Helio Koaʻeloa

Helio Koa'eloa (ca. 1815–1846), was a Hawaiian Catholic lay missionary called as the "Apostle of Maui" for converting about 4,000 natives to the Catholic faith. Landmarks and memorials were dedicated to him at Maui. A cross (called Hâna cross) was erected in Wailua valley in his memory in 1931.[1][2]

Helio Koa'eloa
Apostle of Maui
Bornca. 1815
Maui, Hawaii, United States
Died1846
Maui, Hawaii, United States

Biography

Koa'eloa was born in 1815 on Wailua Valley, Maui, Hawaii. He was living in Hāna when he heard about the arrival of a new religion, Catholicism. He paddled a canoe to Honolulu to be personally instructed in the faith and to join the church. Then he returned to Maui and instructed over 4,000 people for the Catholic Mission. His boundless enthusiasm for the promotion of the Catholic faith earned him the title "Apostle of Maui". Before the Catholic Mission was properly established in Maui, Koa'eloa died in 1848 and was buried in Wailua, the valley of his birth.[3]

References
  1. "Helio Koaeloa (1815-1848)". findagrave.com. 24 April 2018.
  2. "History of the Catholic Mission in the Hawaiian Islands". Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. Clark, John R. K. (1989). The Beaches of Maui County by John R. K. Clark. ISBN 9780824812461. Retrieved 24 April 2018.


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