Molokai’s main parish has a new name. Bishop Larry Silva announced on June 5 that the collection of four top-side churches known as the Molokai Catholic Community is now called the “Blessed Damien Catholic Parish.”

According to the pastor, Sacred Hearts Father Clyde Guerreiro, the bishop made the decision to change the name after consulting his priest advisors during a June 5 Presbyteral Council meeting on Oahu.

Father Guerreiro made the announcement at his parish during Masses the weekend of June 7-8.

The bishop said the name will change to “St. Damien Catholic Parish” if Father Damien is canonized.

Blessed Damien Parish includes the churches of St. Sophia, Kaunakakai; St. Vincent Ferrer, Maunaloa; Our Lady of Sorrows, Kaluaaha; and St. Joseph, Kamalo.

St. Sophia, the parish’s main church, was built in 1937 and named in honor of Sophie Cooke who donated $1,000 toward its construction. Two weekend Masses are celebrated there, one on Saturday evening and one on Sunday morning.

St. Vincent Ferrer Church was built in 1940 in west Molokai as a mission of the now closed Sacred Heart Parish in Hoolehua. One Mass is celebrated there every Sunday.

Our Lady of Sorrows Church was built in 1874 by Father Damien during a period when he served both the leprosy settlement in Kalaupapa and topside. It was rebuilt in 1966. It has long been a mission of St. Sophia and has one Sunday Mass.

The tiny St. Joseph Church was also built by Father Damien in 1876. Today, it serves more as a shrine with Mass celebrated there only on special occasions.

Other Molokai churches that have closed over the years are St. Theresa in Kualapuu, which celebrated its last Mass in 1990, and two chapels built by Father Damien — St. Ann in Halawa and St. John the Evangelist in Moanui.

The island of Molokai is divided into two parishes. The other parish, St. Francis, serves the small Kalaupapa peninsula at the base of 1,500-foot cliffs on the island’s north shore that is home to the Hansen’s disease community.

The topside churches were first consolidated under the name Molokai Catholic Community around 1990 and has operated as one parish since then.

The parish is planning to build a new church to replace St. Sophia. When completed, possibly in 2011, it will be called Blessed Damien Church, or if Damien is canonized, St. Damien Church.