The Painted Church
The Painted Church
4.5
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- Timothy HMorton, Illinois23 contributionsWonderful Historic ChurchMy wife and I went here for Mass and also looked around the grounds and church. The church folks were very friendly...they even gave us both leis as keepsakes for our visit. The church is really beautiful and quaint. I highly recommend to visit here or take in a Mass if your schedule allows.Visited October 2023Travelled with familyWritten 21 October 2023
- iowacityia2,683 contributionsSaturday, December 2nd afternoon visit.My wife and I arrived shortly after noon, as a stop on our Holland America Cruise shore excursion. It was a nice drive to the church. I was not expecting much from this stop, but it was actually kind of nice. Simple, but pretty. A good moment to stretch your legs. A little covered area had bottles of water for sale, and small fruits for sale. (Or donation?). Either way, the banana was delicious. There is a restroom at the high end of the parking lot. It was a nice stop, but I would not rush back.Visited December 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 13 December 2023
- Diana D23 contributionsBeautiful, serene and peaceful placeWe visited this little church after the hike to Kealakekua Bay. The drive to the church was beautiful with mangoes on the road from big mango trees by the road. Also gorgeous trumpet bushes. The church is very beautiful. We were lucky that it was not busy and it felt so serene and peaceful.Visited June 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 16 June 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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GreenThumb331
San Fernando, Philippines2,869 contributions
Nov 2019
This church is known as the “painted church” because of a Belgian priest Father John Berchmans Velghe. Father John painted the interior of the church with 3D depictions from the bible and the lives of the saints, such as Cain's murder of Abel, Jesus refusing the Devil, and the writing on the wall, as well as a vivid illustration of sinners in Hell.
The building itself is small and rectangular but had the the illusion of a European Gothic cathedral because of the painted Gothic vaults above the altar.
These were very important teaching tools in a time when many people couldn’t read and write.
The building itself is small and rectangular but had the the illusion of a European Gothic cathedral because of the painted Gothic vaults above the altar.
These were very important teaching tools in a time when many people couldn’t read and write.
Written 30 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travel the World
San Francisco, CA1,416 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
This beautifully painted miniature Gothic Cathedral has a silent charm. The artist used these paintings as a learning tool since he did not speak the Hawaiian language. The church and graveyard date back to 1899. This is a free stopover and well worth your time.
Written 3 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
404HappyTraveller
Saskatchewan, Canada480 contributions
Feb 2020
This is well worth the few minutes it took to find and drive there. It’s a small church hand painted by a former priest to resemble the inside of a cathedral. Some good local history set in a lovely garden, with an interesting graveyard adjacent to the church.
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mainsailhr
Hudson, WI343 contributions
Feb 2020
This little church off a narrow little road was amazing. Wasn't sure what to expect, but this was unexpected. When you come up to it, you suddenly realize that you are in Hawaii. The murals inside the church are obviously not done by professionals, but they exude a special heartfelt spirit.
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WizardofAz60
Long Beach, WA160 contributions
Feb 2020
I'm so glad that we stopped at this little Catholic church which is still an active church. There's so much history so pick up the brochure to learn all about it (or get online). Father Velghe was a missionary and did not speak Hawaiian so he painted the frescos to educate the people. The paintings inside of the church walls are magnificent. Bring your camera.
Written 7 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura
Minato, Japan33 contributions
Jan 2020
This church is not large but it makes up its small size by the magnificent paintings inside. Those paintings were made by the Belgian founder of the church in the 19th century.
Attached to the church are an old cemetery (all graves are from the 1960s and older) and a nice fruit garden. You can purchase the locally-grown fruits as a form of donation to the church.
Attached to the church are an old cemetery (all graves are from the 1960s and older) and a nice fruit garden. You can purchase the locally-grown fruits as a form of donation to the church.
Written 18 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SDB545
Helena, MT221 contributions
Apr 2021 • Family
We spent an afternoon driving around the Captain Cook area and came upon the Painted Church. Thank goodness for a few road signs, because we didn’t have a clue where we were. We visited in the time of CoVid, so there weren’t many travelers. The church was open and a docent shared a little history and some stories.
The paintings in this little church are quite spectacular- the artist/priest had an excellent grasp of perspective, as the altar does appear to be in a much larger three-dimensional space.
Beautiful grounds and a nice stop.
The paintings in this little church are quite spectacular- the artist/priest had an excellent grasp of perspective, as the altar does appear to be in a much larger three-dimensional space.
Beautiful grounds and a nice stop.
Written 4 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kali303Buster
Aurora, CO180 contributions
Jun 2021
It's worth a 10 to 15 minute stop. We visited it on another trip to the Big Island. This time we arrived to learn that it's only open a few days a week and Monday isn't one of them. Disappointed that we couldn't visit.
Written 4 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hatzlacha
Virginia951 contributions
May 2021
This is a wonderful example of living church history for Hawaii. We were not able to go inside but still, while keeping a respectful distance could see some of the paintings through the windows. It's obviously a small area and privately held, so I want to give my thanks for allowing visitors such as ourselves to stop by. Do leave a donation to help them maintain things. It's worth the minor detour if in the area.
Written 5 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LMarin
Huntington Beach, CA9 contributions
Aug 2022
The fact that the person who painted the murals in this church was self-taught and used "house paint" and the paintings have not been retouched makes it a remarkable accomplishment and a worthwhile stop. It's also another place where you have to wonder about the lives of the people who first came there - both original wayfarers who came or later travelers who found themselves there and determined to stay. It doesn't take long to see, but it is really a beautiful stop. There was a docent who talked a bit about the history but wasn't intrusive.
Written 20 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A Tripadvisor member
2 contributions
Wheelchair accessible
Written 18 August 2017
Yes, the church has a ramp to the front door.
Written 23 August 2017
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