St Benedict Catholic Church — Attraction in Hawaii

A hidden gem we discovered thanks to our Airbnb host was the Painted Church (St. Benedict Catholic Church) in Kona. It’s a small, peaceful chapel set on a hillside with stunning ocean views, surrounded by tropical trees, gardens, and even a small cemetery. The setting alone is worth the visit.

What makes it truly special are the beautiful hand-painted murals inside, done over 125 years ago by Father John Berchmans Velge—a Belgian priest and self-taught artist. He created these biblical scenes to help teach the gospel to Hawaiians, which gives the artwork so much meaning. The entire interior, including the ceiling and pillars, is covered in vivid, detailed paintings.

We were warmly greeted by a volunteer named Gwen, who shared fun and interesting facts about the church’s history. Outside, there are fruit trees like starfruit, orange, and coffee. I picked a ripe starfruit and gave it a try—sweet, tangy, and super juicy!

There’s free parking, it’s donation-based to enter, and the whole experience was peaceful and memorable. Definitely worth a stop if you’re exploring...

I don't know if reviewing a church is appropriate use of this app, but i do have some thoughts.

I am not Catholic but i do visit churches anytime i am traveling. Catholic church are always interesting because of architecture, symbols, windows, etc.. Painted church is not a disappointment to visit. It is such a unique blend of Hawai'i functionality, Catholic ritualism and decor, and natural land integration (if current vegetation can be considered natural since it was largely imported to the islands). Much of the paint is in large disrepair, but enough remains to exhibit the labor of love that went into the building relocation and aesthetic renovation.

It is a somber place with a piously reverent feel. The graveyard, statues, and garden walks are very much worth the time by themselves. Couple that with visiting the church and it is easy to understand why it is a must see on...

I can't tell that this is the best place for the tourists since this church is still active church and not intended to build for serving a tour purpose. In other words, if you visit this church because of just your small curiosity, you may be disappointed by this church. However, if you love the history of the Hawaii including the Christian history in this island, you will not miss this church on your bucket list. The church is small, and you also need to take a small path to arrive this church. The interior of the church tells you how the church father dedicated to serve and teach the Hawaiian with the Bible. The spots on the church location will inspire you many things, such as a thinking why the missionary came here or a thinking how they served the natives in this island. If you want to be inspired by the historical site of this island, I highly recommend you to visit...