A small act of mercy has come to light in Maui where Lahaina Church has been spared the devastation that has razed the rest of the historic town to the ground.
A video posted to TikTok shows the Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in downtown Lahaina still standing amidst the rubble. The church, which has stood since 1846, is seen in a video posted to TikTok standing proud with its stain glass and tower structure in place even as the ground around it smolders.
Members of the church’s community took to Facebook to express their gratitude the building had been saved. Jeffrey Chang wrote: ‘May She be the beacon of hope…to help the rest of the community.’
Another user, Jeffrey Domdoma wrote: ‘May she be the beacon of hope to the people of Lahaina!!!! Praise the Lord… upon this rock I will build my church!!! come and follow me….’
@hawaiibrunoldsquad Lahaina Church was saved . Jax was babtized here #mauifire #lahainahawaii #hawaiibrunoldsquad ♬ original sound – HawaiiBrunoldSquad
Terrence Watanabe, pastor of the nearby parish of St. Anthony’s told The Pillar ‘all of Lahaina Town has been consumed by fire. It’s all gone. The church, Maria Lanakila [Our Lady of Victory], is still standing, as is the rectory. The school’s been a little bit affected.’
Speaking of the church’s local relief efforts Watanabe said ‘our bishop just got back from the meeting on the mainland… the diocese – they’re meeting today to decide what they can help with.
‘Catholic Charities here in Hawaii is also mobilizing at this point. And I think they’ve already contacted the national office for some help and support.
‘Here at St. Anthony [Parish], we’ve started a fund for people to donate to’ he added. Lahaina’s 150-year-old banyan tree also appears to have survived the fires.
As of Friday the historic tree, with 47 trunks, was still standing albeit severely scorched from the flames. It is not yet known whether the tree, which was imported from India in 1873, will survive.
Lahaina’s banyan, near the town’s historic courthouse building, is known as the oldest living banyan tree in the US. Planted at just 8 feet tall It now stands at over 60 feet and spans nearly two acres, according to the Lahaina Town website.
The tree is a member of the fig tree family and its aerial roots drape towards the ground, which allow the tree to grow vertically and horizontally.
It is also host to hundreds of mynah birds, which were introduced to Hawaii in 1865 to control armyworms. The wildfires broke out on Tuesday, spreading quickly and ferociously. The exact cause remains unclear but high winds, dry conditions, and low humidity exacerbated the flames.
