Kalapana, HI

Kalapana is a town and a region in the Puna District on the Island of Hawaiʻi in the Hawaiian Islands. The town was the original location of the Star of the Sea Painted Church. The lava flow that destroyed Kalapana erupted from the southeast rift zone of Kīlauea. Taken together, these details give a newcomer a usable picture of Kalapana, where its history, geography, and current gathering places meet. For Kalapana, the memorable detail is the way older history and current gathering places share one local map. Along with the destruction of Kalapana were those of the nearby town of Kaimū and Kaimū Bay, both of which now lie buried beneath more than 50 feet of lava.