Opening Event · Diocese of Honolulu Bicentennial 1827–2027
Bicentennial Press Conference
An Invitation and Legacy Together —
The Opening of Our Bicentennial Year
Two hundred years of faith have been written into the soil of these islands — in mission stations and school chapels, in hospital wards and family homes. On June 17, 2026, the Diocese of Honolulu invites all of Hawaiʻi to a historic morning at Sacred Hearts Academy as we formally open the year-long celebration of 200 years of Catholic life in these islands.
Watch the Press Conference Live
For those joining from the neighbor islands or unable to attend in person, the live stream will be available here.
Opening The Bicentennial Year
The first official gathering of the year-long Bicentennial — a public moment marking 200 years of Catholic life in Hawaiʻi.
Sacred Hearts Academy
A founding institution of the Catholic mission in Hawaiʻi — opened by the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts in 1909 and woven into the diocese's story for over a century.
All People Of Hawai'i
Faithful, clergy, religious, educators, civic leaders, media, and community members are warmly invited to share in this historic morning.
A Year Of Celebration
The press conference launches a full slate of liturgies, gatherings, pilgrimages, and cultural events leading to the Bicentennial Convocation in July 2027.
An Invitation and Legacy Together — the formal opening of two hundred years of Catholic faith in Hawai'i.
On June 17, 2026, the Diocese of Honolulu will formally open the Bicentennial Year with a press conference at Sacred Hearts Academy. This historic morning marks the beginning of a twelve-month celebration honoring two centuries of Catholic mission, education, and service across the Hawaiian Islands — and it sets the tone for everything that follows.
Two hundred years of faith have been written into the soil of these islands — in mission stations and school chapels, in hospital wards and family homes. From the arrival of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 1827, to the witness of St. Damien on Molokaʻi and St. Marianne Cope at Kalaupapa, to today's vibrant parishes across nine vicariates — this is a story still being written.
The press conference will share the full scope of the Bicentennial year with our community, our partners, and the media — unveiling the calendar of liturgies, pilgrimages, cultural events, and the culminating July 2027 Convocation at Waikiki. All people of Hawaiʻi are welcomed to be part of the story.
Reserve Your Seat
Honor the past. Celebrate the present. Inspire what comes next.
Honor
We honor the missionaries who first carried the faith to these shores — the Sacred Hearts Fathers and Brothers, the Sisters who built schools and hospitals, and the saints who walked among us. From the first Mass on Honolulu's shore in 1827 to the canonizations of St. Damien and St. Marianne, this morning gives thanks for two centuries of courage, love, and sacrifice.
Celebrate
The Catholic Church in Hawaiʻi today is a living, vibrant community — over sixty parishes across all islands, a thriving network of Catholic schools, ministries that serve the poor, the sick, and the immigrant, and faithful from every cultural tradition that has shaped these islands. The press conference celebrates the people who carry the mission forward in every neighborhood and on every island.
Inspire
And we look forward — to the next generation of disciples, to communities yet to be welcomed, to a future the early missionaries could only have prayed for. The Bicentennial year is not only remembrance; it is an invitation to step into the next chapter of Catholic life in Hawaiʻi with renewed faith, hope, and aloha.
Come. Be part of the story.
The Diocese of Honolulu extends a heartfelt invitation to all people of Hawaiʻi to join us for this historic morning at Sacred Hearts Academy.
For two hundred years, the Catholic faith has been carried in these islands by extraordinary people — missionaries, saints, religious sisters, educators, parents, neighbors. They built churches in lava fields. They opened schools on every island. They cared for the sick, the dying, and the forgotten. They translated prayers into Hawaiian, into Portuguese, into Filipino dialects, into every language that came to these shores.
On June 17, we gather to honor them, to celebrate what endures, and to look with hope toward the next chapter. The Diocese of Honolulu extends a heartfelt invitation to all people of Hawaiʻi to join us for this historic morning at Sacred Hearts Academy.
Come. Be part of the story. Reserve your seat at catholichawaii200.org.
Everything you need to know for June 17, 2026.
Bicentennial Press Conference — June 17, 2026
A Historic Morning at Sacred Hearts Academy
The press conference will gather diocesan leadership, members of the Bicentennial Planning Committee, civic and community partners, the faithful, and members of the media for the formal unveiling of the Bicentennial year.
The morning will include remarks from Bishop Larry Silva, a presentation of the full Bicentennial calendar, and an opportunity for members of the media to meet committee leaders and learn more about the year ahead. Refreshments and fellowship will follow.
Seating is open to the public but reservations are required. Members of the press are kindly asked to register in advance so accommodations can be made for credentials, recording, and interviews.