The painted church in the south Kona district (Hōnaunau) is officially called the st. Benedict roman catholic church. It was built in 1842 in Kapalelua, and was moved to its present location around 1880.
St. Benedict Parish is located on the leeward slopes of the 13,680 feet volcano mountain called Mauna Loa {Long Mountain) in the District of South Kona, Island of Hawaii. Originally its population was all Hawaiian living in fourteen villages in South Kona.
The original chapel, located on the shore of Honaunau Bay Dear the City of Refuge in the National Historical Park, was known as St. Francis Regis Chapel.
By the mid-1880’s most of the Honaunau people had moved away from the beach area to more fertile soil about two miles up the slopes.
St. Benedict’s Church
84-5140 Painted Church Rd.
Captain Cook, HI 96704