7 News Belize

Restoration For A History-soaked Cathedral
posted (August 28, 2018)
St. John's Cathedral is one of the major landmarks and main tourist attractions in Belize City - but the old church - which goes back to the 1800's is looking its age.

That's why it's now part of a restoration project. Now, it's not a repair project, it's far more involved than that. We found out more when we went to mass this morning at 9:00:...

Jules Vasquez reporting
St. John's Cathedral is historic - we all know that, but at over two centuries, its age is showing in crumbling masonry work and broken windows.

PHILLIP WRIGHT, BISHOP - ANGLICAN CHURCH
"For a building whose cornerstone was laid in 1812, this building has really stood strong and tall for 200 plus years. In the past we've done repairs, but this time around we have embarked on can best be called as a restoration effort. We are trying our best to recapture, if you will, some of the original splendor and beauty and an already beautiful building."

That means careful work on the mortar joints to reseat these 200 year old bricks that - history tells us - came across as ballast in slave ships.

PHILLIP WRIGHT, BISHOP - ANGLICAN CHURCH
"We've done some work on the roof. It needed a little bit of repairs. They are working on the windows now and they will be working on the brick work. The brick has suffered tremendously over the years and it's a meticulous job, because restoration is not just repairs. You are really trying to recapture an original look. And after that we will move to some of the woodwork and some of the interior stuff that also need to be restored, some of the glass windows has to be restored as well. This is a major undertaking. It will probably end up costing over a million dollars, to restore a building of this nature."

But while it is being repaired, the church is not frozen in time - this morning we saw the Bishop celebrating a service:

PHILLIP WRIGHT, BISHOP - ANGLICAN CHURCH
"This is a living church that in the midst that goes on around it, at this time construction, but its a living church that continues to meet and worship and give God thanks for his wonderful goodness."

Paul Garcia, People's Warden - ST. JOHN'S CATHEDRAL
"I feel pleased and happy to be a part of it. It is our church and we certainly appreciate all the help that we can get."

And that's where the Downtown Rejuvenation Project comes in - the Taiwanese have chipped in one hundred thousand US dollars, and there are private sponsors as well.

The "Saint John's Cathedral 2018 Restoration Initiative" is being partly funded by the Taiwan-Belize "Downtown Rejuvenation Project".

According to the Bishop, at Sunday, there will be the special presence from the Miskito Indians of Nicaragua. Back in the 1800's, three Miskito Indian Kings were crowned at St. John's Cathedral in Belize City.

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