Historic Sacred Heart Church to be rebuilt
An artist's impression of the new Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church.
A turning- of- sod ceremony on Friday Feb 18, 2011 marked the beginning of a massive reconstruction of the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church to the tune of G$85M (US$420,000). Parishioners, well- wishers and religious leaders of the Catholic Church in Guyana gathered at the site where the former 143-year-old church once stood.
The Church of the Sacred Heart, popularly once referred to as the ‘Gem of Main Street’, had its origins in 1861 when a chapel designed by Fr Schembri was opened on Christmas Day on the Main Street site. The church originally catered to the Portuguese and Masses were all said in that language.
At the ceremony, Sr. Mary Noel Menezes, one of Guyana’s celebrated historians gave a brief summary of the history of Sacred Heart Church.The design and plans for reconstruction of the church have been agreed by the Sacred Heart Rebuilding Committee, headed by Ramsey Ali and Roman Catholic Bishop of Georgetown, Francis Alleyne, OSB. The committee has already raised G$24M and is optimistic that the project will continue to be funded once it is seen that work has started.
Ali told the gathering that three buildings would be constructed at the site and that the pace of the works would be dependent on how quickly the rest of the money would be raised. There will be the main church building and there will be a facility for priests and a parish hall.
Read Complete report: Sod turned for rebuilding of historic Sacred Heart Church in Guyana <click
