St. Benedict’s Painted Church: a 3D biblical masterpiece in the heart of Hawaii

Father Velghe’s Hand-Painted Biblical Masterpiece in Kona

In 1899, a sick Belgian priest named Father John Velghe came to Hawaii’s South Kona coast with an odd plan. He took apart a beach chapel board by board, hauled it two miles uphill, and built St. Benedict Church on the slopes of Mauna Loa.

But his real work was just starting. From 1902 to 1904, Father John used plain house paint to cover every inch of the church with bright Bible scenes.

Since most locals couldn’t read, he made the walls tell the stories instead. His health soon failed, and he left Hawaii with some walls still blank.

Today, this “Painted Church” stands as one of America’s most unique folk art treasures you can still visit.

This Belgian Priest Left His Homeland to Serve in Hawaii

Joseph Velghe was born in Courtrai, Belgium on July 14, 1857, to a very religious Catholic family. He studied at the Sacred Hearts school in Brittany and later trained in Spain.

After finishing his studies, he became Father Jean Berchmans Velghe on June 29, 1888, in Louvain. He picked his religious name to honor Belgian saint John Berchmans, who looks after altar boys and young people.

Father Velghe joined the same religious group as the well-known Father Damien who helped lepers on Molokai.

Tropical Fever Cut Short His First Mission Assignment

The church sent Father Velghe to the Marquesas Islands after he became a priest.

While there, he learned to paint from Brother Michel Blanc, a French carpenter who became an artist in Pacific missions.

Father Velghe painted church interiors in Tahiti and the Marquesas with colorful Bible scenes to teach local people. His work stopped when he got tropical fever in 1899.

The church wanted to send him to South America, but yellow fever outbreaks blocked the sea routes.

A Vacant Priest Position Brought Him to Kona

The church sent Father Velghe to Hawaii instead. He arrived in South Kona in December 1899 at age 42.

He replaced Father Aloys Lorteau, who died from the flu on a ship heading to Honolulu. His job put him in charge of Catholic churches from Honaunau to Ho’opuloa.

He found local fishing families moving inland to grow coffee on Mauna Loa’s slopes. He struggled to talk with native Hawaiians since he only spoke Belgian French and Spanish.

He Moved an Entire Church Up a Mountain

Father Velghe found the original St. Francis Chapel sitting empty near Honaunau Bay shore.

Local people had moved two miles uphill for cooler weather and better soil for coffee growing. He decided to follow his church members by taking apart the 1842 chapel piece by piece.

Workers carried every board, bench, and part by mule train up the slopes.

Father Velghe rebuilt the structure, fixed it up, and made it bigger for the growing inland community.

Bishop Ropert Blessed the Rebuilt Church in 1902

Bishop Gulstan Ropert blessed the new church in August 1902 and named it St. Benedict.

Father Velghe built a small wooden rectangle with a curved ceiling that looked like a tiny Gothic cathedral. Workers built it between 1899-1902 using regular materials based on European styles he remembered.

He named it for St. Benedict of Nursia, who started Western monasticism and watches over Europe.

The church became the center of Catholic life for scattered South Kona farming villages.

Every Wall Became a Canvas for Biblical Stories

Father Velghe painted detailed Bible murals between 1902-1904 using regular house paint on wood. He created 3D paintings that looked like carved statues from certain angles.

His ceiling design copied the cathedral dome at Burgos, Spain, which he remembered from his studies. He used art to teach since most native Hawaiians couldn’t read in the early 1900s.

Working alone with saw and brush for over four years, he finished both the building and artwork.

Palm Fronds Point to Heaven or Hell in His Designs

The art details in the church carried deep meaning.

Father Velghe painted living palm leaves pointing toward the altar showing eternal life, while dead ones pointed toward the exit showing spiritual death.

He put Bible scenes of life on the north wall and scenes of death and judgment on the south wall. Behind the altar, he hid a painting of Jesus to show that Christ always watches the church members.

The ceiling showed metal stars, clouds, and birds with palm leaf borders.

Health Problems Forced Him to Leave His Masterpiece Unfinished

Father Velghe’s health got worse from the hot climate and hard physical work by 1904. He left Hawaii before finishing all his planned murals, leaving some wall sections blank.

He went back to the Sacred Hearts school in his hometown of Courtrai, Belgium to get better. Though far from Hawaii, he kept painting during his remaining years despite his failing health and eyesight.

After spending two years at Courtrai, he moved between various Sacred Hearts monasteries in Belgium.

The Artist Priest Spent His Final Years in Belgium

Father Velghe lived in several Sacred Hearts buildings across Belgium, still painting when he could. His eyesight slowly failed, making detailed painting impossible even with strong glasses.

As he grew older and couldn’t care for himself, the church placed him in a care home in Lierre, Belgium in 1935. He died on January 20, 1939, at age 81 after four years in the facility.

They buried him in Belgium, far from his amazing artwork in the remote Hawaiian church.

America Recognized His Church as a National Treasure

The U.S. government added St. Benedict’s Painted Church to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.

Officials called it a “masterpiece of imaginative functionalism” and a unique example of American folk art. The church became a popular tourist spot drawing thousands of yearly visitors to the South Kona coast.

Workers fixed up the interior murals several times, most recently in the 1980s, keeping Father Velghe’s original artistic vision. The building still works as an active parish while welcoming tourists.

One Man’s Art Still Teaches Visitors a Century Later

Father Velghe’s painted teaching method influenced other Pacific missionary churches including Star of the Sea. His work successfully adapted European Gothic tradition to a Hawaiian tropical setting.

The paintings show how one creative priest solved language barriers through comprehensive visual storytelling.

The church stands as proof of what a single missionary with artistic vision could accomplish with a simple wooden building.

More than a century later, visitors still come to see the combination of religious devotion, cultural adaptation, and artistic achievement that makes this church unique in American history.

Visiting St.Benedict’s Painted Church, Hawaii

St. Benedict’s Painted Church is at 84-5140 Painted Church Road in Captain Cook.

You can visit Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30am to 3:30pm for free self-guided tours, though donations help preserve the building.

Father John Berchmans Velghe painted six biblical murals and created a Spanish Gothic cathedral illusion behind the altar between 1899-1904 to teach illiterate parishioners.

The interior lights work best during daylight hours since they’re only on during Mass services.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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