Maria Lanakila Catholic Church still standing amid rubble
A Catholic church in Lahaina is still standing after the wildfires devastated the entire surrounding area. Reverend Terrence Watanabe, pastor at the nearby St. Anthony Church shared with the Honolulu Star Advertiser that he believes the church standing untouched is a miracle. “For us, it’s like a miracle, when we saw the news and saw the church steeple rise above the town, it was a great sight to see.”
The news of the church’s prevailing in the midst of one of the worst and deadliest wildfires in history is a silver lining in the midst of a very dark cloud in Maui taking the lives of at least 97 people according to recent reports. The cause of the fires is still under investigation with multiple lawsuits alleging negligence by the power company, worsening drought conditions, failure of the warning sirens, a water shortage, and a blocked evacuation route.
Other churches weren’t as fortunate including the nearby Waiola Church in Lahaina was burnt to the ground.