St Benedict's church

John Berchmans Velghe was a Catholic priest who came to Hawai'i from Belgium in 1899. Upon taking responsibility for St Benedict's church, he moved it 2 miles from its original location near the pu'uhonua (place of refuge). It's not clear whether he did this as protection from tsunami or as an attempt to rise above - both literally and symbolically - a significant Hawaiian cultural site and what Christianity considered to be pagan ways.

Father John then painted the walls with a series of biblical scenes to aid in teaching the Bible. He designed the wall behind the altar to resemble the Gothic cathedral in Burgos, Spain. The painted palm leaves climbing the slender support columns add a more Hawaiian touch.