Faithful Roman Catholics on the island observed Good Friday with annual procession. In comparison to other years, when hundreds of islanders would join the faithful walking, only a handful of persons were allowed to participate this year. This was as a precautionary measure to mitigate any potential infections of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

The religious parade was escorted by members of the San Pedro Traffic Department and the island’s Police Formation.



The Holy Entiero St. Peter - Holy Friday 2020



Good Friday Procession in San Pedro Town. May God Bless Our Islands and Belize!! Photo by Marlena Gomez

Island Roman Catholics celebrate Easter despite the COVID-19 threat

In San Pedro Town, the Roman Catholic Church observes Easter every year with many scheduled events to honor Christ. This year, however, the celebrations saw a couple of changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The mass gathering was not allowed and during the annual procession, which usually sees hundreds of faithful Catholics participating on Good Friday, the religious walk witnessed the smallest procession, registering just a handful of persons during the anticipated event.

The usual elaborate sawdust carpet in front of the Catholic Church was absent this time, and services inside the church were limited to a small number of persons. On Thursday, April 9th, a mass reportedly took place with a handful of people. The following day, Good Friday, shortly after 4:30 PM a small procession was observed throughout the main streets of downtown San Pedro. The religious walk, which usually includes hundreds of persons, only included few people with men carrying a casket symbolizing the body of Jesus Christ, while women carried the statue of the mourning Virgin Mary. Faithful followers, who were not allowed to be part of the parade, were invited to view the small procession from their balconies. Many islanders did so and paid homage from the safety of their homes looking out from the homes’ balconies. After the procession, everyone convened in front of the church, where Catholic Priest Scott Giuliani sent a message of hope for all those in Belize and around the world celebrating Easter amidst the pandemic.

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