Cathedral of Our Lady of PeaceA Brief History of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, located at the north end of Fort Street Mall in downtown Honolulu, is said to be the oldest Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States and one of the oldest existing buildings in the downtown area. It is dedicated under the patronage of Our Lady of Peace because the first Catholic missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands, members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary gave that title to their first foundation in a new land. The Cathedral stands on land which was given to the missionaries by King Kamehameha III (Kauikeaouli) when the mission was established in 1827.
The building is made of simple coral stone blocks which were brought to the site from the Kaka‘ako shores. These blocks and the ones used in the building of Kawaiaha‘o Church come from the same coral reef. When both buildings were completed, they were similar in appearance. The inside of the building was very stark -- simple wooden altars and lauhala-matted floors.
The Cathedral tower is the third tower which has drawn attention to the presence of the Cathedral. The original tower (1843) was a simple domed-shaped structure which was replaced in 1866 with a tall, wooden spire. The local newspaper acknowledged that it was the loftiest in the islands. This was replaced by the present concrete tower because of termite damage in 1917. A bronze weather vane, often unnoticed, is perched on top of the tower. It has been there since the time of the second tower.
There are two bells housed in the tower. Both of them were cast in France. The first was dedicated to Bishop Maigret and installed in 1853. the second was added in 1866 when the second tower was erected. It bears the name "Aubert" probably indicating its dedication to Fr. Aubert Bouillon, ss.cc., the pastor of Maria Lanakila Church in Lahaina, Maui at that time. The Lahaina church was dedicated a few years earlier. Historians seem to think that the bell was originally meant for that church, but somehow ended up at the Cathedral.
The tower clock also has an interesting history. A clock was ordered from France soon after the dedication of the Cathedral. Bishop Maigret sent the order through the office of the superior of the Sacred Hearts Fathers and Brothers in Valparaiso, Chile. It was sent there for inspection before it was forwarded to Hawai‘i. For some unknown reason, it was switched with an older clock in Chile which arrived in Hawai‘i and was installed about 1852 at the base of the original tower. When the roof was raised several feet in the 1870's the clock was positioned in the back wall of the Cathedral. It is the oldest tower clock in Hawai‘i.
In 1941 the Catholic Church in Hawai‘i was established as the Diocese of Honolulu. Bishop James Joseph Sweeney, a priest from San Francisco, was installed as the first bishop of the Diocese. Bishop Sweeney served from 1941-1967, and was followed by Bishop John Joseph Scanlan (1968-1981) and Bishop Joseph Anthony Ferrario (1982-1993). Bishop Francis X. Dilorenzo has served as Bishop of Honolulu and pastor of the Cathedral since 1994.
- Historical information obtained from the official website of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace.
