Roman Catholic Diocese of Georgetown

Location :

Guyana, until independence, was known as British Guiana. It is a huge country of 83,000 square miles and a population of 756,000 people. It became independent on May 26, 1966 and a Republic on February 23, 1970. It is situated in North East. South America. 50% of its people are East. Indian, 30% are of African origin, 14% are Mixed, 5% are Amerindian and others are 1%.
Roman Catholics are 11%, Anglicans 14%, Presbyterians 5%, Methodists 3%, other Christians 9%, Hindus 37% and Muslims 9%. The balance, those who have not declared their religious affiliation, are 12%.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN GUYANA


Although the earliest beginnings of the Catholic Mission in Guyana go back to the year 1771, it was not until 1825 when the first couple of priests arrived, which included Fr. William Clancy, at this time the then Governor of the colony, Sir Benjamin D’Urban, granted a piece of land on Brickdam in the City of Georgetown for a church of which the foundation stone was laid on the 12th of November1825. In 1837 Fr. Clancy was appointed the first Bishop of the Vicariate, he resigned in 1843 and was succeeded by Bishop Thomas Hynes O.P. (Barbados was added to his jurisdiction in 1850).

In 1856 the Jesuits arrived and took charge of the Vicariate. Later,religious sisters arrived from the Ursuline Order as well as the Mercy Order, these sisters were asked to take charge and run many of the catholic schools in the country. In the mid 1950’s the Carmelite Sisters and the Scarboro Fathers arrived in the country.

On the 22nd. Of July 1956 the Vicariate was elevated by Pope Pius XII to
the status of a Diocese and so became the Diocese of Georgetown, Bishop R.L. Guilly S.J. was appointed the first Bishop of Georgetown.

At present the Diocese is served by the priests from the diocese of Georgetown,the Society of Jesus (SJ, Guyana Region, British Jesuit Province),the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVF), The Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP) and The Crusade of the Holy Spirit. The female religious are from the Sisters of Mercy, the Ursulines, the Carmelites, Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara and the Sisters of Charity.

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