When Bishop John Francis Canevin laid the cornerstone of Brookline's Church of the Resurrection on Sept. 19, 1909, it was the beginning of a dream come true for a fledgling congregation that had been meeting since that May in a storeroom on Brookline Boulevard.

By the time the parish's first Easter Sunday Mass was celebrated a year later-- on May 27, 1910 -- so many people came that the church was standing room only with long lines of faithful outside.

That first holiday Mass was the start of a vibrant and faithful congregation that is now getting ready to celebrating its 100th anniversary. Resurrection clearly when on to reflect the late Bishop Canevin's motto: "unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it.''

On June 8 the Roman Catholic church on Creedmore Avenue will kick-off a year long celebration with a family picnic for parishioners and community members at Brookline Memorial Park.

The day will include children's activities, such as pony rides, a petting zoo and a Moon Walk. An old-fashioned family picnic will follow an ecumenical prayer service with participants from many neighboring parishes. A ticket auction will benefit the Miracle Children's Network.

Parishioners and other community members are asked to bring blankets, and picnic food and join the 1 to 4 p.m. celebration. If it rains, the action will move into the recreation center on campus.

"We're reaching a 100-year milestone for service to the community," pastor, the Rev. Frank Mitolo said.

"We are planning for the next hundred years in two ways: remembering the past and rekindling faith in the future.''

Father Mitolo said that the church has planned community outreach programs and a plan to remodel the church.

Among those projects: restore the altar, repaint the church, repair the roof and crumbling cement steps. The church plans to add Amenities, such as a bride's room and a "quiet room" for families with children will be added, as well a memorial garden is also planned.

The project is out to bid and the Diocese of Pittsburgh will supervise construction and fund raising.

The parish itself has set a fund-raising goal of $700,000 with an aggressive capital campaign.

Parishioner Richard A. Longo, of Brookline, said many members of the entire Brookline community claim their roots and history back to Resurrection Parish.

"Ressi [as the church is affectionately called] is a resource in the community for stability and openness,'' said Mr. Longo, vice president of Devon Health Services.

Another parishioner, Lillian Solomon-Longo, of Brookline, said the anniversary will be a time for her and others who attended the parish school to get together to reminisce about going to classes taught by the Sisters of Charity.

"I moved to Brookline when I was five years old in 1958. I still live in that same house, now with my husband," she said.

"This neighborhood was full of kids. There were 1,600 kids in the Resurrection grade school. It was a great place to grow up and a great place to be. The circle of friends that I made in school have remained with me to this day."

She said that many of her Resurrection alumni excelled in their careers. Ms. Solomon-Longo, is director of Surgical Services at Magee Women's Hospital of UPMC.

Another church member, state Senator Wayne Fontana D-Brookline, said, "as a parish member for the last 35 years, I'm convinced Resurrection's longevity is attributed to its dedication and commitment to the parishioners, as well as the community. Ressi has been a model for me to emulate as a public official."

It costs a lot of money to stage a yearlong anniversary campaign, Father Mitolo said. He said the church raised $16,000 in seed money in November by holding a banquet at the Lamont Restaurant. Owners Ed and Anna Dunlap, of Upper St. Clair, picked up the tab for the banquet.

Other events planned during the year of celebration will include a banquet and Mass with Bishop David Zubik, and a series of activities with visiting priests.

"Even though the school has been closed for 10 years, we're still helping people understand their faith more deeply. We're trying to encourage young people to reconnect with the church," said Mary Diskin, of Mt. Lebanon, who is coordinator of religious education.

Resurrection school closed when enrollment dropped and now the building housings senior citizen apartments. Students now attend Brookline Regional Catholic, a merger of three Catholic schools.

For more, call 412-563-4400.