A Brief History...
Maria Lanakila, which means Our Lady of Victory, is located in downtown Lahaina, which is the Cradle of Faith on the island of Maui. The Church was established in 1846 by Father Aubert of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Mary and Jesus. It was officially dedicated on September 8, 1858.
On May 4, 1873, the stone church that stands today was completed under Father Leonore. This structure replaced the old adobe building and grass hut chapels that originally served the community of Maria Lanakila.
In 1918, Fr. Bruno renewed the original walls of Maria Lanakila Church, making improvements and enlargements to the original stone structure. Under Father Rudolph, it was renovated further, including the cleaning and rehanging of the Church's paintings. These paintings bear some mystery, and are thought to be the gift of some Alii, but no one knows for sure. They were possibly gifts from King Kalakaua or his sister, Queen Liliuokalani.
The bells of Maria Lanakila have a story of their own. The original set of bells never made it to Lahaina, as they were lost in South America on their way from France. The second set of bells, which were inscribed with the name of Maria Lanakila, made it as far as Hilo, and remained there. The third set of bells finally made it, and are the ones that call us to Mass today.
Readings for today, at the USCCB web site.
