Experience The Romance Of Wai'oli... The
Wai'oli chapel was built in 1939 to be used by the children at the orphanage
built on the same grounds, for worship. First known as the
Children's Chapel, later it was called the Wai'oli Chapel. ("Wai'oli"
meaning "happy waters.") The structure was built with a simple design
entirely of native lava rock. The beautiful leaded stained glass
windows were created by Erica Karawina, a beloved local artist. The
windows depict scenes from the Christmas Story, the childhood of Christ,
and the story of Noah's Ark. The people and angels are shown with
varied ethnicity, including Hawaiian and Asian faces, with angels wearing
muumuu and flower leis. Animals depicted were familiar to the local
children and included geckos and mongoose. Today the Chapel is home
to a small congregation that worships in English and Hawaiian, but is best
known as a favorite spot for weddings which are performed nearly every
day.
It is often said that there is a special blessing
for the children of couples married at The
Wai'oli Chapel because it was built and dedicated to serve the children
of Hawaii. Here the lush tropical greenery fills the eyes with the
beauty of nature and the melodic voices of songbirds fill the heart with
joy. All this combined with the sincerity of the church staff makes
a Wai'oli wedding truly a once in a lifetime experience. The Wai'oli
Chapel in beautiful Manoa Valley, so often spanned by colorful rainbows
and the misty backdrop of the Koolau Mountains is where dreams of tropical
paradise come true. |
