Cork priest hoping to raise funds to help community in Maui rebuild lives after wildfires 

A CORK priest who said mass every year in the only church to have survived the devastating Maui wildfires has raised €11k to help his friends rebuild their lives.

Fr Liam Kelleher from Cobh travelled annually to the historic town of Lahina until tragedy struck last August 8, claiming the lives of at least 97 people. 

The local church known as Maria Lanakila- Our Lady of Victory-is one of the only buildings left standing following the wildfires. 

Fr Kelleher made such an impression on residents in the community during his visits he was invited to say mass for parishioners.

The Cork priest said he now hopes to raise €20k in total to help those still reeling from the horrific tragedy.

He has nominated local woman Gail Falkenbury and her friend Chyna Colorado to allocate the much-needed funds on the ground. 

Fr Kelleher spoke of the impact for his many friends living in the area.

“When the fire started it was horrendous. People’s homes were burned. Their cars were burned. The woman I was staying with, a daughter of a friend of mine, escaped in a sense because she hadn’t bought the apartment she was renting. However, everything else she had was burnt to the ground. Two of my best friends had a boat and they lived on the boat for four years on the harbour. They saved enough money to buy a home. When I was over last February they had moved into a new house. That house is now gone and the boat has gone too”.

The Cobh man said he hopes to make it back to his friends someday.

“I would love to go back there even though this won’t be possible in the short term. The place will never be the same again. It will be built on but there’s the problem of people buying up the land and speculators coming to visit the site. Most of the island is okay. It’s just this particular town that was completely wiped out. They have to pick up the pieces and there’s no such thing as insurance for people who can’t afford it”.

He described the wildfires as among the worst tragedies in USA history.

“The last time I said mass there was in February. The church was a stone building so was one of the only buildings that wasn’t destroyed. Everything else was timber and was completely ravaged by the fire. This was one of the worst tragedies in USA history”.

To donate to Fr Kelleher’s Go Fund me page visit www.gofundme.com/f/lahaina-maui-usa-devastating-wildfire-tragedy.