Molokai History: [from Hawaii Catholic Herald, February 4, 2011] "Ground broken for Kaunakakai's long-awaited church" 'Not a basilica' The new church is being built where St. Sophia had stood for 73 years, near the beginning of Kaunakakai town's main drag, between the C. Pascua Store and the Molokai Community Credit Union, across from the U.S. [...]
Molokai History: [from The Catholic Herald, June 25, 1937] With succeeding years, Kaunakakai's population increased gradually to the point where the little church there had become much too small to accomodate the growing Catholic congregation. Plans were made several times to enlarge the building, but it never went further than planning, as other localities in [...]
Molokai History: [from The Catholic Herald, June 25, 1937] His Excellency Stephen P. Alencastre To Bless New St. Sophia Church At Kaunakakai, Molokai Even excepting Kalawao in the Molokai Leper Settlement, no other island has so many memories of Father Damien's missionary labors than the Island of Molokai. For when in 1873 Father Damien became [...]
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] In 1937, a new church was built in Kaunakakai to replace the old chapel. Mrs. Sophie Cooke gave the sizeable donation of one thousand dollars. For her generosity, Bishop Stephen Alencastre, SS.CC. blessed the new church on July 4, 1937 and dedicated it to St. Sophia. [...]
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 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 [...]