History

It was a time of persecution for all people in Hawaii who practiced or even professed the Catholic faith.  From 1831 to 1839, Hawaiian Catholics were denied their basic religious rights. Missionary priests and religious were exiled. Those caught expressing their faith were arrested, imprisoned and sentenced to hard labor. Homes were confiscated and heavy taxes were levied on their property. But, out of this near decade-long time of persecution, seeds of hope were planted, and a new community of believers was created on the shores of Waikiki.

The formation of this new community began through the work of local catechists, who had been instructed by the first Catholic missionaries before they were expelled from the islands. Historic documents tell of devotions, such as the Rosary, being prayed and the continuation of adult and child catechism classes being held after dark in private homes. Fr. Arsenius Walsh, a priest who was protected by the British government, was the main source of physical and spiritual support of this new family of believers during the years of underground activity.