At the “request of the parish,” Bishop Larry Silva made a slight modification to the official name of Molokai’s topside parish, from “St. Damien Catholic Parish” to “St. Damien of Molokai Parish,” effective May 31.
According to the pastor, Sacred Hearts Father Sioneata Christopher Kaitapu, the parishioners felt that the parish’s patron saint is closely identified with the island and the name of the parish should reflect that.
He noted that most of the churches around the world named after Damien include “of Molokai.”
The Friendly Isle has two parishes, the other being St. Francis in Kalaupapa, the site of the settlement for Hansen’s disease patients.
St. Damien of Molokai Church, the parish’s primary church in Kaunakakai, the island’s main town, was blessed on Dec. 9, 2011. It replaced the 73-year-old St. Sophia Church which had burned down in February of 2010.
St. Damien Parish has three mission churches: St. Vincent Ferrer in Maunaloa, St. Joseph Mission in Kamalo, and Our Lady of Seven Sorrows in Kaluaaha.
St. Damien was canonized on Oct. 11, 2009.