Saint Patrick Catholic Church, Honolulu is aparish in theKaimuki district, in the East Honolulu Vicariate of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu,Hawaii. The church was consecrated under the title ofSt. Patrick, Bishop of Armagh. ItsRomanesque architecture, as well as its fine ecclesiastical appointments such asstained glass windows andpipe organ, are attractive to prospective couples seeking nuptial rites.
Although it falls under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Honolulu, the parish is owned by theFathers and Brothers of the Sacred Hearts (Picpus) through papal indult and in recognition of the missionary efforts of the Picpus congregation in establishing the church in the Hawaiian Islands. The church is frequently the site ofreligious professions,ordinations andobsequies for the members of the Hawaiian Province of the Picpus congregation.
Msgr.Libert Boeynaems, SS.CC., Bishop of the Titular See of Zeugma and Vicar Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands, acquired the land on dry, rocky volcanic slope of Kaimuki for a church in 1901. Meanwhile, the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts acquired a lot just west of the church lot and in 1909 had their convent and their school (Academy of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary) blessed. By 1917, Kaimuki was developed and the convent chapel, dedicated under the title ofSaint Margaret Mary Alacoque was open to the public for Sunday worship. A church was needed and the Vicar Apostolic instructed FatherAthanasius Bous, SS.CC., to initiate work on building a new church for Kaimuki, securing the services of architect, R. A. Fishbourne. A Romanesque cruciform structure was completed in 1929 and was solemnly dedicated on February 10, 1929, by Msgr.Stephen Peter Alencastre, SS.CC., Bishop of theTitular See of Arabissus and the (final) Vicar Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands. The church was furnished with stained glass windows and two bells fromBrussels. Statues, altars, pulpit and vestments were donated by parishioners. With the installation of apipe organ, the church was complete.
Following theSecond World War, FatherAndrew LaRiviere, SS.CC., transformed the front of the church property into an open space suitable for parking on Sundays. In 1935 a passing Benedictine monk drew a set of plans for amonastery for the priests and brothers of the Sacred Hearts congregation. The plan came to fruition and a monastery-rectory consonant with the church's Romanesque architecture served the church until 1963, when pastor FatherAlbert Leunens, SS.CC., constructed a newrectory in the Romanesque style made separate from the monastery.
Fr. Clyde Gurriero, ss.cc. is the current Pastor.Fr. Bertram Lock, ss.cc. is the current Parochial Vicar.Fr. Micheal Kumar, ss.cc is the current Parochial Vicar.
A school was opened in September 1930, built with wood salvaged from the old Saint Louis College on River Street. The school was staffed by the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts and started with three grades. Eventually, the school consisted of eight grades and a kindergarten. With the increasing population in Kaimuki, the school was expanded to a double school in 1943, due to the efforts of two carpenter religious, BrothersSylvester Barbe, SS.CC., andWenceslaus Van Vorst, SS.CC. In January 1950, a fire destroyed the auditorium and all but two classrooms. FatherLawrence Mampaey, SS.CC., immediately set out to rebuild the school with the assistance of volunteers and parishioners. By summer of 1950, a new 16-classroom building designed by architectEdwin L. Bauer and built by Pacific Construction Company was showcased during an open house.
The parish school is currently staffed by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts and lay staff. Sister Anne Clare De Costa, SS.CC., is the principal. The parish is administered by Fathers and Brothers of the Sacred Hearts. The current pastor of the parish is FatherClyde Guerreiro, SS.CC., assisted by parochial vicars FathersBertram Lock, SS.CC., and FatherMicheal Kumar, SS.CC. The parish and the school have recently celebrated their 75th anniversaries, and a major capital improvement plan for the school and parish is in development.
The school has launched a three-year program to restructure the teaching learning environment. The program called "Learning for All", is based on the spirit of the Sacred Hearts, effective school research, cooperative learning and teachers as leaders.
21°17′06″N157°48′19″W / 21.285102°N 157.805183°W /21.285102; -157.805183
