The congregation of Maria Lanakila Church will gather this week to remember 22 of their parishioners who died in the Maui wildfires two years ago.
The church itself survived the flames. The mass will be held Friday at 6 p.m. The Conversation spoke to one of the church members, Tonata Lolesio, who also serves as the principal of Sacred Hearts School, which lost its campus to fires.
After the fires, the school was operating out of tents, but it started this academic year in a temporary location in Kāʻanapali until a new school campus can be rebuilt.
“We're holding on to that hope that things out here will continue to progress forward,” Lolesio said, “that families will continue to have renewed hope in their faith, in their community, in their government leaders and community leaders.”
Lolesio said many families are still dealing with the effects of the wildfires, such as housing, and ongoing social, emotional, and mental health issues.
“We want to bring home the message of being pilgrims of hope this week," she said, “and offer that hope through faith, in prayer, and through our parish and school community.”
Students at Sacred Hearts Lahaina had their first day of school Monday at the temporary location in Kāʻanapali. Lolesio said they experienced a fire evacuation and a fire warning, which made for an unsettling start to the new academic year.
“The fire was real close to Kāʻanapali, we could see the smoke blowing from exactly where we are, and that brought about a lot of post-traumatic experiences,” Lolesio said Tuesday. “But thanks be to God, we had already planned to dismiss early yesterday, not knowing that this was going to take place. So we were all cleared. Everyone was safely home.”
She said they never would have expected a fire to take place right down the highway, and it brought about a lot of emotions and worry, the uncertainty of whether the fire would be contained.
Firefighters, police officers, and first responders contained the fire Monday during daylight hours, which Lolesio said brought her comfort. But it was also a wake-up call for the school.
“Because we were so close to that fire yesterday, and so this morning, when everyone returned to school, the assembly was about making safety a priority,” Lolesio said. “So just asking children, listen, you can practice safety right now. You don't have to wait for a big emergency or a big fire in the community to talk about or think about or practice safety. It can happen in small ways at the school that you can be taught about and prepare yourselves for something bigger if it ever happens again.”
Lolesio recalled returning to in-person instruction three weeks after the 2023 wildfires. She explained that they taught out of a makeshift tent school up north for a whole year until they were blessed with their new temporary facilities that have four walls and air conditioning.
“We want children and families who are a part of our school community to see that there are people that are really loving and caring on them, and that we're here for them,” she said. “The school is here for them, their school community is here for them. And as long as you have a community, a second home, I guess you should say, or a second ʻohana to help you get through times like this, you're going to end up being OK.”
“Everybody has a role to play when it comes to situations like this,” Lolesio said. “Getting back to Lahaina, I like to say that's our promised land. Right now, we're on this desert journey. It's a faith journey back home, and when we get there, which we hope will be in about two years, we'll get there and we'll celebrate and be happy, but for now, really taking things one day at a time, and making sure we take care of what's important right now.”
This story aired on The Conversation on Aug. 6, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Hannah Kaʻiulani Coburn adapted this story for the web.
