Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, Honolulu, HI - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace is the Mother Church of the Diocese of Honolulu, and is in fact the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the United States. On May 21, 1864, Saint Damien of Moloka'i was ordained here.

The land for the cathedral was given to the church by Kamehameha III as reconciliation for years of persecution. The groundbreaking was July 9, 1840, on the Feast of Our Lady of Peace. The church was consecrated on August 15, 1843, but would not be truly completed for several decades. The Vicarate Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands was created on July 11, 1847, and the Vicar Apostolic became the titular Bishop of Arathia. The Diocese of Honolulu would be elevated on January 25, 1941.

At first, the cathedral had a simple wooden altar, communion rail, and pulpit. Over its first twenty years, significant changes would be made: the cathedra (or bishop's throne) would be installed, the ceiling would be raised, a choir loft and upper galleries would be added, and a marble altar would be installed. The most noticeable addition was a domed bell tower, which would be replaced with a wooden spire and cross in 1866.

The fourth apostolic vicar attempted to, in the early 1900s, remake the cathedral in a Gothic style akin to those cathedrals in Europe. A porch was added, as was a concrete bell tower, replacing the wooden spire. The porch and most of the rest of the Gothic experiment would be removed by the next vicar in the 1930s. Red terra cotta tiles were placed on the roof, a new altar given to the church by the Italian government, and, in general, a Romanesque revivalist style was promulgated.

The cathedral has had three pipe organs in its history. The first was installed shortly after the cathedral was constructed; the second was installed in 1885; and the third was installed in 1934.

Source: Wikipedia (see secondary link)

Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 08/15/1843 Age of Church building determined by?: Church website If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Roman Catholic If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: From: 8:00 AM To: 5:00 PM If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Sunday Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 10:30 AM Street address of Church: 1175 Fort Street Mall Honolulu, HI USA 96813 Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link] Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link]

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