St. John Apostle and Evangelist Catholic Church
Saint John Apostle and Evangelist Catholic Church was officially founded by Bishop John J. Scanlan on July 15, 1969. The new parish was formed out of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Wahiawa and Saint Joseph’s in Waipahu. The formation of the new parish was necessitated to serve the needs of Catholics in the rapidly expanding area of central Oahu in a new community called Mililani. This community was swiftly changing the scenery of central Oahu. Pineapple and sugar cane fields were being replaced with homes. The original plan called for 17,000 units in a planned community of approximately 65,000 people within twenty years.
The communities of Waipio Acres, a few homes in Melemanu Woodlands, and the communities of Seaview and Crestview already existed. On the site chosen for the construction of Mililani Town, several Worker Camps along with Kipapa Elementary School already existed. The rest of the land was strictly agricultural. Now a city was being built. A new church was required to serve the Catholic community and the many Catholic families in the new huge, planned community.
In May 1969, the Diocese of Honolulu purchased 1.9 acres of land adjacent to the already constructed Village Center North. Bishop Scanlan appointed Father Anthony Pascale to build the new parish. The first mass in the new parish was celebrated on September 14, 1969, at the Makai Chapel of Mililani Mortuary. The Mililani Mortuary and Memorial Park, Inc. allowed Father Pascale to celebrate mass each Sunday for his new flock. Their generosity continued until the construction of the parish church building.
May 17, 1970, stands out as a significant day in the history of the new parish. On that date the ground was broken and blessed for the construction of the new church. At that time, the church cost $398,200.Although the pews, the permanent altar, the statues, the organ, and other furnishings had not arrived, the church was dedicated on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother on August 15, 1971, by Bishop Scanlan at a concelebrated Mass with Father Pascale, Father Nagai of Our Lady of Sorrows and Father Jacobs of Saint Joseph’s Church, Slowly the furnishings arrived, and the parish continued to grow as Mililani Town grew. On the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary in 1973, Saint John Apostle and Evangelist Parish held its formal blessing and unveiling of their long-awaited statues of the Blessed Mother and Saint John. Father Edward Turner, pastor, blessed the new sculptures.
Immediately following the blessing of the statues by new Pastor Father Edward Turner, mass was celebrated. After mass, many of the parishioners came together in the new fire station across the street from the Church for refreshments and Hawaiian entertainment.
During this same time, the Diocese bought a house on the corner of Alo Place and Kipapa Drive for $38,600. This house, conveniently close to the church, served as the rectory. The hope was that one day the parish would be able to have a rectory and a parish center near the church. This dream became a reality in December 1979 with the completion of a new rectory and a parish center. Beyond buildings, our parish grew. St. John’s grew from a few hundred families in the early 70s to 2,400 registered households in 1998. The Parish serves an estimated 12,500 Catholics in the surrounding area.
New Parish Cremation Columbaria Project
We are building new Cremation Columbaria options at our parish to meet the end-of-life needs in our community. As a ministry of the Diocese, Hawaii Catholic Cemeteries is dedicated to providing education, support, and professional services to our community. Founded in faith, and rich in our traditions, we strive to serve our families’ needs now and for generations to come.
- New cremation burial options as a final resting place for family members, here at our Church where families worship.
- Parishioners can now bring cremated remains of loved ones or plan in advance for their own end-of-life cremation burial options at our parish, owned in perpetuity by the Diocese of Honolulu.
- The Diocese Cemetery Service: Catholic Funeral & Cemetery Service of the Diocese of Honolulu will professionally care for and manage the Columbaria.
- A portion of your purchase will financially support our parish
For information on our Cremation Niche Columbaria, please contact Duane Pavao, Director of Cemeteries at (808) 783-6778.
Mass Times
Sunday: 7:00am, 9:00am, 11:00am Mass (Livestreamed), and 1:00pm Holy Ghost Feast Celebration
