Bridging Communities

Welcome to the Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan, where it is possible to have a team of priests, sisters, and laity from different religious communities and five different countries work together to accomplish a mission. In May and June of 2025, one priest, two missionaries, an aspirant to religious life, five students, three sisters, and one dog assembled to make a diverse but unified team in Stann Creek for a week-long mission trip. A group from John Paul the Great College and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Benque Viejo traveled to Cowpen village in Stann Creek, home to Las Hijas de Caridad and Cinco, their dog. The sisters there invited John Paul the Great College’s (JPG) annual mission trip to their village for a week of manual labor, visiting the sick, and bringing God’s Word to the school children and the youth. When the missionary group from Benque arrived, they were generously received by the people of San Juan and Cowpen who invited them into their homes and fed them from their own family tables. What may have at first glance seemed to be a ridiculous venture doomed to fail by the language barrier, diversity of vocations, and difference of culture became a beautiful witness to the oneness of Christ and His Church.

A group of students from JPG thrust themselves into the mission by digging the latrine for Cowpen’s new chapel. The sisters and the town's laity supported the hot and sweaty team of missionaries with mangos and uplifted their spirits with jokes and stories from their life experiences. Beirin Rivera, a first-year student studying the Liberal Arts with a concentration in English at JPG, exerted tremendous effort to make sure the hole was ready by the end of the week. The students took turns using a post-hole digger, bucket, and rope, to dig a hole suitable to the town’s needs. 

In addition to manual labor, the students lead spiritual formations and a Bible camp with the youth of the two towns. The students learned new prayers, performed a skit of Adam and Eve’s creation and fall, and participated in activities that taught them about Jesus Christ being the solution to all life’s messy “human knots.” They drew pictures of themselves with God and ran in relay races to demonstrate the spiritual race, where the winners get to be with God in heaven. Christian “Bobby” Novelo, JPG class of 2025 with a concentration in Theology and Catechetics, brought the gift of his education into service as he taught from his experiences in Youth Ministry Methods from his teacher Ms. Abigail Rose. He employed his knowledge of the human person, gender differences, and sound philosophy to teach rich lessons to the primary school students of both Cowpen and San Juan. 

Not only did the JPG students work for the schoolchildren, but they also facilitated small group discussions with the young adults and the parents of San Juan and Cowpen. A half-dozen of the town’s young adults gathered over the weekend to discuss topics of creation, sin, redemption, and transformation in Christ. At a time where many young people are seeking pleasure away from God or are isolated from reality by their overconsumption of technology, these young adults used their time to have face-to-face interactions with complete strangers and have meaningful dialogue about deep theological concepts. JPG students were well equipped for these conversations, as the college is committed to the education of a whole human person through open dialogue. They proved their expertise in this manner of educating and learning by coordinating a discussion among adults on two topics: technology’s effect on the human brain and the significance of sacramental marriage. The faith of the people of San Juan and Cowpen along with the JPG educational background came together and ignited authentic conversations centered on truth, beauty, and goodness. 

In an extended act of generosity, Fr. Mike Crump, SOLT, out of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish, brought sacramental graces by offering daily mass and anointings for the sick and homebound. The sacraments were a visible reminder of God’s presence with those who might be forgotten or left behind. One man gave the brightest of smiles and the most joyful of expressions as he received an anointing from head to foot. Many more received the Eucharist, confession, or anointings all over Cowpen and San Juan. Fr. Mike then drove through the night to get back to Benque Viejo for the Sunday masses around Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and her villages. Although Fr. Mike drove through the night from Benque to San Juan and back, it was the Lord Jesus Himself who came down from heaven and back  to bestow graces welling up to eternal life to his faithful followers. 

This mission brought together individuals from Benque Viejo, Cowpen, San Ignacio, San Juan, and from Mexico, the United States, Guatemala, and Colombia. It is a marvel of God that here in the Diocese of Belize City - Belmopan one can find a group as diverse as this and willing to set aside all possible barriers to work for Christ and the people of Belize. As Christ builds the bridge between heaven and earth, so must we build a bridge between the communities across Belize.  Vilma Santos, a JPG first-year student recalled, “Going on this mission trip opened my eyes to make small acts of love. It reminded me that even when we feel far from home, kindness can make us feel like we belong anywhere.” When we do, we find the beauty found in one another and the joy of serving alongside one another. John Paul the Great College wishes tremendous thanks to the people of San Juan and Cowpen, and to Sor Leticia, Sor Rosa, and Sor Gloria for their witness to selfless love.