History of the Catholic Church in Belize
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This history of the Catholic church in Belize has three parts: the historical periods of the
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
presence in
Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
, religious congregations laboring in Belize, and apostolic works undertaken.


Historical periods

Historians distinguish at least three periods in the history of the Catholic church in Belize. The ''first period'' saw missionaries accompany Spanish conquistadores among the Mayas in western Belize, from 1524 until 1707 when such activity drew to a close. A century later separate incursions into the central, southern, and northern parts of the territory led to the first permanent residency of the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
in Belize, in 1851. This marks the beginning of the ''second period'' which saw the rapid spread of mission churches throughout Belize. The ''third period'' began with appointment of the first native
bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
, thus handing over to the native,
diocesan In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
clergy administration of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
.


Missionary ventures: 1524 to 1851

1524 to 1707 - Friars accompanied the earliest Spanish expeditions into Central America, in accordance with the Patronato system and its intermingling of politics and religion. While the Spanish pursued the false hope of finding gold in Peten, Guatemala, the missionaries accompanied them south from Yucatan, Mexico, and north from Cobán, Guatemala. Scattered physical and documentary evidence of friars among the Maya in Western Belize exists for the period 1524 to 1707.Waddell, D.A.G. ''British Honduras: A historical and contemporary survey'' (London: Oxford University Press, 1961).Thompson, J.E.S. ''The Maya of Belize: Historical chapters since Columbus''. (Belize: Benex Press, 1974). Citing D. Lopez Cogolludo’s ''Historia de Yucatan'', first edition published in Madrid, 1688; Capt. Francisco Perez, census 1655, Mexican National Archives; Francisco Vasquez 1937-44, ''Crónica de la provincial del Santisimo Nombre de Jesus de Guatemala de la Orden de Nuestro Seráfico Padre San Francisco'', Bk 4, Chap. 79, Guatemala, 1714-16; Joseph Delgado, O.P., memorandum 1677, National Library, Paris; F. Ximenez from 1721, ''Historia de la Provincia de San Vicente de Chiapa y Guatemala de la Orden de Predicadores'', 1931, Guatemala. Near the Maya site at
Xunantunich Xunantunich () is an Ancient Maya archaeological site in western Belize, about 70 miles (110 km) west of Belize City, in the Cayo District. Xunantunich is located atop a ridge above the Mopan River, well within sight of the Guatemala border ...
in west central Belize lies Tipu with the remains of a primitive church building, mentioned in Spanish records, and a large number of Maya skeletons around its confines. Tipu ceased to exist as a Maya/Christian settlement in 1707 when the Spanish moved its residents to the shores of
Lake Petén Itza A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a Depression (geology), basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the World Ocean, oce ...
. Sixty miles to the north of Tipu lies
Lamanai Lamanai (from ''Lama'anayin'', "submerged crocodile" in Yucatec Maya) is a Mesoamerican archaeological site, and was once a major city of the Maya civilization, located in the north of Belize, in Orange Walk District. The site's name is pre-Columbi ...
(Indian Church) with the remaining stone walls of a missionary church and the ruins of a second church. Maya rebellions were frequent since the system of ''reducciones''—gathering the scattered Maya into Spanish-controlled villages—meant paying taxes and loss of freedom. The South witnessed the only recorded martyrdom of missionaries in Belize: in 1684 at Paliac (Rio Grande, Toledo) three Franciscans and some Spaniards were martyred, presumably a sacrificial offering following the Maya method of ripping out the heart. But it was usually the political rather than the Christianizing effort that provoked Maya resistance. Missionaries who resumed the evangelizing effort over 100 years later would attest to remnants of Christian belief. 1830 to 1851 - Around 1830 Catholic priests reappear in the historical record of Belize. Mestizos had come as refugees from
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
to
Mullins River Mullins River is the name of both a river and of a village on that river in the Stann Creek District of Belize. The village of Mullins River is located at the mouth of the river of the same name on the coast of the Caribbean Sea, north of Dangri ...
south of
Belize Town Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, whi ...
. Fray Antonio worked among them from 1832 to 1836 when he was replaced by Fray Rubio from Bacalar in Yucatan. Rubio built in Mullins River in 1837 the first Catholic church in modern Belize. Then in 1840, Frs. Sandoval and Rivas from Yucatan built a chapel in Belize Town. This had been the coastal center of the British logging industry in the central part of the colony since the late 18th century. The town was served by
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
, Baptist, and Methodist ministers but Spanish merchants from Yucatan, along with mestizos and Garifuna from the South, would enlarge the Catholic community in the mid-19th century. A large migration of Garifuna had come up the coast from Honduras in 1832, to what became Punta Gorda and Dangriga in the south of Belize. Their ancestry, of African and Carib Indian mix, traces to Saint Vincent. There they rebelled against the British in 1797 and were expelled to Roatán, from which they spread along the Honduran coast. By the 19th century they were settling along the southern coastline of Belize. They had been catechized by Spanish priests while on St. Vincent, as evidenced in “makeshift beads and crosses to ward off evil and danger." They would be sought after by the British as strong warriors and sturdy workers. But it was as good students and educators that they impacted Catholicism in Belize, with several priests and the first native bishop coming from their number. The Holy Family Sisters would come in 1898 specifically to minister to Garifuna communities, and within a century 45 Belizeans had joined these sisters.Behrens, S.F. (January 2013) "The New Orleans Sisters of the Holy Family." Edward T. Brett (review). ''The Catholic Historical Review''. 99(1): pp. 185-187. doi: 10.1353/2913.0061. The third and largest migration to Belize followed the Caste War of Yucatan when Santa Cruz Maya drove out mestizos from the coast. Between 1847 and 1855 thousands of mestizos fled from Bacalar to Belize, enlarging Corozal and Orange Walk towns. By 1850 there were 7,000 Catholics in the territory, mostly Spanish and mestizo refugees of the Caste War in Yucatan. These mestizos also settled alongside the Icaiche Maya in the northern forests, with gradual movement down the western high ground, above the coastal swamps. In the West, the township of Benque Viejo del Carmen was followed after some years by
El Cayo San Ignacio and Santa Elena are towns in western Belize. San Ignacio serves as the cultural-economic hub of Cayo District. It got its start from mahogany and chicle production during British colonisation. Over time it attracted people from the su ...
whose population grew from the timber industry that had moved west along the Belize River. Missionary contacts with the Santa Cruz, Icaiche, and mestizos are mentioned in several of the "Letters and Notices" of the English Province of Jesuits who would arrive in 1851.


Jesuit mission: 1851 to 1983

In 1837 the Catholic mission office in Rome made Jamaica a
vicariate A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...
responsible for the whole
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
area. With few resources spread over this vast region, little attention was given to the territory of Belize until Catholics of Spanish ancestry were driven from Yucatan to northern Belize during their
strife Strife may refer to: Mythology *Eris (mythology), in Greek mythology the goddess of discord, whose name means 'strife' *Bellona (goddess), Roman counterpart of Eris, and a war goddess *Enyalius, a son of Eris and god of strife * Tano Akora, god of ...
with the Maya (1847-1901). After this influx of Catholics, in 1851, Belize was made a Jesuit mission under the care of the English Province of the Jesuits, eleven years before it became the crown colony of British Honduras. In December 1851 the vicar apostolic from Jamaica, along with his successor in 1855, Jesuit Fr. James Eustace Du Peyron, travelled to Belize to assess the situation. Du Peyron would oversee the building of the first Catholic church in
Belize Town Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, whi ...
for what is today Holy Redeemer parish. The great fire of July 17, 1856, destroyed the north side of town including the church building. By April 1858 the present
Holy Redeemer Cathedral Holy Redeemer Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Belize City, Belize. It is canonically the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan. It shares the role with Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in ...
building was completed. Other parishes followed along the coastline: Corozal (1859), with a large population of
mestizo (; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed Ethnic groups in Europe, European and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also r ...
Catholics; Punta Gorda (1862) with Garifuna on the coast and Maya inland; and Stann Creek (1867) mostly Garifuna. Between 1852 and 1893, 58 Jesuits from 10 countries came to establish these churches: from Italy (18), England (14), Spain (11), Belgian (5), France (3), Ireland (3), Germany (1), Greece (1), Guatemala (1), Columbia (1).Woods, Charles M. Sr., et al. ''Years of Grace: The History of Roman Catholic Evangelization in Belize: 1524-2014.'' (Belize: Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan, 2015). In 1888 British Honduras became a
prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...
and in 1893 a vicariate with
Salvatore di Pietro Salvatore di Pietro, (15 June 1830 – 23 August 1898) was an Italian Bishop in the Catholic Church. He served as the first Vicar Apostolic of Belize from 1893-1898. He is widely regarded as the most important figure in consolidating the Catholic ...
, S.J., as prefect apostolic and then vicar apostolic with the title of bishop. The presence of three American bishops for his consecration evidenced the growing importance of the United States to the mission. In 1894 the Jesuits transferred responsibility for British Honduras from the English Province to the Missouri Province of the central United States. Bishop di Pietro died in 1898 and was succeeded by Bishop
Frederick C. Hopkins Frederick Charles Hopkins was an England, English Society of Jesus, Jesuit and Catholic bishop in British Honduras, Central America, at the turn of the 20th century. Missionary bishop Frederick C. Hopkins was born 12 December 1844 in Birmingham, ...
, S.J., the last of the English Jesuits in Belize. Permanent parishes among the Maya in west central Belize were begun in
Benque Viejo Benque Viejo del Carmen ("Benque") is the westernmost town in Belize, by road west and south of Belize City, at the Guatemalan border. San Ignacio lies 13 km to the east and Melchor de Mencos just across the border. The Mopan River runs alo ...
(1905) and
San Ignacio San Ignacio (the Spanish language name of St. Ignatius (disambiguation), St. Ignatius) is a common toponym in parts of the world where that language is or was spoken: Argentina * San Ignacio, Argentina, Misiones Province * San Ignacio Miní, a ...
(1909). St. John's College, founded at the cathedral in 1887, was moved to Loyola Park in 1917. In 1923 Bishop Hopkins along with two Pallottine sisters drowned when the boat they were taking to Corozal sank. Bishop Joseph Anthony Murphy, S.J., succeeded Hopkins. His tenure was marked by a rebuilding effort following the hurricane of 1931, that destroyed St. John's College at Loyola Park and took an estimated 2500 lives including eleven Jesuits. He also built Holy Redeemer Hall which became the premier indoor facility for large events in Belize, until the construction of
Bliss Institute The Bliss Institute is a theatre, museum, and National Arts Council in the cultural centre of Belize City. It is named after Baron Bliss. The original construction started in 1953 and finished one year later. The architectural design was done in ...
in 1954. In 1938 at the age of 80 Bishop Murphy retired and Bishop William A. Rice, S.J., succeeded him. Rice died of a heart attack in 1946. Next came the last vicar apostolic of Belize,
David Francis Hickey David Francis Hickey, S.J. (December 3, 1882 – August 24, 1973) was an American-born bishop of the Catholic Church. He served as the Vicar Apostolic and then the first Bishop of Belize, from 1948 to 1957. Early life Born in St. Louis, Missouri ...
, S.J., who would become first bishop of the Diocese of Belize when it was raised from vicariate status in 1956. In 1957 he resigned and Bishop
Robert Louis Hodapp Robert Louis Hodapp, S.J. (October 1, 1910 – October 26, 1989) was an American-born bishop of the Catholic Church. He served as the second Bishop of Belize from 1958-1983. Early life Robert Hodapp was born in Mankato, Minnesota, to George J. ...
, S.J., replaced him. Hodapp remained in office for 25 years, attending all five sessions of the Second Vatican Council and working toward its implementation in the diocese. He resigned in 1983.


Native clergy and laity: since 1983

In 1982 Fr. Osmond Peter Martin, from the Garifuna people, became the first native Belizean to be raised to the episcopacy. He became auxiliary to Hodapp and then in 1983 bishop of the diocese. Martin summoned the first diocesan
synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...
in 1989, focused on activating the laity to take ownership of their church. In April 2001 he inaugurated at the cathedral the Monsignor Facundo Castillo Diocesan Center, home to the diocesan radio, television, and newspaper ministries.
Dorick M. Wright Dorick McGowan Wright (November 15, 1945 – April 15, 2020) was a Belizean prelate. From 2006 to 2017, he has served as the fourth bishop of the Catholic Church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan. Pope Francis accepted his r ...
became auxiliary in 2002 and succeeded Martin in 2007. Due to Wright's failing eyesight, in 2012 Christopher Glancy was named auxiliary and assumed many of the responsibilities of the diocese. The number of Catholics in Belize had grown by 16,414 or 15% since 1991, while total population had grown by 131,723 or 70% in the same period. The number of Belizeans entering the diocesan priesthood was six from the 1930s through 1950s, then peaked with eleven in the 1960s through 1980s, but from then to 2014 had fallen to three. In 2013 Bishop Wright opened a minor seminary, St. Benedict's Diocesan Seminary, in the facility built by the Benedictines near Santa Elena. Four young men constituted its first class. Bishop Lawrence Sydney Nicasio took office on May 13, 2017. Bishop Emeritus Dorick McGowan Wright died on April 15, 2020.


Religious congregations


Jesuits

The
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
s (S.J.) were responsible for establishing a permanent Catholic presence in Belize beginning in 1851, as detailed above. From then until 2015, 374 Jesuits worked in Belize, founding most of the parishes and missions. They also founded Trinidad Farm Retreat Center near Belize City. In 2015 they remained as pastors at St.Martin de Porres parish in Belize City and at the largely Garifuna St. Peter Claver parish in Punta Gorda, with its 30 Maya mission stations and schools. In June 1885 Jesuit Henry Gillett began publication of ''The Angelus'', “a Catholic monthly periodical … written partly in English and partly in Spanish, … ntendedto refute error and to give people correct information about Catholic affairs.” It included substantial documentation, as in Fr. Hopkins's 1851-1893 “Historical Sketch of the Catholic Mission in Belize” published in 1897. ''The Angelus'' ceased publication in 1905. The current Catholic monthly ''The Christian Herald'' began publication in September 1979 under Jesuit Fr. Maher, who also initiated the diocesan radio and television apostolates. St. John's College (SJC), which "would become one of the largest and most prestigious educational institutions in the country," was founded by Fr. Cassian Gillett, S.J., in 1887,Jesuit Archives, Belize Collection
/ref> in quarters on the cathedral grounds. It moved to a spacious Loyola Park campus south of town in 1917 where it served as a boarding school for many who would become leaders in Belize and throughout Central America. The hurricane of 1931 destroyed the Loyola Park campus (see above), taking the lives of 6 priests, 1 brother, and 4 scholastics. SJC then returned to the cathedral grounds until 1952 when it moved to a spacious campus northwest of town. It now has 20 buildings to accommodate its secondary and junior college divisions, and an additional extension division in town. In the late 1890s celebrated Jesuit naturalist William A. Stanton taught at St. John's College. The influence of Jesuit education on Belizean politics is covered under " Apostolic works" below, along with their part in initiating
credit unions A credit union, a type of financial institution similar to a commercial bank, is a member-owned nonprofit financial cooperative. Credit unions generally provide services to members similar to retail banks, including deposit accounts, provision ...
and cooperatives in Belize. The Boy Scout movement in Belize was introduced by Brother "Jake" Jacoby in Holy Redeemer parish during his long tenure in Belize, 1928 to 1957.


Sisters of Mercy

In 1883 the Sisters of Mercy (R.S.M.) came to Belize and established a lasting presence. Since then 156 of their number have worked in Belize. Bishops di Pietro and Hopkins did much to secure their services and then to arrange for their separate foundation in Belize, independent of the motherhouse in New Orleans. On coming to Belize, the sisters assumed the task of running
Holy Redeemer Primary School Holy Redeemer Primary School is a Catholic, parish primary school located in the heart of Belize City, Belize. History Located at the Cathedral parish in Belize City, it began operation in 1869. In 1883 the Sisters of Mercy arrived in Belize and m ...
that by the early 1900s enrolled nearly 400 students. Their three-storey brick convent and school building, built in 1885, was destroyed by the 1931 hurricane. It was rebuilt in 1935 along with an elementary school and St. Catherine Academy which continues to educate girls in the Belize City area. On the same campus is Our Lady of Guadalupe Mercy Center, which accommodated 1600 persons in 2014 for retreats and other programs. Since 1967 the Mercies have managed Muffles College in Orange Walk Town. They also inaugurated Belmopan Comprehensive School in 1970, Mercy clinic in 1981, and Mercy Kitchen in 1986. Together with a Sister of Charity of Nazareth they founded a clinic for Mayan women in rural Toledo in 1964. In 2012 Sr. M. Caritas Lawrence, R.S.M., an educator, liturgical translator from Mayan to English, and senior officer in the Ministry of Education, was awarded the Order of the British Empire by
Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022 ...
for her life's work.


Holy Family Sisters

The Holy Family Sisters (S.S.F.), an African-American congregation from New Orleans, arrived in 1898 to manage the small
parochial school A parochial school is a private primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathematics and language arts. The ...
in Dangriga. By 2000, 95 had served in Belize, of whom 19 were native Belizeans. They founded Austin High School for Girls, since amalgamated, and Delille Academy in Dangriga, and also have charge of two grade schools. There have been 27 Belizeans who joined the congregation and served only abroad.


The Pallottines

Arriving in 1913, the Pallottines (S.A.C.) established convents in Benque Viejo and Corozal, and later throughout Belize. By 2001, 162 had served in Belize, of whom 69 were native Belizeans. In 1931 they built a large novitiate near Punta Gorda, from which they minister in 30 Maya villages that have Catholic chapels and schools. In 1957 they opened Pallotti High School for girls in Belize City (at right). In 1968 Belize became an independent province of their congregation. In 2013 their century of service was commemorated by a Belizean stamp.


Sisters of Charity of Nazareth

In 1975 the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth (S.C.N.) were called to assist at Sacred Heart Parish in Dangriga and then to foster lay ministry in the spirit of renewal in the Catholic church. From 1975 to 2014, 22 had worked in Belize, of whom 4 were Belizean. In 2014 Sr. Barbara Flores, S.C.N., was the President/General Manager of Catholic Public Schools.


Madrecitas (Our Lady of the Light)

In 1975 these religious sisters began coming four at a time from Mexico and realizing their charism of evangelizing in remote villages, first in Orange Walk District then also in Corozal District. In 1979 they opened a convent in San Juan Village, Corozal. By 2000, 22 had worked in Belize, of whom 11 were Belizean.


Guadalupanas and Dominican Sisters

The Guadalupana sisters from Mérida, Yucatan, worked in lay ministry at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Corozal during the 1970s and early 1980s. From 1985 to 1994 six Sisters of the Dominican Order from Springfield, Kentucky, also served in Belize.


Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity

The
Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) is a Society of Apostolic Life within the Roman Catholic Church. It was founded in 1958 by Father James H. Flanagan, a priest from the United States. The Society maintains missions in v ...
(SOLT) includes both lay and religious, men and women. Its mission to Belize began in the late 1960s in Benque Viejo in the areas of health care and pastoring. This expanded into managing schools and teaching at the secondary level. Then in 1976 Deacon Cal Cathers of SOLT founded BRC Printing Limited to print primarily reading and math textbooks for schools. In 1990 SOLT founded Mt. Carmel High School in Benque, staffed largely by foreign volunteers, and also opened Divine Mercy Church in Belize City. In 1998, John Marhevka of SOLT founded a Catholic bookstore and radio station in Benque. In 2005, he built a media center and radio station in Belize City and in 2010 Power FM Catholic Youth Radio began broadcasting, to which was added Radio Guadalupe Catholic Radio Station in 2013. By 2014, 20 members had served in Belize for extended periods of time.


The Benedictines

In 1971, the Benedictine monks (O.S.B.) from
Subiaco Abbey (Arkansas) Subiaco Abbey is an American Benedictine monastery located in the Arkansas River valley of Logan County, Arkansas, part of the Swiss-American Congregation of Benedictine monasteries. It is home to thirty-nine Benedictine monks. The abbey and the ...
established a monastery near Santa Elena, Belize. By 1999, 23 Benedictines had served in Belize, but the monastery was then closed for lack of numbers. The fine buildings and property were bequeathed to the Diocese and in 2013 re-opened as St. Benedict Diocesan Seminary.


The Viatorians

The
Viatorians The Clerics of Saint Viator (french: Clercs de Saint-Viateur ), abbreviated C.S.V. and also known as the Viatorians is a Roman Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men (priest, brothers and lay associates) founded in ...
(C.S.V.) came to Xavier Parish in Corozal in 1998. They organized teacher training workshops, especially for catechists. They assumed responsibility for and expanded the high school in Chunox, Corozal District, enlarging its departments in agriculture, science, computers, and home economics. After much consultation, they implemented a pastoral plan that would unify the parish with its many missions. In May 2012 Fr. Christopher Glancy, C.S.V., who had guided Xavier parish in Corozal through much of its renewal, was called to the episcopacy to assist Bishop
Dorick M. Wright Dorick McGowan Wright (November 15, 1945 – April 15, 2020) was a Belizean prelate. From 2006 to 2017, he has served as the fourth bishop of the Catholic Church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan. Pope Francis accepted his r ...
whose eyesight was failing. In 2014, after supplying 11 members for its work in Belize and realizing one Belizean member's ordination, they could no longer supply men and withdrew from Belize.


Columbans and Claretians

Coming in 1986, 15 Columbans served at St. Ignatius, St. Vianney, and Ladyville around Belize City as well as in Dangriga, leaving in 1999. Four Claretians also served in Dangriga, between 2002 and 2014.


Apostolic works


Independence movement

Edward J. O’Donnell, S.J., before becoming president of Marquette University, led discussion classes at St. John's College night school from 1945 to 1948, based on
Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
’s social encyclical '' Quadragesimo anno'' (1931).Smith, G.P. (2011). ''George Price: A Life Revealed-authorized biography''. Kingston, Miami: Ian Randle, p. 191. Class members included future political and People's United Party leaders George Cadle Price, Philip Goldson, Herman Jex, John Albert Smith,
Leigh Richardson Leigh Richardson (26 April 1924 – 27 October 2008) was a Honduran-born Belizean politician. Richardson served as the leader of the People's United Party in the 1950s, and also as mayor of Belize City. Early life Richardson was born to Belizea ...
, and Nick Pollard Sr. Price, popularly known as the " Father of the Nation," led Belize through its independence movement, holding the top office in the country for a cumulative 27 years. Price’s authorized biographer observes that Price had great respect for the Jesuits, and his policies based on social justice are easily traced to ''Quadragesimo anno''. The editor of ''Amandala'' newspaper,
Evan X Hyde Evan Anthony Hyde (better known as Evan X Hyde; born 30 April 1947) is a Belizean writer, journalist, media executive and former politician. He publishes and writes for the nation's largest newspaper, ''Amandala'', and oversees its subsidiaries, ...
, stated that “the Catholic Church in British Honduras … achieved political power when George Price became PUP leader.” He is pictured here with Peace Corps volunteers.


Credit unions and cooperatives

Marion M. Ganey Fr. Marion M. Ganey, S.J., (1904–1984) was a Catholic priest, member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), and missionary to British Honduras, Central America, from 1937 to 1953, where he was instigator of the credit union and cooperatives movement ...
, S.J., was largely responsible for introducing cooperatives and credit unions to Belize beginning in
1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 – ...
, in response to Pius XI’s social encyclical ''Quadragesimo anno''. Within 10 years of the first credit union, the colony had 22 credit unions and the “various cooperatives embraced consumer, marketing, housing, hog, chicle, and farmers co-operatives.” The religious sisters did their part, the Pallottines in Punta Gorda in the 1940s teaching girls the canning of produce. In 1951 Jesuit Fr. William Ulrich gave the Maya of San Antonio village a scale for weighing their hogs, protecting them from sharkers who grossly underestimated the weight. From increased revenue the villagers bought a truck to carry their hogs and other produce to market, and a hog cooperative was formed. Ulrich's action also impacted village politics. By encouraging “the election of younger and more progressive men to the Alcalde’s Council which had been set up by Fr. Knopp” this “irretrievably altered the traditional relationship between the old and the young.” The credit union movement included Jesuit Henry Sutti, the first priest to come out of Boys Town, Nebraska, and in 1943 founder of the Holy Redeemer Credit Union, which in 2009 was capitalized at Bz$322.7 million with 42,262 members. Since 1956, the Director of the Credit union has been Jane Ellen Usher.


Schools

From the 1850s laws were enacted in British Honduras so that by the end of the century the church-state system of education was well established, with payment by results, for the benefit of every denomination of Christians. But the problem of finding qualified teachers persisted. From the late 1940s prospective teachers among Catholic young men were hosted in a teachers’ hostel on New Road in Belize City, to return to their villages as teachers. This lasted until the building was destroyed by hurricane Hattie in 1961. By then several future government ministers and Fr. Calistus Cayetano had received their education through this program. In 1957 Fr. John Stochl introduced a high school equivalency program for adults in the downtown Extension Division of SJC. The first government secondary school, Technical High School, did not open until 1952. In 1954 the Diocese established St. John's Teacher Training College at Holy Redeemer. In 1965, it was amalgamated with the government's St. George's Teachers’ College to become Belize Teachers’ College. At that time total enrollment at five church-run schools in Belize City was 815 students; of these, 589 were in primary school and 226 were in secondary school. In 1961 two more Catholic secondary schools were opened: St. Francis Xavier in Corozal and St. Peter Claver in Punta Gorda. In 1953 an agricultural branch of St. John's College, called Lynam College, was opened in Stann Creek on land lent by the government. The college operated until 1971 when lack of funding and criticism that it was not fulfilling its function as an agricultural school caused its closing.Interview 2002: Charles Woods Sr. with Fr. Leo Weber, SJ, mission superior in 1971. After the hjurricane of 1931, St.John's College returned to the cathedral grounds until 1952 when it moved to a spacious campus northwest of town. It now has 20 buildings to accommodate its secondary and junior college divisions. St. John's Junior College grew out of the Sixth Form (1952) that was connected to the high school (1887). In 1966 it began offering associate degrees in affiliation with the American Association of Community Colleges. Two more Catholic junior colleges were founded in the 1990s.
Muffles Junior College Muffles Junior College is a Catholic junior university college, located in Orange Walk District, Belize. Established in 1954 by the Society of Jesus, the college has been administered by the Sisters of Mercy since 1967. History In 1954 Jesuit Fr. ...
near Orange Walk Town was opened in 1992. It grew out of Muffles High School that originated in 1953. And
Sacred Heart Junior College Sacred Heart Junior College was established in 1999 to offer tertiary-level education opportunities in the Cayo District, Belize. When it was first established, it offered Network Administration, International Business, Biology, Environmental Sci ...
in San Ignacio Town was opened in 1999. It grew out of Sacred Heart High School which was the first secondary school in
Cayo District Cayo District is a district located in the west part of Belize. It is the most extensive, second-most populous and third-most densely populated of the six districts of Belize. The district's capital is the town of San Ignacio. Geography Being ...
when it opened in 1960. Seminarians from nearby St. Benedict's attend Sacred Heart Junior College. By 2015 the Catholic church had 148 elementary schools, attached to all of its 18 parishes and to most all of its mission stations, along with 11 high schools and 3 junior colleges. Not until 1986 did the government found a university independent of church control. There have been efforts to detach education from the British
A-level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...
system and associate it more closely to the American system of accreditation, but the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary business people resisted. Sir Alan Burns, Governor of British Honduras (1934-1939), used Benque Viejo as an example of one challenge that teaching in Belizean schools presents: “I have heard German nuns trying to teach Maya children out of an English textbook which they had to explain in Spanish.” The solution, in higher education at least, has been to require English in the classroom. The Garifuna have enculturated the Catholic Mass and have it in their own language. As regards the Kriol language which most speak in Belize City there has been more controversy. Several Christian churches have introduced Kriol into their services and a Kriol New Testament has been produced. But the Catholic Mass, requiring approval from Roman authorities, has not been translated into Kriol. On the other hand, Catholics are deeply involved in the Kriol Council, and St. John's College through its Belize Institute for Social Research and Action (BISRA) publishes ''Belizean Studies'' which carries articles on the role of Kriol and other cultures in Belizean Society."The Future of Belizean Creole," ''Belizean Studies: A Journal of Social Research and Thought'', 1974, Vol. 2, No. 3. In 1970 Ms. Signa Yorke was the first layperson appointed dean of sixth form at the Jesuit-run St. John's College. Then the by-laws of the college were rewritten so that the Jesuit superior for Belize was no longer automatically president of the college and lay members were added to the board of trustees. Mr. Stuart Simmons was appointed the first lay principal of the high school division. In 1994 the by-laws were again changed so that a lay person could be president of the college, and in 1999 Mr.
Carlos Perdomo Carlos Perdomo is a Belizean politician. He is the former Minister of National Security in Belize. In that capacity he was the cabinet secretary and thus deputized for the Governor-General Sir Colville Young. Perdomo was elected to the Belize Ho ...
became the first lay president. The chairperson of the board had already for many years been a layperson. Over 25 years the transition to lay leadership was effected, while efforts were made to assure the continuing presence of the Jesuit charism in the college. At St. Catherine Academy Mrs. Alice Castillo became the first lay principal in 1997. Prominent graduates. Zee Edgell attended St. Catherine Academy and is author of the award-winning novel ''
Beka Lamb ''Beka Lamb'' is the debut novel from Belizean writer Zee Edgell, published in 1982 as part of the Heinemann Caribbean Writers Series. It won the Fawcett Society Book Prize in 1982 and was one of the first novels from Belize to gain internation ...
''. Those attending some division of St. John's College and prominent in government service include
Emil Arguelles Emil Arguelles (born July 4, 1972) is a Belizean attorney by trade. He was the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Belize from March 2008 to February 2012. He has also been a Member of the Executive Board of the Bar Association of Belize, ...
, Johnny Briceño,
Jorge Espat Jorge Luis Espat (born September 10, 1959) is a Belizean academic and politician. Espat is a former member People's United Party area representative in the Belize House of Representatives. He served on the faculty of St. John's College in Belize ...
,
Manuel Esquivel Sir Manuel Amadeo Esquivel (2 May 1940 – 10 February 2022) was a Belizean politician. As leader of the United Democratic Party, he served as Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989, and then again from 1993 to 1998. His party's victory in 1984 was ...
, Francis Fonseca,
Ralph Fonseca Ralph Henry Fonseca (born 9 August 1949) is a Belizean politician and a member of the People's United Party. Political history In 1984, he became a candidate for the House of Representatives in Queen's Square, running against attorney and ci ...
, Caritas Lawrence,
Zenaida Moya Zenaida Victoria Moya is a former mayor of Belize City, Belize, first elected in elections held in March 2006. She is a former member of the United Democratic Party (UDP). Moya was Belize City's first female mayor. Childhood and education Moya ...
, Said Musa, George Cadle Price. Prominent graduates of other Catholic schools include
Dolores Balderamos-García Dolores Balderamos-García (born 1957) is a Belizean lawyer, politician, activist, broadcaster and author. As a member of the People's United Party, she served as Belize's Minister of Human Development, Women and Civil Society, where her emphasis ...
,
Antonio Soberanis Gómez Antonio Soberanis Gómez ( – ) was an activist in the Belizean labour movement. He found the Labour and Unemployed Association in 1934 to demand poverty relief work and a minimum wage. He was jailed for sedition in 1935. Personal life Anto ...
, Gaspar Vega.


''Jesuit Missions'' gallery


See also

*
Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
* Holy Redeemer parish, Belize City * St. Martin de Porres parish, Belize City * St. Peter Claver parish, Punta Gorda * Sacred Heart parish, Dangriga


References


Resources

* Roman Catholicism in Belize
Jesuit Archives Central & Southern United States, Belize Mission Collection
*Woods, Charles M. Sr., et al. ''Years of Grace: The History of Roman Catholic Evangelization in Belize: 1524-2014.'' (Belize: Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan, 2015). {{History of the Roman Catholic Church, state=collapsed History of Central America Belize Catholic Church in Belize