APOSTLE of MAUI

The next holy Hawaiian is, HELIO KOA’ELOA,  who was born in 1815 on Wailua Valley, Maui, Hawaii.

Wailua  Valley

He was living in Hāna  (one of my favorite places on earth) when he heard about the arrival of a new religion, Catholicism. He paddled a canoe to Honolulu to be personally instructed in the faith and to join the church. 

Photo of Hana 1888- not unlike when Helio or
I lived in the Islands

 Then he returned to Maui and instructed over 4,000 people for the Catholic Mission. At the time Catholics experienced discrimination at the hands of the Protestant majority. Unfortunately, his death came shortly before the Catholic mission in Maui was established. 

His boundless enthusiasm for the promotion of the Catholic faith earned him the title "Apostle of Maui". Before the Catholic Mission was properly established in Maui, Koa'eloa died in 1848 and was buried in Wailua, the valley of his birth.

Landmarks and memorials were dedicated to him at Maui. A cross (called Hâna cross) was erected in Wailua valley in his memory in 1931.

N.B.For those who have never traveled the road to Hana, it takes approximately 7 hours to complete and the Road to Hana is considered the 5th most dangerous road in the world. There is nothing but sharp, blind turns, one way roads, one car bridges on roads that  are often not wide enough for two cars. The road starts at Paia , extending some 42 miles, 54 bridges, and 600 hairpin turns.  Only five miles apart, Wailai Valley and Hanna, must have taken ages to travel in the 1800s, either by horseback or walking. continuously turn, though I supposed one could have paddled faster. You pass the turn off- if you could call it that, into the valley from the famous Hana Road.