FUN AT MANINI BEACH IN KONA

Cat, Laurel and Sharon

PAINTED CHURCH...KONA, HI

 

History of the Painted Church

Weekend Masses

St Benedict
Sat: 4pm Sun: 7:15am
St John
Sat: 6pm Sun: 9:30am
St Peter
4th Sunday at 12 noon
Communion Service 10am 1st, 2nd, 3rd Sunday

Weekday Masses

St Benedict
Tues, Thurs, Fri 7:00am

St John
Wedsnesday 7:00am

VICARIATE PERIOD OF THE PARISH

St. Benedict Parish is located on the leeward slopes of the 13,680 feet volcano mountain called Mauna Loa {Long Mountain) in the District of South Kona, Island of Hawaii. The parish is 38 miles in length and goes from the sea up the sparsely populated slopes to the top of the mountain. Originally its population was all Hawaiian living in fourteen villages in South Kona, but now at this writing the predominant Catholic population is part-Hawaiian and Filipino living in five villages.
The history of the Church in the District began early in 1842 (1). Father Joachim Marechal, SS.CC., at that time was assigned to care for both South Kona and Ka'u Districts. He set his residence and first chapel in the village of Kapalelua, situated on the border of the two Districts. Within a short time, due to Father Joachim's zeal and zealous work and teaching of several lay catechists, the Church was firmly established in South Kona. The first Catholic school in the area opened at Honaunau beach village under the care of Serapia, a catechist, and Clement Hoki, a school teacher, the missionary priests lived in South Kona only intermittently until about 1859. The original chapel, located on the shore of Honaunau Bay Dear the City of Refuge in the National Historical Park, was known as St. Francis Regis Chapel.
Father Joachim died unexpectedly April 12, 1859. Father Aloys Lorteau, SS.CC., his successor, took up residence in Honaunau and served there for 37 years until 1898, when he died aboard the vessel, Maunaloa, on Easter Monday on his way to Honolulu for medical and hospital attention.
By the mid-1880's most of the Honaunau people had moved away from the beach area to more fertile soil about two miles up the slopes. Father John Berchmans Velge, SS.CC., resident priest who replaced Father Aloys in December, 1899, moved what he could of St. Francis Regis Chapel to upper Honaunau. With additional repairs and additions the old church looked like new. It was blessed in August, 1902, by Bishop Gulstan Ropert, SS.CC., who dedicated it in honor of St. Benedict.
Father John, an excellent teacher and self-taught artist, painted the interior walls of the church with some striking scenes of the Bible which depict various important religious truths. His biblical murals soon became famous, and St. Benedict Church came to be known as "The Painted Church." Designed, constructed and painted as a miniature
European Gothic Cathedral by Father John, St. Benedict Church is now considered to be rather unique in the annals of American Art. It has become a major tourist attraction of the Kona coast, and thousands of visitors come to see it every year. It is listed in the Hawaii State Register of Historical Places and th.e National Register of Historical Places.
Father John's health required him to return to Belgium in 1904. Father Victor Poirer, SS.CC., served from August, 1904 to July 1905; Father Charles Louis, SS.CC., from January, 1906 to September, 1907; and Father Gerard Benetren, SS.CC., from September, 1907 to December, 1913. Sometime in 1906, St John the Baptist Church was built in Kealakekna. It was dedicated in 1907.
Father Eugene Oehman, SS.CC., became pastor of St. Benedict Church on December 7, 1913, and served there for 37 years. During his pastorate, he witnessed four major volcano eruptions of Magna Loa in 1916, 1919, 1926, and 1950. In the 1926 eruption and lava flow, Father Eugene saw St. Peter's Chapel in Hoopuloa destroyed by lava; and in the 1950 eruption, Sacred Heart of Mary Chapel at Pahoehoe was totally destroyed by the red hot lava. Father Eugene built a new St. Peter Chapel at Milolii beach which is still in use today. The earthquake of 1950, which accompanied a major lava flow, destroyed Maria Lanakila Church in Kealia, built in 1860. At the time of Father Eugene's death on June 14,1951, only three of the 14 churches and chapels that had been built in the District remained in use, namely: St Benedict Church, Honaunau, St. John the Baptist Church, Kealakekna, and St. Peter Chapel, Milolii.

 

Painted murals in video posted below

PROTEA AND THE PAINTED CHURCH...

PROTEA 

 

Among the oldest families of flowers on earth, dating back 300 million years, Greek legend tells us that protea were named after Proteus, the son of Poseidon. A sea god who had the power to know all things past, present and future, Proteus was defiant and preferred to nap on the island of Pharos rather than prophesize. To deter those seeking his insights, he would change his shape at will, and it’s said that the protea flower was named after him because it, too, presents itself in an astounding variety of shapes, sizes, hues and textures to make up more than 1,400 varieties.

With its mythological associations to change and transformation, it’s not surprising that in the language of flowers, protea symbolizes diversity and courage.

 

SUNSET AT CAPT. COOK...

South Kona from our room at The Manago
Staying the Manago Hotel in Captain Cook, Hawai`i is like accepting an invitation to join the family. Three generations of Managos collectively offer their hospitality when you step into the lobby with its old style counter space. Just sign the guest book, allow a credit card imprint, and take your key with its plastic holder.

Osame Manago

Portraits of Kinzo and Osame Manago gaze down with a certain amount of benevolence, as if they join the desk clerk, who may be their grandson Dwight, in wishing you a pleasant stay.
Osame Manago was a picture bride from Fujioka, Japan who came to Hawai`i to escape harsh conditions at home.  Her father was a farmer who had no sons.  Osame’s father told Osame, “You are only a farmer’s daughter.  What good does it do you to get more education for working in the fields or for business?  If you can sign your name, that’s enough.”  He allowed Osame to go through fifth grade, but said she would be a subject of laughter if she attempted high school.
Osame married when she was seventeen years old.  She did not like her parents’ selection, a relative, and only agreed because they said if she could not stand him after three days, Osame could return home.  The ceremony was for a trial marriage, not a legal one.  Three days later, Osame told her husband’s family she was going to the toilet, and walked home under a full moon.  Osame escaped a bad marriage but shamed her family.  She decided to go where she would be forgotten, and if she ever returned to Japan, she wanted people to look up to her.
Several years before, Kinzo Manago left Japan to go to Canada and learn English.  He and several friends departed for Honolulu, where they expected to board a boat for Canada.  As luck would have it, one of the friends gambled away the money. They were stuck.  Kinzo wrote his cousin in Canada, who sent him $20.00 to get back on his feet.  Meanwhile, Kinzo discovered that he had another relative on the island of Hawai`i, so he took a steamer, and met his cousin in Kona.  Shortly thereafter. Kinzo began working as a cook for the Wallace family, which is how he earned enough money for a picture bride.

Kinzo Manago

Kinzo contacted his family who arranged for him to marry Osame.  Later, Osame said she did not know how they heard of her, but “they thought I was a hard worker.”  One would think Osame’s family was pleased by the match, but apparently there was some disapproval, because the Manago family was wealthier and this made the match uneven.
The wedding was a proxy ceremony in 1912.  Osame stayed with her husband’s family in Kurume until she could book passage on a ship to Honolulu.  At the exit station in Nagasaki, the inspector diagnosed Osame with hookworms.  She could not travel until they were gone.  Osame heard that if she ate a lot of nuts, it would be difficult to detect the hookworms, so her mother roasted nuts for her, and Osame passed inspection.
Between 1907 and 1923, over 14,000 picture brides arrived in Hawai`i from Japan.  Upon arrival, many found their husbands did not look like the pictures.  Many men were considerably older; others sent pictures of their younger friends.  Brides swallowed their disappointment, and went to work.
Like other brides, Osame held Kinzo’s picture so she would recognize him on the dock in Honolulu.  Was she happy, confused, or disappointed?  There is no way to know how she felt upon meeting Kinzo for the fist time.  The couple went through a second ceremony at a nearby Shinto temple.  The next day, they left for Kona on the cramped interisland steamer.  People, cattle, cargo – all together in the hold.  Many people put mats out on deck.  The boat landed at Kailua, and the couple took a cart up the rocky road to Captain Cook.
Kinzo worked full time chopping firewood.  In 1917 he borrowed $100 from his former boss and purchased a two-room house, a cook stove and supplies.  The couple set aside one room for their own use.  In the other, Osame served homemade bread and jam to taxi drivers traveling from Kona to Hilo.  As they were able, the couple added rooms and a second floor while expanding food service to include full meals and sake.  For those who chose to spend the night, the Managos charged $1.00 to sleep on a tatami mat.
By the end of 1930, the couple had seven children, and the business brought in $20.00 per day.  Two turbulent decades lay ahead of this First Generation Japanese couple.

MELE KALIKIMAKA...

ALWAYS WONDERED....

 

 

Now I know!

LOVING THE SUNSHINE

 Home away from home

OOPS!...

No, I didn't actually see this tree, was sent to me by a friend.

Thanks Jim

THE BEST BUS RIDE HOME EVER...

CHILLIN'....

Cooling down under the famous Banyan trees...

World famous Banyan trees, branches flow to the ground and additional trees form while remaining connected to the mother tree.

 

 

World Famous Banyan Drive is located in Hilo

AFRICAN TULIP TREE...

A MOONLIT NIGHT...

 

NATURAL BEAUTY...

Just one of the many varieties of Hawaii's state flower... the Hibiscus

Caught my eye as I was walking down the street...

A KALANI REUNION...

My dear friend Cat came over from the Puna side (where the lava flows!) for a visit!

We shopped a little, drank a little wine, caught up on all that's been going on since we last saw each other 2 years ago at Kalani.  Made plans to meet up again soon.  After all, we have more wine to drink and more catching up to do!

 

BTW, Cat, this is a great picture of you...love you.

 The big problem with selfies?  My arms aren't long enough!!

MY DAILY VISITOR...

This Cattle Egret comes by for a visit daily, don't know if she has a nest or is just foraging but don't think she's going to run up on any cattle around these parts!

MAUNA KEA...

 

Our view of Mauna Kea, one of the oldest inactive volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands

 

 

Coconut trees and the ocean...can't seem to stop taking pictures of the ocean, it changes everyday...as surfing competition begins, the waves are swelling larger everyday

A SELFIE...

uhhhh.........NOT!!!

Weekends often bring sunbathers, swimmers, fishermen to our beautiful spot on the ocean.