St. Benedict Romans Catholic Church, better known as the painted church, is a unique place to stop of you are visiting south Kona or the Kealekekua Bay area.
The history behind the church is very interesting. It was built in the later 1800s and was later painted by a Belgian priest, Father John. At the time of the church many people on the island couldn’t read or write. He began to paint the interior in order to tell stories from the Bible as well as tell about the saints and that is why it is the way it is today. He did a great job of not only including Biblical stories, but also giving his painting a tropical feel.
If you visit the church, there is an area at the entrance where you can get more information on the history of the church as well as making an offering. We recommend making a small offering of some sort as it does take time and resources to keep the building standing as well as maintain the property that it is on.
While the church is relatively small, the property it sits on is a nice sized property. There is a graveyard, fellowship building, as well as other things. It is a very peaceful and lush place. There is also a monumental area for Father Damien, one of the most well known priests in Hawaii in the late 1800s.
You travel through small residential roads with lush landscaping to get to the church so please drive slowly. The roads are well marked as to where the church is. It is also worth making sure you have some cash with you. There are small family owned businesses and botanical gardens along the way to stop off at if you would like.
The address of the church is 84-5140 Painted Church Rd, Captain Cook, Hawaii 96704. They can also be reached at 808-328-2227. If you are interested in attending mass, they have one service on Saturday evening and one Sunday morning. It is open daily for you to see. Since it is an active church it is requested that you dress appropriately if you choose to go inside the church.