Opening Mass of the Bicentennial Year
A major Holy Mass and celebratory gathering to begin the year in prayer.
On Thursday, July 9, 2026, the Catholic Church in Hawaiʻi will formally launch the Bicentennial celebration year with a statewide simultaneous celebration of Holy Mass. The main Oʻahu celebration will be held at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu, followed by a Mass and Reception gathering.
One Prayer · Every Island
The Bicentennial Year begins with the Diocese united in prayer — a simultaneous celebration across Hawaiʻi, anchored by the principal Mass on Oʻahu.
Our Lady of Peace
The opening takes place on the Feast of Our Lady of Peace, honoring the patroness under whom the Catholic mission in Hawaiʻi was first entrusted.
Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa
The main Oʻahu Opening Mass will be held at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa, followed by a major celebratory gathering.
Holy Mass and fellowship celebrating 200 years.
Please RSVP for the Holy Mass and Reception at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa so our planning committee can prepare for the correct number of attendees.
Bicentennial Opening Mass and Reception
Immediately following the main Oʻahu Opening Mass, the community is invited to gather for a joyful reception celebrating the launch of the Bicentennial Year.
This is a moment to share the table, honor the history of the Church in Hawaiʻi, and begin the year-long celebration together.
Neighbor island vicariates joining the Opening Mass celebration.
The main Oʻahu Mass is at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa. Neighbor island vicariates will also participate in the statewide simultaneous celebration.
Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa
The principal Opening Mass for Oʻahu will be held at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu, followed by the Mass and Reception gathering.
East Hawaiʻi Island Vicariate
St. Joseph Church — Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island
Official Hawaiʻi Island East Vicariate Site of the Bicentennial Opening Mass · July 9, 2026 · 6:00 PM
Few parishes carry the weight of Catholic history on Hawaiʻi Island the way St. Joseph does. The Catholic mission in Hilo took root with the arrival of Sacred Hearts Father Charles Pouzot in 1846, and from three simple pili grass chapels, a community of faith grew that would shape the entire island. On July 9, 1862, Bishop Louis Maigret blessed a new stone and wood church dedicated to St. Joseph — a landmark for incoming ships and, as one historian wrote, “a majestic memorial to the Catholic faith in Hawaii.” By the early 1880s, the Catholic community in Hilo and surrounding areas had grown to some 15,000 souls, a testament to the missionary zeal the Sacred Hearts Fathers carried from France to these shores. The cream and pink Spanish baroque-style church that stands today at the corner of Haili and Kapiolani Streets was dedicated in 1919 and has served as the spiritual anchor of east Hawaiʻi ever since. There is no more fitting place on the Big Island to mark 200 years of Catholic faith in Hawaiʻi. Join us as Father John Molina presides at this statewide celebration. All visitors and Hilo ʻohana are warmly welcome. Two Hundred Years of Faith. One Family. One Hawaiʻi.
West Hawaiʻi Island Vicariate
St. Michael the Archangel Church — Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi Island
Official Hawaiʻi Island (West) Site of the Bicentennial Opening Mass · July 9, 2026 · 6:00 PM
Established July 5, 1840, St. Michael the Archangel is among the earliest Catholic parishes in the Islands, planted on Aliʻi Drive in the heart of historic Kailua-Kona just months after the missionaries of the Sacred Hearts secured religious freedom in Hawaiʻi. For nearly two centuries this vibrant Eucharistic community has called Kona’s faithful to “act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with God,” and its oceanfront sanctuary remains a beacon of faith on the Kona Coast. Today the parish ʻohana also embraces the historic mission churches of Immaculate Conception, Holy Rosary, St. Peter by the Sea, and St. Paul. There is no more fitting place in West Hawaiʻi to celebrate 200 years of Catholic faith in the Islands. Join us as Rev. Konelio Faletoi, Pastor and Vicar Forane, presides at this statewide celebration. All visitors and Kona ʻohana are warmly welcome. Two Hundred Years of Faith. One Family. One Hawaiʻi.
Maui Vicariate
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church — Wailuku, Maui
Official Maui Vicariate Site of the Bicentennial Opening Mass · July 9, 2026 · 6:00 PM
Founded in faith and forged through fire, St. Anthony of Padua in Wailuku stands as one of the most storied parishes in all of Hawaiʻi. The Catholic mission on Maui traces its origins to July 7, 1827 — the very arrival of the Sacred Hearts Fathers from France — and the first High Mass was celebrated here in a thatched structure in 1848. By 1854, some 6,000 baptisms were recorded on Maui in a single year. It was within these walls that Father Damien de Veuster, SS.CC., is said to have made his commitment to journey to Kalaupapa — beginning his remarkable path to sainthood. Though the historic stone church was lost to arson in 1977, the community rose from the ashes, dedicating a new sanctuary on St. Anthony’s own feast day, June 13, 1980. There is no more fitting place on the Valley Isle to mark 200 years of Catholic faith in Hawaiʻi. Join us as Father William Kunish presides at this statewide celebration. All visitors and Maui ʻohana are warmly welcome. Two Hundred Years of Faith. One Family. One Hawaiʻi.
Molokaʻi & Lānaʻi
Where: To be confirmed
When: Thursday, July 9, 2026 · To be confirmed
Who is Presiding: To be confirmed
Notes: Local celebration details will be shared when confirmed.
Kauaʻi Vicariate
St. Raphael Catholic Church — Koloa, Kauaʻi
Official Kauaʻi Site of the Bicentennial Opening Mass · July 9, 2026 · 6:00 PM
Founded in 1841 by Father Arsenius Walsh, St. Raphael is the oldest Catholic church on Kauaʻi — established just two years after Catholics won religious freedom in the Islands. Its historic stone sanctuary, completed in 1854 and blessed on the feast of St. Raphael the Archangel, has anchored faith in Koloa for generations. Today the parish’s grounds invite pilgrims to wander a quarter-mile Stations of the Cross path, two beloved grottos, and a sanctuary rebuilt in the wake of Hurricane Iniki. There is no more fitting place on the Garden Isle to launch 200 years of Catholic faith in Hawaiʻi. Join us as Father EJ Resinto presides at this statewide celebration. All visitors and Kauaʻi ʻohana are warmly welcome. Two Hundred Years of Faith. One Family. One Hawaiʻi.
Help welcome the faithful as the Bicentennial Year begins.
Volunteers will help make the Opening Mass and after-Mass reception warm, organized, and welcoming. Share your interest and availability below.
Help support a year of celebration, prayer, history, and statewide coordination.
Support the Bicentennial Year
Two hundred years of faith. One year to celebrate it together.
From sacred Masses uniting the faithful across every island, to school children ringing bells in unison, to a grand gathering of One Hawaiʻi — this Bicentennial belongs to all of us. And it moves forward only because of all of us.
Your gift makes it possible. Every contribution lifts what would otherwise fall to the Diocese alone — and carries this story forward for generations to come.
Make your gift today. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Give toward the celebration
Your support helps the Diocese welcome the faithful, honor its history, and carry the Bicentennial message across the islands.
Donate to the Bicentennial Fund