175 years of nourishing souls

KOLOA — Tina Brun, one of the grand marshals for St. Raphael Church in the Koloa Plantation Days parade, said the four pews in the original church could probably fit in the replica of the church being created Saturday on the church’s lawn.

“There were only four pews in the church when it was dedicated on Dec. 25, 1841,” Brun said. “The problem with having it on the float is trying to figure out who is going to sit in them.”

The replica will be on the church’s float for the July 30 Koloa Plantation Days parade, which has a theme of “Planting the Seeds that Nourish the Soul.”

St. Raphael Church is honored to serve as the parade’s grand marshal, said Brenda Sameshima, chair of the St. Raphael’s 175th anniversary celebration.

Brun, an avid church volunteer who is active with its food pantry program, said Perfecto “Kyong” Labrador and Hazel Bukoski will be joining her as grand marshals for the parade when it launches outside the Koloa Public Library.

Prior to the parade, St. Raphael’s will welcome a crowd anticipated at more than 300 people for the Koloa Plantation Days Hapa Trail Walk starting at 8 a.m. on July 23.

Representatives will be raising awareness of the church’s 175th anniversary celebration as well as greeting participants.

“The parishioners of St. Raphael Church will be providing coffee, water, pastries and doughnuts to all participants,” Sameshima said. “We will also be selling our 175th Celebration T-shirt, and if people want to volunteer to help, we set up starting at 6:30 a.m.”

The following week, the replica of the old church will be primped for the parade,

“We need volunteers to help with the float decorations from July 28 and July 29,” Sameshima said. “Millie Curtis is also looking for entertainers for the parade, and we are hoping that all parishioners will come out to support this spectacular event.”