Chiefess Kapiolani: The greatest student of Batimea Pua’aiki (Blind Bartimeus)

by Nicholas Freeman

Many know the story of Chiefess Kapiolani’s December 1825, visit to the top of Kilauea:  She challenged the priestess of the goddess Pele with the word of God.  But there are other aspects of her amazing and eventful life that deserve to be highlighted.

A common missed fact of her incredible life was who first discipled her in Christ. None other than Batimea Pua’aiki (Blind Bartimeus) was selected to hold morning and evening devotions for Kapiolani and her husband Naihe during their time at Lahaina, Maui. All three were early members of the church there. No wonder her faith grew to the heights it did, as being taught by Batimea had to have been a wonderous time of spiritual maturity in both of their lives.  (March 5, 1823, p.11, File #173, Sandwich Islands Mission 1823-1824 Journal, hmha.missonhouse.org)

Kapiolani built the first church at Kaʻawaloa near the shore of Kealakekua Bay.  After missionary William Ellis recommended that the Mission locate a station at Ka’awaloa after touring the island in 1823, Kapiolani built a thatched church where missionary James Ely became pastor for the next year, along with Thomas Hopu assisting. (Partners in Change, p. 3, hmha.missionhouses.org)

Some fourteen years later, the Kaʻawaloa Church was relocated to Kepulu, in order to provide better accessibility. In 1839, missionary Cochran Forbes, with the aid Kapiʻolani, began constructing a church of stone, it was called Kealakekua Church. (Images of Old Hawaii). This is now the burial site of the father of Christianity in Hawaii, Henry ‘Opukaha’ia, at Kahikolu Congregational Church Cemetery.  (https://www.hvcb.org/listing/kahikolu-congregational-church/109402/)

In 1824, while visiting the island of Maui, Kapiolani confronted the local chiefs over the poor condition of the sanctuary at Lahaina, where she and Naihe had studied with Batimea. She exclaimed to them:

“Have you heard that I have built a house of prayer at Kaavaloa?” They answered that they had heard of it. Next, she inquired whether they thought she had done right. They said, “Yes, it is right.” She then said to them “I am a young chief, I am not a high chief, I live alone at Kaavaloa.—Here at Lahaina are many chiefs, here are the high chiefs and the aged chiefs, and yet I am ashamed of the house in which you meet to worship Jehovah. The mats are all old, rotten and dirty, --the doors are broken; and the hogs, goats, and fowls occupy it more than you do.”

(hmha.missionhouses.org, William Richards letter to Evart, p. 718a, August 13, 1824, X, No. 127)

After this confrontation the chiefs acknowledged the wisdom of her words and worked to restore the church building to its rightful condition and provide adequate maintenance.

Towards the end of her life Kapiolani was diagnosed with breast cancer and after complications was forced to travel to Oahu for the tumor removal. This was a time before surgical anesthesia. Those present testified that she was extremely calm and quiet during the entire procedure, and never once complained. The tumor weighed 2 lbs., and the surgery, which lasted approximately thirty minutes, was deemed a success. Afterwards, she suffered much pain as a result of the surgery.  She shared with the missionaries her view of her predicament:

“I wish to endure patiently under the finger of God. If it is his will, I have a desire to depart and be with him, then I shall be free from sin. Once I exceedingly feared death, but it has taken away its sting.”

(James Ely, hmha.missionhouses.org, p. 669, March 1824-1827, No. 111)

Sadly, a few months later, she became ill with an infection while visiting Maui.  She passed away on June 15, 1841. Her bravery both before, during and after the surgery set a high bar for those around her, and once again showed the caliber of her character. (hmha.missionhouses.org, Mary Ives, May 12, 1841, to her Aunt Ressiter, Letter 7)

In 1880 King Kalakaua instituted an order to recognize services in the cause of humanity, including the Sciences and the Arts, or for special services rendered to the Kingdom of Hawaii known as the Royal Order of Kapiolani. Named in her honor and shared with Queen Kapiolani, her grandniece, (iolanipalace.org), the medal was ordered 177 times. The motto of the award was “KULIA I KANUU" which is translated “strive for the highest” or “strive to reach the summit,” which is surely what both she and her grandniece accomplished.

These are just a few of the astonishing facts of her life of honor and character that deserve to be remembered. She was a foundation builder of not only the Hawaiian church, but also a great promoter of education, establishing schools and assisting others in their organization all over the Islands. Truly she took seriously, her obligation and responsibility, which in turn blessed countless lives for good.

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