Happy Sesquicentennial!

Maria Lanikila Catholic Church in Lahaina is officially 150 years old today. The church, on Wainee St. at Dickenson, is the oldest Catholic church on Maui.

Established by priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Maria Lanakila Church's records show its founders initially ran into resistance, but in time, according to Reverend Gary Colton, "the faith spread in spite of troubles until more than 3,000 Catholics were here at the end of 1841."

When the Catholic clergy arrived on Maui, they initially settled into a small house off Front Street by the area where King Kamehameha III Elementary School now stands and had mass on the beach. They eventually acquired the 8 acres on Wainee Street.

Maria Lanakila was dedicated on Sept. 8, 1858, and the parsonage was built at the same time, both with coral stone and adobe.

The church has undergone very few modifications over time and is open during the day for visits and prayers.