Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace - Honolulu, Hawaii

(CNS photos/Darlene Dela Cruz, Hawaii Catholic Herald)

Destination: The Vatican has designated Honolulu’s Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace as a minor basilica in recognition of its historic and spiritual significance. The Honolulu church is the United States’ 82nd minor basilica, including two in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico and one in the territory of Guam.
Masses are offered Saturday at 7 a.m., noon, 5 p.m.; Sunday at 6, 7:30, 9 and 10:30 a.m., noon and 6 p.m.; weekdays at 6:30 a.m. and noon.
Why to go:  Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva said he hopes the cathedral basilica, which now holds the relics of St. Marianne Cope and St. Damien de Veuster, will “grow as a spiritual destination for visitors from all over the world. It has been a place of prayer, worship and celebration of the sacraments for generations,” he said, “but its status as a basilica will give it more attention as a place of pilgrimage for visitors and residents alike.”
Among its distinctions, the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, dedicated in 1843, claims to be the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the United States. It is the church where St. Damien was ordained a priest in 1864 and which greeted St. Marianne Cope when she arrived in Hawaii in 1883. Besides the relics of both saints, the cathedral also contains the graves of Bishop Louis Maigret and Bishop John J. Scanlan.
According to the Hawaii Catholic Herald, “It is the only U.S. cathedral that can claim the presence of a reigning monarch, King Kamehameha III, at the laying of its cornerstone.”
(Grand) Kid friendly: Children are welcome, as they would be to any church.
Info: Address: Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, 1184 Bishop St., Honolulu, HI 96813-2838 Phone: 808-536-7036. Web: www.cathedralofourladyofpeace.com

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld; CNS contributed to this story
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