Catholic diocese dedicates new centre

The northwest corner of Queen and North Front Streets is as historic a location as you can find in Belize City. A few Belizeans may remember the original brick building at the site as belonging to the Cuthbert brothers from 1875, but most know it as the Vogue which opened in 1937. In the last decade or so it has housed Marelco and beginning in 1995 the Catholic Church has rented the ground floor to other tenants, while the rest of the massive structure slowly reached skyward. Today Bishop O.P. Martin presided over the official blessing of the new three-storey building, named the Monsignor Facundo Castillo Diocesan Centre. The top two floors of the three point seven million dollar structure will bring together all the administrative offices of the Catholic diocese as well as the bishop’s residence, while the ground floor will be rented out to commercial tenants. In his brief address Bishop Martin made it clear that while downtown Belize City remains the nation’s business hub, the new centre will remain an island of spirituality.

O.P. Martin, Catholic Bishop of Belize

“Although we are within a highly secular environment, our operation will be on pastoral level. Although we are in a profit making environment, our works will continue to be non-profit making. Although we have made huge loans, our ministry and service will continue to depend on the freewill and charitable offerings of our people here in Belize and from abroad.”

One third of the building’s cost came from a single donor, while the rest was borrowed from the Holy Redeemer Credit Union. Architects were Julius and Anna Espat of Strukture.