Molokai History: [from the Internet] Hope Louise Lugosi, the fifth and last wife of famous Hollywood actor Bela Lugosi (who played Dracula in movies) is buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Kamalo on Molokai. She was married to Bela from 1955-1956. Hope was a fan of Bela's and when he was in the hospital recovering [...]
Molokai History: [from the Internet and church records] Mary Waki Kiyonaga Swerts is buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Kamalo. She died April 28, 1990. She had two sisters who were Sisters of Charity, Virginia and Julia. Her son, Joseph Yoshio Kiyonaga, who was raised in Kamalo, served with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in [...]
Molokai History: (from Hawaii Catholic Herald, about the mother of parishioner Joe Reich of Kamalo. She is buried at St. Joseph's cemetery in Kamalo) Margaret M. "Mickey" Reich was the outreach coordinator of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in downtown Honolulu for over 25 years. She worked out of a small back office [...]
Molokai History: [from a letter written by Fr. John Van Gils, ss.cc., St. Sophia's Church to Very Rev. Msgr. Marzen, Catholic Herald, Nov. 14, 1964] On Friday evening, Nov. 13th, a dinner was held for our C.C.D. members to honor Mrs. Daphne Foster who for 25 years has been a lay-teacher of religion or commonly [...]
Molokai History: [from Hawaii Catholic Herald, May 20, 1966] The parish of St. Sophia's in Kaunakakai is debt-free and hopes for the day when it will have resident Holy Family Sisters to conduct weekly instruction classes for the children. The parish suffers from the fact that most of the young people leave the island and [...]
Molokai History: [from Hawaii Catholic Herald, May 20, 1966] In 1963, a small catechetical center was built by Father John Van Gils on the right side of St. Sophia's church. He also found it necessary to enlarge the church in 1965. According to Father John, the parish of St. Sophia and its missions of Our [...]
Molokai History: [from Hawaii Catholic Herald, May 20, 1966] The unofficial capital of the Friendly Island, Molokai, is Kaunakakai. This simple fact gives St. Sophia's Church in this community a place of importance for all Catholics on the island. There is another fact equally important which gives this parish a place of prominence: its two [...]
Molokai History: [from Bishop Louis Maigret's Journals, 1837-1877, Archives of the Sacred Hearts Fathers, Honolulu] June 30, 1851: "Left around noon for Molokai - Frs. Joachim, Aubert, J.M., the 2 youngsters & I - very turbulent sea - Severino accompanies us on his launch - we arrive at Kumueli (Kamalo) at about 4pm" July 1, [...]
Molokai History: [from a Bulletin from St. Sophia Church in Kaunakakai, no date] The first chapel in Kaunakakai was blessed in January, 1914 by Bishop Libert Boeynams, SS.CC. The property belonged to Moses Burrows and the chapel seated 50 souls. In 1937, a new church was built to replace this chapel. Mrs. Sophie Cooke gave [...]
Molokai History: [from Hawaii Catholic Herald, March 16, 1990] As the plantations [on Molokai] phased out their Molokai operations and families moved away, the membership of St. Theresa Church decreased and staffing presented problems. Finally, in February of 1990, the parishioners, after much deliberation and prayer, agreed to close St. Theresa. They would join the [...]