but for generations to come.”