Malia Puka O Kalani Catholic Church

Malia Puka O Kalani Catholic Church or in English, "Saint Mary, Gate of Heaven" is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church of Hawaii in the United States. Located in the Hawaiian Homestead of Keaukaha in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, the church falls under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Honolulu and its bishop. It is named after the Blessed Virgin Mary under one of her Hawaiian language titles. Under the leadership of Father George DeCosta, the church blossomed as a pastorally vibrant community on the Big Island noted for its outreach to the poor, sick, and unchurched persons, as well as the native Hawaiian community. The parish was best known for its annual sponsorship of the Big Island Liturgy and Arts Conference (BILAC) that attracted prominent artists, musicians, liturgists, and clergy from around the world to the Big Island. In 2003, conservative Catholic Bishop Francis DiLorenzo announced the retirement of Father DeCosta and the appointment of an interim pastor, Rev. Scott R. Bush, for the parish, effectively ending an era of pastoral ministry and outreach, as well as sponsorship of the BILAC conferences.

However, outreach to the homeless in the economically devastated Fern Forest (see: http://bilacfernforest.blogspot.com) area of Puna, Hawaii, continues under BILAC, which is now a 501C3 entity led by Father George DeCosta, its President, Sister Louise Bullis, its Vice-President and Paulette Ching, its Secretary/Treasurer. Father George also conducts weekly ecumenical services at the Hale Lokahi Retreat Center in Volcano which opened in 2004. The Center was donated to BILAC by the former owners, Lon and Carol Hocker. The weekly ecumenical service schedule and other details of this new, vibrant community is at http://bilacnow.blogspot.com

Malia Puka O Kalani Catholic Church is now clustered with other smaller churches under the St. Joseph Parish led by Rev. Edgardo Bonghanoy, formerly the pastor of St. Teresa's Catholic Church in Mountain View. The current chair of the Malia Parish Council, Curt Beck, is also on the BILAC 501C3 Board.