Members of the Holy Cross School class of 1955 recently gifted the Kalaheo, Kaua'i, church with a large panoramic photograph of the church's original 1936 dedication.

The photo's display coincides with the centennial anniversary celebration of Holy Cross Church, which takes place this weekend with a dance, lu'au, Mass and rededication.

"For me, this photo is not only telling us of the past, but also telling us of how God is so faithful with the Christian community here," said the Rev. Edison Pamintuan, Holy Cross Church associate pastor. "Our population has doubled (since the photo was taken), and the Christian community is growing, not only in numbers but deeper in faith."

The original photo, which depicts several old-time kama'aina families, belonged to the mother of class of '55 president Denis Cabral, who inherited it upon her passing.

"We sat down one day and I said, it would be so good if everybody could see this," said class of '55 vice president Donald Quon, who helped spearhead the project.

Eight of the classmates — Cabral, Quon, Joyce Andrade Silva, Charles Carveiro, Carol Medeiros Souza, Linda Peters Kaiakapu, Nelson Rita and Lawrence Mendonca — contributed money to pay for the photo's enlargement and framing, along with an accompanying plaque that hangs next to it in the church hall.

By presenting the photo before the centennial, Quon and his classmates hope to generate nostalgia and a sense of pride for Holy Cross graduates when they gather for the celebration.

"Many of the active people in the church are alumni of the school," said Quon. "The grandkids would know who is who in that photo, and recognize their ties to the church."

The Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary started Holy Cross School in 1945. The 33 members of the class of '55 were the first group of students to attend the school from kindergarten through eighth grade. According to Pamintuan, the school was eventually closed in 1990.

"Based on what I've observed from the old-timers, they were very happy to see the old photo because it brings back memories of the past," said Pamintuan.

The centennial comes just a month after a fire on the premises caused significant burn and smoke damage to the church building, which is in the process of being recarpeted, reupholstered and repainted.

"The theme of our centennial is 'The Cross of Christ: All Blessings, All Graces,' " said Pamintuan. "Reflecting on that, the centennial is all about God's faithfulness to his people here, because knowing a little bit of the history of the church in this community, there have been ups and downs, but we're still here."

Pamintuan is optimistic that the main church will be ready to use for the weekend's festivities. He plans to use folding chairs for guests, as the church's usual cushioned chairs were damaged in the fire.

"There are a lot of parishioners that are helping us out," he said.