The Catholic Faith on Maui began in 1827 with the arrival of French missionaries from the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The first Mass was held in a grass hut on Front Street, Lahaina, on January 25, 1841. However, it wasn't until April 21, 1846, when Frs. Modest Favens, Barnabe Castan, and Brother John-Marie Gabriac arrived, that the Catholic Church was officially established on the island. Despite initial resistance from the Protestant community, the missionaries focused on tending to the growing Catholic population and planning for a new church.

In 1850, Father Aubert Bouillon took over leadership, and construction of Maria Lanakila Church began. After eight years, it was completed and dedicated to Our Lady of Victory (Maria Lanakila) on September 8, 1858. The church, inspired by the missionaries' devotion to Mary and designed in a Romanesque style, featured high narrow windows, a vaulted ceiling, and carved altars. For years, Hawaiians preferred lauhala mats over pews, embracing their traditional ways in worship.