On Wednesday 14 June 2006 at 5.30 pm in a small but significant ceremony beside the historic, quaint and picturesque St Gerard’s Roman Catholic Church on the Wallblake House grounds, the most Reverend Donald Reece, Bishop of the Diocese of St John’s Basseterre and Father Ed Herberger of the Divine Word Missionary, resident priest officiated at the turning of the sod of the proposed new St Gerard’s Roman Catholic Church in Anguilla.

Bishop Reece breaking the ground

This historic ground-breaking ceremony to which parishioners, benefactors and well-wishers were invited, marked the commencement of an event that has been long in the planning by persons at all levels of the local Catholic community.

The overwhelming mandate to the planners and architects of the new church project was that the new structure should duplicate as far as possible the unique style and rendering of the current church building. It is clear that all those who have grown to love the “little church” as it is sometimes called are very much inclined that the new church should not depart from the style of the old.

Members of the Catholic Church at ceremony

It is the intention that the proposed new church will be part of a larger complex of buildings that will include facilities largely for the purpose of education and skills training. Because of the resource limitations the project will be implemented in phases with the church building being the first to be erected.

It is hoped that the occasion of the ground-breaking will spur parishioners and other well-wishers to making their contributions towards the funding of the new church project.

The Diocese of St John’s Basseterre which includes Anguilla also comprises the parishes of Antigua-Barbuda, St Kitts-Nevis, Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Montserrat.

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