Welcome to the Diocese of Hawai'i

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The Episcopal Church in Hawai'i began in 1862 when King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma — a lifelong Anglican — invited the Church of England to Hawai‘i. The King and Queen supported the Church’s establishment throughout the islands with gifts of land, and by founding the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Honolulu.

The Churches and People
Today, the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i consists of 37 worshipping communities on five islands. About half of these are on the island of O‘ahu, where Honolulu, the capital of Hawai‘i, is located, while the others are distributed among Kaua‘i, Maui, Moloka‘i, and Hawai‘i (“the Big Island”).  We are on islands in the middle of the Pacific living in completely multicultural surroundings. Some congregations were founded to serve a particular ethnic group, but have since evolved to include a mix of people of, perhaps, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Samoan, Hawaiian, Filipino, Mexican, and European descent.  Though small and rural with miles of open spaces, we also reflect urban life.

Approximately 80 percent of Hawai‘i’s Episcopalians live in the metro area of Honolulu. As such, with more than 800,000 people, urban ministry is a major factor for many congregations in this missionary setting.  Throughout the islands, Episcopalians gather together to worship in churches that may be grand and those that are tiny and quaint; in school cafeterias, at beaches, or under a giant banyan tree.  The music is just as diverse, with pipe organs, ukuleles, electric guitars and different ethnic instruments in the mix, depending on where you are and which service you attend.

The Clergy
With over 115 clergy in the Diocese, 30+ are canonically resident clergy who live/serve outside the Hawaiian Islands (including Guam and Samoa).

The Schools and Camp
Today, there are several schools (including a number of preschools), as well as one camp (Camp Mokule‘ia) that are affiliated with the Diocese of Hawai‘i.  For contact information about the schools, please visit the "Our Schools" page.  For information about Camp Mokule‘ia, please visit the "Our Camp" page.

The Office of the Bishop
The Right Reverend Robert L. Fitzpatrick became Diocesan Bishop on March 10, 2007, after serving as the Bishop’s Canon since 2000. He is the fifth Bishop of the Episocpal Diocese of Hawaii and has oversight of the Episcopal Churches in Micronesia (Guam and Saipan).  Bishop Fitzpatrick emphasizes that the congregations of the Diocese must cooperate with one another to accomplish the ministry and mission to which God calls us.  The Bishop’s staff consists of five additional full-time employees and and one part-time employee. Please visit the "Bishop's Office" page for contact information.

To learn more about the different islands and their unique communities, click on the island links:

• Kaua‘i - The Garden Island
• O‘ahu - The Gathering Place
• Moloka‘i - The Friendly Isle
• Maui - The Valley Isle
• Hawai‘i - The Big Island

For a complete list of churches and clergy by island, please visit the "Our Churches" page.