Gone…
From the ashes it will arise
Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
December 28, 2004
THOSE attending Midnight Mass at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church on Christmas Eve could hardly have felt that it would be the last time they would be sitting in the surreal setting of the church.
They hardly would have had any reason to suspect that hours later, fire would in a flash, consume this majestic structure which stood as a landmark on Main Street, Georgetown. The same could be said of those who went to give praises in the church early Christmas morning.
The fire that reduced the Sacred Heart Church to ashes came like a thief in the night, robbing the country of one of its crown jewels.
The Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church was a national heritage building, which was featured in booklets, calendars and other paraphernalia about Guyana. The church had for more than 140 years been one of the earlier cathedrals built by the then mainly Portuguese immigrants who came here and who propagated Catholicism.
It was an imposing wooden structure with towers reaching into the skies and a clock that chimed every hour. Despite its imposing façade, built mainly of wood, inside the church was uniquely intimate with a wonderfully decorated altar, beautifully illuminated, giving it a very radiant touch whenever services were held.
The Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church was also the base of a number of activities within the parish. There are at least two hostels catering for the elderly as well as four hospitals, which required the active work of priests and lay people alike.
Also, within the parish was to be found the St Bernadette’s hostel that caters for girls from out of the city requiring accommodation. In addition, the church runs a number of sororities and charitable causes, including the St Vincent De Paul Society. At one time there was a library established within the church building which catered for poor children from the neighbourhood.
The Sacred Heart Church, therefore, before its untimely destruction to fire on Christmas morning was a hive of activity, as parishioners gave witness to their Lord’s command to love thy neighbour.
We at the Guyana Chronicle join in expressing our heartfelt sorrow to the entire Catholic community on the loss of this national treasure.
The Catholic community in Guyana has been known for its ability to overcome the most insurmountable obstacles and we are confident that the strong faith that has over the years sustained the local church will be a source of strength in the rebuilding efforts.
Adversity is not new to the Roman Catholic Church and thus we are confident that it will overcome this tragic loss.
In her book, “The Portuguese of Guyana”, Sr. Noel Menezes noted that the Sacred Heart Church was built to cater for the then large and prosperous Portuguese community in Guyana. In April of 1860, the land for the church was bought at a cost of $1,000, quite a princely sum at the time.
The church was expected to have cost around $1,200 but by completion this had soared to $18,000 and the completed structure was blessed at Midnight Mass in December 1861. The church was to become the centre of Portuguese celebrations.
Over its 140-odd years of existence, it had come to be admired for its architectural beauty, sitting proudly in the heart of the city. Many proud couples were married within that church, thousands of babies baptised at its font and so many more made their final journey in this life from that beautiful building. For many the Sacred Heart Church held deep personal memories.
The tragic fire, which destroyed the church and adjoining Scared Heart School on Christmas morning 2004, calls once again for attention to be paid to the protection of heritage sites in Guyana. All heritage sites should, because of their historical significance to the country’s history and culture, benefit from special attention to be paid to reducing the incidence of destruction. We cannot continue to wait until the proverbial “horse has bolted before we once again close the stable doors.”
Merely to maintain these heritage sites poses a huge burden on local resources. In the case of the Sacred Heart Church, it is to the tribute of the local diocese that it was able to maintain to a high standard this huge structure. In order to do so, funds had to be secured from generous friends and sister churches abroad. All the efforts, in keeping this church intact, however could not prevent it from being consumed by the raging fire, which began in a crib within the church.
The country is poorer as result of the loss of this architectural wonder; the Catholic Community is at a loss for the destruction of such an important historical church. But faith marches ahead.
This is the message of Christmas: whatever the devil wrecks, the Lord will rebuild in all its majesty and glory.