Christ Memorial Episcopal Church, located in Kilauea, Hawaii, on the island of Kauai, holds a special place in my heart and my family’s legacy, as well as, a permanent bond to the church in which I was baptized, St. George’s Episcopal Church in my hometown of Griffin, Georgia. In 1924 Reverend Henry A. Willey, who had been rector of St. George’s Church up until that time, left Griffin to serve as a missionary in the Episcopal Church and to help in the establishment of a permanent church in Kilauea, Hawaii. In 1939 the Kilauea Sugar Company deeded land and provided native lava stone for the construction of a permanent church building to serve the area. Reverend Willey was tasked with taking this generous donation and overseeing the construction of the church building. My great great grandparents, Robert Paine and Katherine Morris Shapard, had been active parishioners and benefactors to St. George’s, in Griffin, during the time of Reverend Willey’s service. As such, Reverend Willey wrote to my great great grandmother, Katherine but more commonly known as “Precious”, explaining to her about the monumental task he had been given of constructing this new church building. Sadly, six years prior, Robert P. Shapard had passed away. In order to honor his legacy, Precious agreed to be the primary benefactor for the funding of construction. The small stone building was consecrated on January 19, 1941, and has been in continuous use since that time. Many members of my larger family have visited and participated in worship at the church over the years. It is truly an honor for Adam and I to be able to continue this tradition, established over 80 years ago, by exchanging our wedding vows in this special place. To learn more about Christ Memorial Episcopal Church visit their website at www.christmemorialkauai.org