New Jesuit-run college opened

BELIZE

A new university and science building was officially opened at the St John’s College Landivar Campus on October 6, 2023.

The event started with the National Anthem led by the St John’s College (SJC) Musical School followed by opening prayers by Fr Brian Christopher SJ, Jesuit Superior of Belize.

Diocesan monthly The Christian Herald reported that Fr W McCormick, Jesuit priest and Chief Missions Officer said in his address that SJC was committed to the Laudato Si’ University Pathways programme, an initiative sponsored by Pope Francis and administered by the Jesuits.

“The message of Laudato Si’ is that it will equip the university for the ecological challenges of our time through a seven-year process managed by the Jesuit community. Breaking ground for the new building was on February 27, 2020 and construction started on May 3, 2021,” the article said.

It mentioned the initial design called for two floors, but with permission granted to expand SJC to a university, Mirtha Peralta, President, proposed and the Board of Trustees approved a third floor. Despite two major challenges of the Covid -19 pandemic and Hurricane Lisa, the project was still completed within the contracted time.

In his presentation, Dilip Budhrani, Chair of the SJC Infrastructure Committee said, “This building will allow us to accommodate a greater enrolment and is more than adequately suited to receive the 21st century STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics], nursing and university students.”

The new facility includes two chemistry labs, two biology labs, two engineering labs, three preparatory lab rooms, two faculty rooms, one nursing lab, two nursing halls, four university classrooms, one university conference hall, one lecture hall, a university administration office, accessible roof facility and a big parking lot. Budhrani continued, “St John’s College is committed to providing the best education possible for our students in this state-of-the-art facility.” He concluded, “the completion of a project of this magnitude for the advance of St John’s College would not be possible without the hard work of all those who were involved in this endeavour.”

A plaque naming the building the Mirtha Alicia Peralta Hall was unveiled honouring the President of SJC for her lifetime commitment to the institution. Martha Guerra, Chairperson, Board of Trustees gave a brief biography of Peralta, describing her as the first woman president in the college’s history. She said, “For these and many other achievements that are too numerous to mention today, the Board of Trustees has decided to recognise the visionary, dedicated and exemplary leadership displayed by Mrs Mirtha Alicia Peralta, as president of SJC by bestowing on her the privilege of having this building named the Mirtha Alicia Peralta Hall.”

In his keynote address, Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, and alumni of SJC, extended deep gratitude as a Ministry and nation to the Jesuit community for their long-standing service and their unwavering commitment to education and the national development of Belize.

Having the legal mandate through the Education and Training Act gives the Ministry of Education the legal mandate to approve and grant licenses to operate institutions in Belize.

He congratulated all who contributed to the new building and offered the full support of his Ministry and the government of Belize. Fr Christopher, Guerra and Peralta cut the ribbon to open the building.