History of the Catholic Church in Belize

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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

Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan
.

Missionary ventures: 1524 to 1851

Main article: Spanish conquest of the Maya § Final years of conquest

1524 to 1707 - Friars accompanied the earliest Spanish expeditions into Central America, in accordance with the

Lake Petén Itza.[4] Sixty miles to the north of Tipu lies Lamanai (Indian Church) with the remaining stone walls of a missionary church and the ruins of a second church.[5]: 41  Maya rebellions were frequent since the system of reducciones—gathering the scattered Maya into Spanish-controlled villages—meant paying taxes and loss of freedom.[6] 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.[2]
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.

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

sisters.[11]

Jesuit H. Gillett & Icaiche c.1890

The third and largest migration to Belize followed 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 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.[12]

Jesuit mission: 1851 to 1983

Holy Redeemer parish complex

In 1837 the Catholic

Belize Town for what is today Holy Redeemer parish.[14] 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 building was completed. Other parishes followed along the coastline: Corozal (1859), with a large population of mestizo 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).[5]
: 79 

In 1888 British Honduras became a

bishop. The presence of three American bishops for his consecration evidenced the growing importance of the United States to the mission.[15] In 1894 the Jesuits transferred responsibility for British Honduras from the English Province to the Missouri Province of the central United States.[14] Bishop di Pietro died in 1898 and was succeeded by Bishop Frederick C. Hopkins
, S.J., the last of the English Jesuits in Belize.

St. John's College at Loyola Park, 1917

Permanent parishes among the Maya in west central Belize were begun in

Diocese of Belize when it was raised from vicariate status in 1956. In 1957 he resigned and Bishop Robert Louis Hodapp, 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

Benedictines near Santa Elena. Four young men constituted its first class.[19] Bishop Lawrence Sydney Nicasio took office on May 13, 2017.[20] Bishop Emeritus Dorick McGowan Wright died on April 15, 2020.[21]

Religious congregations

Jesuits

Jesuits working in Belize c.2008

The

credit unions 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.[14]

Sisters of Mercy

In 1883 the

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 for her life's work.[5]
: 165, 169 

Holy Family Sisters

The

African-American congregation from New Orleans, arrived in 1898 to manage the small parochial school in Dangriga.[11]
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

Pallottine Sisters
Pallotti High School

Arriving in 1913, the Pallottines (S.A.C.) established convents in Benque Viejo and Corozal, and later throughout Belize.[16] 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.[32]

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.[33] 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 (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.[5]: 264ff 

The Benedictines

In 1971, the

Benedictine monks (O.S.B.) from Subiaco Abbey (Arkansas) 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.[19]

The Viatorians

The Viatorians (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.[34] 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 whose eyesight was failing.[35] 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

Price and Peace Corps volunteer

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.[37] The editor of Amandala newspaper, Evan X Hyde, stated that “the Catholic Church in British Honduras … achieved political power when George Price became PUP leader.”[37]
He is pictured here with Peace Corps volunteers.

Credit unions and cooperatives

Fr. Ulrich's scale

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.”[39] 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.[40] Since 1956, the Director of the Credit union has been Jane Ellen Usher.[41]

Schools

Main article: Education in Belize § History

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.[42] 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.[5]: 148  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.[43] 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.

San Ignacio Town was opened in 1999. It grew out of Sacred Heart High School which was the first secondary school in Cayo District when it opened in 1960. Seminarians from nearby St. Benedict's attend Sacred Heart Junior College.[19] 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.[46] 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 system and associate it more closely to the American system of accreditation, but the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary business people resisted.[44]

Pallottine Communion class in Benque

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.”[47] 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.[5]: 321  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.[48] 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.[49]

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 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.[5]: 335 

Prominent graduates.

Caritas Lawrence, Zenaida Moya, Said Musa, George Cadle Price. Prominent graduates of other Catholic schools include Dolores Balderamos-García, Antonio Soberanis Gómez, Gaspar Vega
.

Jesuit Missions gallery

  • Original St. Ignatius church, Belize City, 1933
    Original St. Ignatius church, Belize City, 1933
  • St. John's College by Holy Redeemer church, 1944
    St. John's College by Holy Redeemer church, 1944
  • Stann Creek, 1945
    Stann Creek, 1945

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Waddell, D.A.G. British Honduras: A historical and contemporary survey (London: Oxford University Press, 1961).
  2. ^ a b 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.
  3. ^ Dobson, N. A History of Belize (London: Longman Group, 1973), p. 46.
  4. ^ Jones, G.D., Kautz, R.R., and Graham, E. (January 1986). "Tipu: A Maya Town on the Spanish Colonial Frontier" (PDF). Archeology. 39 (1): 40–47. Retrieved May 8, 2015.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h 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).
  6. ^ Thompson, J.E.S. The Rise and Fall of Maya Civilization, 2nd ed. (Norman,Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1966).
  7. ^ “Armstrong to WMMS” (November 19, 1830) in Johnson, W.R. A history of Christianity in Belize: 1776-1838. (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1985).
  8. ^ The Angelus. (September 1894). Retrieved at Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize archives.
  9. ^ Johnson, W.R. A history of Christianity in Belize: 1776-1838. (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1985), p. 185.
  10. ^ Shoman, A. 13 chapters of a history of Belize (4th ed.). (Belize: The Angelus Press, 1994), p. 78.
  11. ^ a b 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.
  12. ^ "Letters and Notices," English Province of Jesuits, Volume 7, letter from Fr. Bavastro in 1866, retrieved at "Jesuit Archives Central United States, St. Louis, MO". Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  13. ^ "Archdiocese of Kingston in Jamaica". Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Jesuit Archives, Belize Collection
  15. ^ "Bishop di Pietro". Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  16. ^ a b "Pallottine Sisters in Belize". Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  17. ^ "2000 census" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 25, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  18. ^ "2010 census". Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  19. ^ a b c "Diocesan seminary". Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  20. ^ "Bishop Elect, Father Lawrence Sydney Nicasio, ordained | Amandala Newspaper". amandala.com.bz. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  21. ^ Admin, C. N. (2020-04-16). "Bishop Emeritus Dorick McGowan Wright of Belize passes away". The Catholic News. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  22. ^ "Belize" (PDF). p. 8. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  23. ^ "Punta Gorda (Toledo) missions". Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  24. ^ "British Honduras."(1898) The Angelus (Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan Archives:Belize Vicariate), p. 379.
  25. ^ "The Angelus Press". Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  26. ^ "SJC campus". Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  27. ^ "Belize Mercies History". Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  28. ^ "History of St. Catherine Academy". Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  29. ^ "Our Lady of Guadalupe Mercy Center". Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  30. ^ a b "Muffles Junior College". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  31. ^ "Belmopan Comprehensive School". Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  32. ^ "Pallottine commemorative stamp". 10 October 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  33. ^ "Vatican II Decree on the Laity". Archived from the original on June 25, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  34. ^ "Corozal missions". Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  35. ^ Rodriguez, P., "We ordain a new Bishop," The Christian Herald, May 2012, pp. 2,4.
  36. ^ O’Donnell, E. (1986). Pamphlet on the occasion of his death, para. 4, accessed at Jesuit Archives Central United States.
  37. ^ a b c Smith, G.P. (2011). George Price: A Life Revealed-authorized biography. Kingston, Miami: Ian Randle, p. 191.
  38. ^ "I’ll take the high road". (April 1956). Jesuit Missions, pp. 6-7. "Jesuit Archives Central United States, St. Louis, MO". Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  39. ^ Gregory, J.R. "Cooperatives: 'Failures' Versus 'Success.'" Belizean Studies, 1984, 12(5), pp. 1-15.
  40. ^ "Holy Redeemer Credit Union". Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  41. ^ Ciego, Albert J. (30 August 2013). "Galen University honors Mrs. Jane Usher of HRCU". Belize City, Belize: Amandala. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  42. ^ Bennett, J.A. A history of education in Belize. The Angelus Press, 2008, p. 21.
  43. ^ Young, C.N. Language and education in Belize, 3rd. ed., 2002. Belize: The Angelus Press, p. 41.
  44. ^ a b Interview 2002: Charles Woods Sr. with Fr. Leo Weber, SJ, mission superior in 1971.
  45. ^ "History of St. John's College". Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  46. ^ "Catholic Education Institutions in Belize". Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  47. ^ Ruiz, David N., “On visit of Mother Holisz & Provincials of the Pallottine Order,” March 6, 1999, pp. 3-10. Retrieved at Roman Catholic Diocesan Archives.
  48. ^ Lisn to Gaad. (in Belizean Creole) Books and Brochures on Bible Study. Jehovah’s Witness. 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  49. ^ "The Future of Belizean Creole," Belizean Studies: A Journal of Social Research and Thought, 1974, Vol. 2, No. 3.

Resources

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