“This school is not the million bricks, but the thousand hearts who carry more dreams than the night sky has stars. This school is the emotions, our stories and our love for each other.”

Holy Cross College Branch School is situated in a peaceful, coastal village Payagala away from the hubbub of Kalutara town. The College has risen like a giant wave on a gentle ocean in the midst of a great quilt of brown and green patches. To the unaccustomed eye the College landscape is a beautiful swathe of rolling green surrounded by walls of unique mangroves, picturesque by any standards.

The milestone in the history of Holy Cross College has been accomplished along with the opening of the Branch school attached to Holy Cross College Kalutara on the 14th January, 2004 at Palapolwatta,Payagala, as to the suggestion made by His Grace Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis – the former Archbishop of Colombo.

The prior arrangements to Branch school were organised by the principal Rev. Bro. Kumarasinghe in the year 2003. Rev. Fr. Ivan Piterze, the Parish Priest of Payagala, immensely assisted in making the venture a success.

The Branch school initially functioned in the premises of Palapolwatta Church at Payagala in 2004. The inauguration was conducted with the participation of His Grace Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis together with Rev. Fr. Ivan Peterze, Rev. Bro. Michael de Vaas, Rev. Bro. Charles Fernando, Rev. Bro. Kumarasinghe and Mrs. Amara Nandadi (Zonal Director of Education Kalutara).

Master Kosala Almeida has been admitted as the first student to Holy Cross College Branch School and 70 students were admitted as the first batch of the College.  Late Mrs.Jayanthi Fernando took over the duty as the first Principal of the Branch School. She endeavoured a lot to upgrade the standards of education. Mrs.Shenuka Fernando, Mrs. Thilini Fernando and Mrs.Indika Perera were enrolled to the tutorial staff as pioneering teachers.

After a successful operation of twelve months, the raging waves of Tsunami completely devastated the whole infrastructure on the 26^th of Decmber 2004. At that time the Branch School was consisted of four classes. They were shifted to the Main School and continued the lessons during the afternoon till 18th January 2005.

His Grace, the Archbishop Oswald Gomis donated a land near by Payagala, Yatadola road in order to establish the Branch school and he laid the foundation stone in March 2005. Rev. Fathers of the Kalutara Deanary along with Rev Brothers of the Marist congregation participated for the occasion. Rev. Bro. Clinton Perera, took over the task of constructing the new College building.

In the year 2006, part of the new building was completed and six classes were conducted in the first floor. On the 6^th of February, 2006 the inauguration ceremony was held. Late Mrs. Jayanthi Fernando was entrusted with the task of managing and setting the track until 31^st July, 2008.

On the 1st of August, 2008, Rev. Bro. Clinton Perera took over the responsibility as the Principal of the Branch school at Payagala untill Rev. Fr. Dr. Camillus Fernando, took over the College management under the guidance of Rt. Rev. Dr. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith on the 1st September 2010.

Rev.Fr Chinthaka Perera was appointed as the first Principal of the Branch School. Rev.Fr.Sudham Perera took over the responsibilities as the principal of Holy Cross College Payagala from May 2012. He has done a yeoman service to the school during his six years of tenure.

Rev.Fr.Vincent Ashley has assumed duties as the Director of  Holy Cross College Payagala from July 2018 and he extends a remarkable service to the College..

The year 2019 is significant for the College as the Branch School has been declared as an independent school from the government. Now our college is renamed as Holy Cross College Kalutara, Payagala.

Now the Branch school is consisted of almost nine hundred and twenty seven students and a dedicated staff of qualified and experienced teachers.

The College is well resourced with computer and science laboratories, an auditorium, a conference hall, a range of practical classrooms for aesthetic activities, a library with published resources to support their knowledge and a chapel to provide the spiritual support.