|
The first church of St. Theresa's parish was blessed on April 22,
1928. A new church was built and blessed on June 3, 1958. The
Catholic community in Kihei numbered about 75 families. The growth was
steady and a new church was again needed. The present church was dedicated
on April 27, 1985. This church has a capacity for over
600. This semi-rotund house of worship is designed in contemporary style.
It has a bell tower and besides the church proper, there are other rooms, all
under one roof. The other rooms are the sacristy, chapel, reconciliation
room and book store. There is a hospitality room for receptions and other
functions. At the entrance to the church is a painting on the tile wall of
the patroness of the church, St. Theresa, known as the "Little Flower of Jesus".
The interior of the church is semi-circular to create the idea
of community and allow the congregation to be closer to one another and to the
altar. The floor is slanted theatre style to allow maximum visibility.
Natural light, ventilation and natural materials (wood, tile, stone) were used
to create a unique setting. Besides planters and skylights, the stained
glass windows along the sides depict profiles of the Hawaiian Islands and the
windows on either side of the sanctuary depict the glory of God the Father and
the Holy Spirit, as a white dove. The motif of the Trinity is completed by
Jesus on the cross that dominates the sanctuary.
The Corpus (body) was carved by Sam Kaai, an Hawaiian sculptor
and activist. Christ's head is tilted upward as though our Lord were in
conversation with the Father. His features are Polynesian. The
inscription on the crucifix is written in Hawaiian and means "Jesus of Nazareth
- King of the Jews". The massive Ohia log for the crucifix was brought
over from the Big Island. The furnishings in the sanctuary are made of Koa
wood.
There are two statues at either extremity of the church, one
of St. Mary and one of St. Joseph. These also have Polynesian Features and
were carved by Louis Benanto, Jr.
In keeping with the liturgical reform the Blessed Sacrament is
reserved in a tabernacle in a separate chapel at the right of the church.
The chapel is open for prayer all day long. The holy water fonts are
appropriately giant clam shells. The simple Stations of the cross have
tiles noting the number of the Station. The crosses are made from 14
different kinds of wood.
"Holy is the Temple of the Lord; It is God's handiwork, His dwelling place..."
|