(FeaturedNews.com) – This week, photos and videos have gone viral on social media showing the historic Maria Lanakila church on the Hawaiian island of Maui despite the recent wildfires that have destroyed large parts of the island. The church, which is still standing, has now become a “symbol of hope” for residents.
The Maria Lanakila church was founded in 1846, and as can be seen in the video while the town of Lahaina, where the church is located was largely destroyed by the fire, with more than 1,700 buildings being burned, the church continues to stand without any damage, surrounded by burned buildings and vegetation.
Authorities revealed on Friday that there have been 80 deaths on Maui as a result of the wildfires, which are considered to be the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the area.
Self-proclaimed ‘catholic journalist’ Sanchin Jose was the first one to post a 20-second clip of the church on X, formerly known as Twitter where he has over 112,000 followers. In the post, he questioned whether this was a victory as the church is a “symbol of hope” for those who live in the area.
A different photo of the church was also shared by conservative writer Jack Posobiec who had over 2.2. million followers.
St. Anthony’s parish pastor Terrence Watanabe also spoke about the church, stating that the entirety of Lahaina town was burned, but that the church continues to stand strong. He added that the school also did not have a lot of damage.
Copyright 2023, FeaturedNews.com
