Catholic Church in Guyana

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The Catholic Church in Guyana is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Bishops in Guyana are members of Antilles Episcopal Conference. Like most other nations that form the AEC, the Apostolic delegate to the bishops' conference is also the Apostolic nuncio to the country, currently American archbishop Thomas Edward Gullickson.

Contents

According to the 2012 census, Guyana has 52,901 Catholics, (7.08% of the total population). [1] The country forms a single diocese, the Diocese of Georgetown, established in 1956.

Figures in 2020 suggested that 8% of the population were Catholic. [2]

Cultural impact

Various Catholic organisation have been involved in Guyana, including the Society of Jesus, Sisters of Mercy, and the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara. Santa Rosa Roman Catholic Church of Santa Rosa, Guyana of the Moruca sub-region was founded in 1818 for the Amerindians in the area. [3] Many schools were founded by Catholics, although most have since been nationalised, such as St. Rose's High School and St. Stanislaus College.

The Church of England and the Church of Scotland had sole legal rights in Guyana until 1899, when the Catholic Church among others was given equal status. Most Catholics are Portuguese Guyanese. Its first native bishop, Benedict Ganesh Singh was ordained in 1971. [4]

During the era of President Forbes Burnham, severe restriction on freedom of speech affected many organisations including the Catholic Standard. The murder of Bernard Darke which was meant for Andrew Morrison (both Jesuit priests), was a reaction to the paper's criticism of the government. [5]

In 2023, the country had 24 parishes, served by 42 priests and 57 nuns. [6]

Notable people

See also

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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Georgetown is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain. It was elevated to the Diocese of Georgetown on 29 February 1956. The diocese's cathedral, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, is located in Georgetown, Guyana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Guyana</span>

Religion in Guyana is dominated by various branches of Christianity, with significant minorities of the adherents of Hinduism and Islam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guyanese people</span> South American ethnic group

The people of Guyana, or Guyanese, come from a wide array of backgrounds and cultures including aboriginal natives, African and Indian origins, as well as a minority of Chinese and European descendant peoples. Demographics as of 2012 are Indo-Guyanese 39.8%, Afro-Guyanese 30.1%, mixed race 19.9%, Amerindian 10.5%, other 1.5%. As a result, Guyanese do not equate their nationality with race and ethnicity, but with citizenship. Although citizens make up the majority of Guyanese, there is a substantial number of Guyanese expatriates, dual citizens and descendants living worldwide, chiefly elsewhere in the Anglosphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockstone</span> Village in Upper Demerara-Berbice, Guyana

Rockstone is a village on the right bank of the Essequibo River in the Upper Demerara-Berbice Region of Guyana, altitude 6 metres. Rockstone is approximately 26 km west of Linden and is linked by road.

Andrew Morrison, SJ was a Guyanese Roman Catholic Jesuit priest, journalist, and pro-democracy activist.

Albion is a village in East Berbice-Corentyne, Guyana.

Cove and John is located on the Atlantic coast of Guyana, 18 miles east of Georgetown and bordered by Nabacalis to the west and Victoria to the east. It has a population of 494 people as of 2012. This village has the Guyana Sevashram.

Sophia is a ward of Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. It's a predominantly Afro-Guyanese community, and one of Georgetown's poorest neighborhoods.

Stephen Campbell was an Arawakan Guyanese politician and political activist, and the first Amerindian member of Parliament in Guyanese history.

St. Cuthbert's Mission is an Amerindian village on the Mahaica River in the Demerara-Mahaica region of Guyana. It comprises approximately 200 households. St. Cuthbert's is regarded by many people in Guyana as the "cultural capital" for Amerindians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigenous peoples in Guyana</span> Earliest inhabitants of Guyana

Indigenous peoples in Guyana, Native Guyanese or Amerindian Guyanese are Guyanese people who are of indigenous ancestry. They comprise approximately 9.16% of Guyana's population. Amerindians are credited with the invention of the canoe, as well as Cassava-based dishes and Guyanese pepperpot, the national dish of Guyana. Amerindian languages have also been incorporated in the lexicon of Guyanese Creole.

The Catholic Standard is the weekly newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Georgetown, and the only religious newspaper in Guyana. Founded in 1905 by the Society of Jesus, it was the only independent newspaper in Guyana during the turbulent period of strongman President Forbes Burnham's rule, and it played a large role in the Guyanese struggle for democracy.

Benedict Garnesh Singh was a Guyanese Roman Catholic bishop.

References

  1. ↑ "Compendium 2: Population Composition" (PDF). statisticsguyana.gov.gy. July 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-07-25. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  2. ↑ World Religion Database at the ARDA database, retrieved 2023-08-08
  3. 1 2 "Santa Rosa RC Church marks bicentennial". Stabroek News. 2018-04-04. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  4. ↑ "First Guyanese Catholic Bishop Benedict Singh passes away". Stabroek News. 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  5. ↑ "Guyana courts, CCJ likely to uphold progressive view of fair comment on public interest matter - Ramkarran". Stabroek News. 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  6. ↑ Catholics And Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08
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