The first Catholic parish in Kailua will celebrate its 75th anniversary on Aug. 10 with Mass in its newly renovated church celebrated by Bishop Larry Silva and a luau to follow.

St. Anthony’s original wood-frame structure was blessed by apostolic vicar Bishop Stephen Alencastre on Jan. 22, 1933. Its first pastor, Sacred Hearts Father Patrick Logan, built a rectory and increased church capacity.

Another notable parish priest was Father Paul Gay, who in the immediate post-World War II years, employed a Quonset hut as a hall and enlarged the original church, which is still there and used as the St. Anthony School art and music rooms.

The longest pastorship was that of Maryknoll Father Joseph Michael Henry, who served at St. Anthony from 1950 to 1974. During his time, St. Anthony School opened in 1952 and a two-story school complex and a convent were completed by 1961.

The second church was dedicated in 1955. It was later converted into the present Father Henry Memorial Hall when in 1968 the present church was completed to accommodate the members of the now much larger parish.

After Father Henry died in 1974, Father Joseph A. Ferrario succeeded him as pastor. He was named auxiliary bishop in 1978 while at St. Anthony’s.

A 1982 fire caused major damage to the third church’s interior. It took two years to repair and renovate it. (Another smaller fire in 2006 damaged part of the original church structure.)

Under Father Dennis Koshko, the pastor for the past 10 years, the parish started Project Makawao, named after the street St. Anthony is on, to update school facilities and again renovate the church, a task that was recently completed.