History of the church at Santa Rosa
Mission, Moruca River –
Familiarly known as Santa Rosa – White
Chapel on a Hill
Patron saint
- Saint Rose of Lima - First Saint of the Americas
Saint Rose, born Isabel De Flores Y
Del Oliva in Lima, Peru on 20 April, 1586, and after a life of constant
struggle, died there 30 August, 1617. She was beatified by Clement IX, in 1667,
and canonized in 1671 by Clement X, becoming the first American saint.
Represented in numerous images wearing a crown of roses, her feast day is
celebrated 30 August.
The history of the Catholic mission to the
Amerindian of Guyana actually begins in Venezuela. Throughout the 18th century
Spanish Franciscans ministered to the indigenous people of territories around the
Orinoco. Their mission however came to an abrupt and tragic end when on 3 May
1817 Simon Bolivar’s forces put to death 26 priests and two lay brothers. The
Amerindians fled from the destroyed mission, some seeking refuge in the British
held territory around the Moruca River.
When the Arawak Amerindians of Moruca made
their appeal for a priest, Providence had provided John Hynes to respond. In a
letter written to a Dominican friend on 6th June 1830 Hynes expressed his
concern for all the indigenous people of Guiana, saying, “Since my arrival in
the Colony I deeply lamented the condition of our much neglected Indian
population and sincerely wished to have the power and means of conveying to
them the blessings of religion” . He went on to recount how the Arawaks,
“Hearing that a priest was in the Colony sent a white man (Hilhouse) to me to
say that they were Catholics, ever so long without any spiritual guide, and
entreating me to afford them, if it be in my power, an occasional opportunity
of assisting at the Divine Mysteries and getting their children baptised.” Hynes
welcomed this invitaion with joy and made arrangements to visit Moruca, setting
aside 15 days for the round trip from Georgetown. Hilhouse describes the
historic encounter, “On the eve of the feast of Saint John (24th June 1830) Mr
Hynes reached their settlement in the dark woods and was received by them with
many demonstrations of joy and affection. Muskets were fired as he approached:
and on his landing, men, women and children flocked to kiss his hand in token
of respect. It being night, the forest was illuminated with wax lights of their
own manufacture”. During a three day visit Hynes baptized 75 children and
married two couples.
From this beginning a mission was developed
to other Amerindian communities in the North West. A principal mission was established
at Moruca which was dedicated to St Rose of Lima. This mission was quickly to
become known by its Spanish name, Santa Rosa. Later a second mission centre was
opened up at Morawhanna, closer to the Venezuelan boarder thus expanding the
range of communites served by the priests of the North West District.
One significant group of Catholics that
presented particular challenges was the Arawak Amerindians in the Moruca area.
This community had always been especially dear to Bishop John Hynes and from 1840
until 1853 it had been well served by a much loved and respected resident Irish
priest, Fr John Cullen. With Moruca as his base, this intrepid missionary had
made numerous visits to outlying villages even as far as the Orinoco. Under his
direction a new church had been built in
Moruca which was solemnly dedicated and opened by Bishop Hynes on 27 October
1844. The saint selected as patroness for this church was St Rose of Lima.
From that day to the present Catholics have referred to the Moruca community as
“Santa Rosa”. It is worth recording that in 1847 when the poor of Ireland were
suffering the ravages of the potato famine, the Amerindian Catholics of Santa
Rosa took up a collection on their behalf, sending $ 44.88 to the Irish and
Scotch Relief Society.
On
Cullen’s retirement through ill health in 1853 no resident replacement could be
found. For a while the community received periodic visits from Fr. Francis
Hayden and Fr. Joseph Fitzgerald, OP based at Abram’s Zuil on the Essequibo
coast. When Etheridge arrived in 1857 he initially sent Benedict Schembri to
Santa Rosa. Schembri arrived in December 1857 to find the church and presbytery
in poor repair. He stayed less than a month before returning to Georgetown. Fr
de Bentham, based at Abram’s Zuil took on the care of the Moruca community,
continuing the practice of making periodic visits. Negri, Baldini, Casano and
Mesini all of whom were at various times based at Abram’s Zuil, continued these
visits to Santa Rosa. In November 1876 Marco Mesini began was able to increase
the frequency of these visits to Santa Rosa and in 1878 built a new church
there. When Fr Thomas Barker arrived to take over Abram’s Zuil in 1888 Marco
Mesini was finally free to move permanently to Santa Rosa which had struggled
for 35 years without a resident priest.
James Etheridge did not live to see the new
church built in Santa Rosa. After celebrating mass on Christmas morning 1877 he
set sail for Barbados and on the evening of 31st December while the ship was
still at sea he died. His body was committed to the deep in the early hours of
new years day, 1878.
Complete restoration of this church took
place and in September 2012 a commemorative mass was held by the Bishop to
celebrate the opening of the renovated Santa Rosa Church or as it is fondly
known as “White Chapel on a Hill”.
By Regina Rodrigues – November
2013
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