A Brief History
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Over 100 Years of Catholic Service in Hawaii
Humble Beginnings
1883
Father Clement Evrard, SS.CC., built a wooden chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus located at the corner of Wilder Avenue and Metcalf Street. At the time, Sacred Heart Parish was an outlying mission (Marquesville mission) of Our Lady of Peace Cathedral in Honolulu.
Wilder Avenue
1912-1913
Bishop Libert Boeynaems, SS.CC., acquired two adjacent lots on Wilder Avenue for the permanent Sacred Heart parish site
A New Building
1913
Father (later Bishop) Stephen Alencastre, SS.CC., who succeeded Fr. Clement, secured the services of Honolulu architect Edgar Allen P. Newcomb to design the new church. John Walker, a local contractor and builder, was hired to build the church.
The Cornerstone
August 31, 1913
The cornerstone was laid for the future Sacred Heart Church, a Gothic structure constructed with simulated "blue stone" blocks, the first church of its kind built in Hawaii.
A New Church
November 1, 1914
Bishop Libert Boeynaems, SS.CC., blessed the new Sacred Heart Church amidst a large and enthusiastic crowd of parishioners and friends. Individual parishioners and parish societies donated the exquisite stained glass windows from Le Puy, France where they had been commissioned. These original stained-glass windows continue to adorn the church today.
Bachelot Hall
June 1923
Bachelot Hall was built and dedicated to the memory of the Very Reverend Alexis Bachelot, SS.CC., the first Catholic missionary in Hawaii. It accommodated the increasing number of meeting and activities of the growing parish community.
The Maryknoll Fathers
February 1927
Bishop Stephen Alencastre formally assigned Sacred Heart Parish to the Maryknoll Fathers who arrived to fulfill their assignement.
The Maryknoll Sisters
September 1927
The Maryknoll Sisters arrived to open Maryknoll Grade School.
A Historical Site
1987
Sacred Heart Church was recognized for its architectural, historical, and social significance and placed on the Hawaii State Register of Historic Places.
A Diocesan Church
July 1988
The Maryknoll Fathers turned over Sacred Heart Parish to diocesan administration after 71 years of dedicated service.
National Registry
2001
Sacred Heart Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Improvements at Heart
2003-2007
Sacred Heart Parish conducted its Improvements at Heart campaign for renovation and improvements of the church and campus.
Maryknoll Community Center
September 2009
The Maryknoll Community Center opened. The 35,000-square-foot, three-story Center is a multipurpose, year-round gathering place for Mass, athletics, school assemblies and special events. This was the first structure that the entire student body and all faculty and staff could gather at one time in the school's history.
100 Years of Catholic Service in Hawaii
November 1, 2014
Sacred Heart Church celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Bachelot Hall Renovations
August 2022-April 2023
Renovations begin on Bachelot Hall with plans to transform it into a Performing Arts Center with the official blessing of construction on April 27th, 2023