STAR of the SEA - Kalapana - Hawai'i
Posted by: 
Jake39
N 19° 22.383 W 154° 57.828
5Q E 293743 N 2143278
The "Star of the Sea Catholic Church" is located in the town of Kalapana along Highway 130 on the eastern side of the 'Big Island of Hawai'i' The 'Church' is supported by 'Visitor' donations.
Waymark Code: WM7QB
Location: Hawaii, United States
Date Posted: 02/17/2006
Views: 64
The doors to this roadside church are open 7 days a week from 9AM - 4PM to all visitors. The maximum capacity is 49
In 1927-28 Father Evarist Gielen caused the present -Star of the Sea Church- to be built.
It was he who painted the upper section of the Church, working at night by the light from an oil lamp.
In 1964 Mr. George Heidler, an artist from Athens Georgia, found his way to Kalapana. He conceived the idea of painting the unfinished lower panels and the alter section. He also fashioned the 'Fourteen Stations of the Cross' and the outdoor shrine of glass.
...All paintings are painted on panels of wood or the wooden plank interior.
With frescos and stained glass adorning the interior, the Star of the Sea Painted Church boasts a history as colorful as its walls. The paintings tell the story of Father Damien Devester, a Belgian priest who helped Hansen's disease (also known as leprosy) patients on the island of Molokai and later died from the disease himself.
The upper section features paintings by another Belgian missionary, Father Everist Gielen, who began constructing the church in 1928. The paintings cover the arched ceiling across the length of the church. In 1964, artist George Heidler from Athens, Georgia, completed the interior by painting the lower panels and altar section.
The church used to be located in Kalapana, but after a lava flow came dangerously close to it in 1990, they church was moved. Otherwise, it would have been destroyed.
Click here for
Panoramic view.
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