“The Compassionate Christ” by Jean Charlot in St. Catherine Church, Kapaa. (Photo courtesy of Father William Tulua)
By Father William Tulua
Special to the Hawaii Catholic Herald
On Kauai, nestled some nine miles from the main town of Lihue is a smaller town called Kapaa. There, on Kawaihau Road, you will find St. Catherine of Alexandria Church. The church was founded in 1887, but the original gothic structure church in front of Kealia Bay had to be torn down due to age and wear. The church on the present site was completed in 1957.
The church is noted for the murals of three famous island artists, Juliet May Fraser, Tseng Yu Huin and Jean Charlot. The artists painted as the church was under construction. Two young cousins who were related to one of the workmen, Trudy Lizama-Debusca and Ginny Cruz-Rapozo, spent hours watching them. Charlot in particular took a liking to the two girls, who were around 10 at the time, answering their countless questions.
Lizama-Debusca remembers Charlot’s smile. He “was always so kind and gracious,” she said.
The artist painted the mural above the center altar entitled, “Compassionate Christ.” He was so fond of these two young ladies that he painted both Trudy and Ginny as two angels looking down from the top of the crucifix.
Now in their early 70s the two women still attend St. Catherine Church, where many descendants of the plantation-era Portuguese community, including the pastor Father Anthony Rapozo, remain.
Father Tulua is parochial vicar of St. Catherine Parish.
