Why pilgrims come
Meet the Catholic history preserved at this place
Kalaupapa preserves the landscape in which St. Damien of Molokaʻi and St. Marianne Cope served people exiled under Hawaiʻi’s former Hansen’s disease policy. St. Philomena Church anchors the Catholic story, but the settlement remains a living community whose residents and access rules come first.
Approach Kalaupapa as a sacred landscape of service, suffering, resilience, and community—not merely as a remote saint attraction.
The sacred connection
People and objects remembered here
These relationships are part of the destination record, with feast days and catalog qualifications shown where available.
What to notice
Look closely at the place and its story
St. Philomena Church
See the church expanded and served by St. Damien within the settlement.
Two saints, one community
Understand Damien and Marianne through the people they accompanied—not apart from them.
Feasts, anniversaries & celebrations
How to read this page
Sources, tradition, and what is verified
The destination record was last checked on 9/7/2026.
This page records the site’s tradition as “Catholic.” That wording describes the nature of the claim and keeps devotional tradition distinct from independently verified history.