Bishop Emeritus Dorick McGowan Wright of Belize passes away

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City and Belmopan has announced with “profound sadness” the passing of Bishop Emeritus Dorick McGowan Wright who died Wednesday morning April 15 at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, Belize. The 74-year-old had a long history of medical complications, including vision problems according to 7newsbelize.com.

A release from the Roman Catholic Chancery Office of the Diocese said that funeral arrangements will be announced later.

Bishop Wright was an Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese from January 21, 2007 to January 26, 2017. He spent his life serving the Catholic Church and was a priest for almost 45 years. He was elevated to Bishop in which he served for 18 years.

Bishop Wright founded St Benedict Diocesan Seminary, a minor seminary offering two years of college training to those studying for the priesthood. It opened on August 27, 2013, on the grounds of the former Santa Familia Benedictine Monastery outside Santa Elena, Belize.

Wright’s childhood friend Fr Noel Leslie told 7newsbelize.com that Bishop Wright was known for his compassion, his offhanded humour, his staunch defence of his faith, and outspoken opposition of some aspects of the government’s 2013 promotion of same-sex-orientation rights.

The Governor-General of Belize, His Excellency Sir Colville Young expressed deep sorrow at the passing of Bishop Wright. Sir Colville praised the Bishop as an outstanding religious leader and great musician, whose “friendship and encouragement of Belizean styles and idioms in music was an inspiration while he sang in the Belize Choral Society for years.”