Renovations of historic church to begin, completion planned for centenary

GUYANA

In preparation for the centenary celebrations in 2025, there are plans to renovate the 99-year-old Our Lady of Peace RC Church, including repairing the roof and bat-proofing the building. Fundraising to finance the repairs is currently being done, the latest of which was a raffle drawn November 3, after the 11 a.m. Mass.

According to the Catholic Standard, Our Lady of Peace RC “is one of the Diocese’s gems, with rich and symbolic historical significance at both the religious and secular levels.”

It was built in 1925 by Fr John James Purcell, a diocesan priest who hailed from Jamaica and arrived in British Guiana in 1890. It is one of the earliest reinforced concrete structures to be constructed in the country.

The diocesan weekly reported that after brief spells in Morawhanna and Henrietta, Guyana, Fr Purcell was appointed the first resident priest at St Anthony’s, Buxton. While at Buxton, he paid monthly visits to Bartica, in which there was a church since 1901.

In 1904, Fr Purcell was appointed to Victoria, where he built a new school with all the necessary amenities. In 1921, he rebuilt the entire Victoria church, except for the tower. By 1925, he completed the church of Our Lady of Peace in Mahaicony.

The church was fully consecrated by Bishop Compton Theodore Galton SJ on August 1, 1927, and “it remains one of the few fully consecrated churches today.” Fr Purcell continued his service to the communities of the Sacred Heart Chapel in the Mahaica hospital compound, which he built in 1927. He also served at St Paul-Mahaica, Enmore, Anns Grove, and Mahaicony.

Additionally, he was the second editor of the Catholic Standard, serving from 1908 to 1939. He died March 4, 1939, and was buried at the eastern end of Our Lady of Peace church. In honour of his long and dedicated service to the community, the street located to the east of the church was named Purcell Street. Fr Gregory Gimeyi was the last resident priest at Mahaica, serving from June 2002 to August 2014. The church was closed for almost seven years after his departure.

Catholic Standard reported that over the years, many of its members migrated, while others joined other churches within the community. On October 4, 2020, Roxanne Douglas was appointed as Parish Director for the Mahaica-Mahaicony Parish.

Along with the other three communities of the parish, she was tasked with repairing and reviving Our Lady of Peace church, which had fallen into a state of disrepair, the building being almost completely overgrown with trees.

Renovations to the church building and its environs began in February 2021. The grounds were cleared of overgrowth, damaged floorboards were replaced, the entire floor and all the pews were repainted, and the roof over the sanctuary was repaired.

On July 11, 2021, Our Lady of Peace reopened its doors, having been closed since 2014. Members of the faithful from Georgetown, the East Coast, West Bank and East Bank of Demerara attended the reopening Mass.

Despite the challenges faced in bringing back resident members from the Mahaicony community, the church continues to keep its doors open. Mass is celebrated once a month with members from the communities of Unity, Mahaica, and Dantzig. In addition to the monthly Masses, retreats have been held, and on March 10, 2024, the first Lenten Pilgrimage was held, attended by approximately 80 pilgrims.

“Although Our Lady of Peace church was renovated in 2021, and is in good structural condition, additional work needs to be done: currently, the roof is leaking in some areas, and there is an infestation of bats, which occasionally attract owls—a problem that seems to be worsening over the years. In addition, the church building as well as the statues are in dire need of repainting,” said the diocesan weekly.

Persons who would like to contribute to the restoration of this historic church may make donations at the Bishop’s Office, Brickdam, Georgetown. For additional information, contact Roxanne Douglas on (592) 642-8866 or r_ose_27@yahoo.com