The original wooden frame Church that was located in Kalihi Valley dates back to 1870. It was located about a mile inward Kalihi Street from the then former Kalihi orphanage. The old Church had no rectory and all records of the area were inscribed in the books at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. Today, nothing remains of the first Church. An old cemetery, which is still owned and maintained by Our Lady of the Mount Catholic Church was placed to mark the spot where the first Church once stood.
As the population moved away in the 1880’s, Portuguese immigrants replaced the native Hawaiians. Until the turn of the century, Kalihi Valley became one of the two important Portuguese settlements in Honolulu, the other was at Punchbowl. At that time, the little Church became too distant and difficult to reach from the populous area.
In order to to be closer and reach out to the people, a second wooden frame Church was built in 1903 on Monte Street. The new Church was named and dedicated to Our Lady of the Mount (Nossa Sanhora do Monte), by the Portuguese immigrants from the island of Maderia. Father Clement Evrard, SS.CC. who resided at the Cathedral was the first priest at Our Lady of the Mount when it opened in 1903.
A replica of the statue of Our Lady on the island of Madeira, was brought to Honolulu by the Portuguese and erected on the mountain side of Kalihi Valley above Our Lady of the Mount Church as a reminder of their Madeiran homeland. For many years, the parish of Our Lady of the Mount was the center of Portuguese life on Oahu and played an important role in preserving the Portuguese Heritage brought to Hawaii by the Madeiran immigrants.
Devotion to Our Lady of the Mount is celebrated with prayer, music, dance, and fireworks every year on August 15th.