By Connor Hartigan
Father Matt Ruhl, SJ, the pastor of St. Peter Claver Parish in Punta Gorda, a small city in the Toledo District of southern Belize, faced a daunting challenge: The Catholic schools in his area were running low on funds. Children were going hungry at mealtimes; their desks were infested with termites, and the heat index in the classroom had ascended to 112 degrees. Sadly, his parish lacked the resources to rectify these issues.
Toledo, which Father Ruhl described to America as Belize’s “forgotten district,” is one of the nation’s poorest. Its Indigenous people frequently want for basic necessities. Though the church is located in Punta Gorda, the parish serves Catholics across the Toledo district and is tasked with overseeing the district’s Catholic schools. Father Ruhl shares a litany of the diocese’s obligations—“33 village churches, 29 schools, 238 teachers, over 4,000 students and 110 buildings, all in the jungle—and there is no money.”
Under Belizean law, children between the ages of 5 and 14 are guaranteed the right to a free education. While this policy may shore up educational opportunities for Belize’s children, it places Catholic schools in a financial bind.
Parochial schools are partially supported by the government in Belize. It pays teachers’ salaries, but the local church is responsible for feeding the students as well as for the maintenance of school properties. Barred from charging tuition, Catholic schools must find donors to keep the schools open.
Knowing that U.S. donors are frequently hit with appeals to support school programs all over the developing world, Father Ruhl wanted his fundraising effort to stand out.
Next summer, Father Ruhl will ride across America by bicycle to raise awareness—and money—for Catholic schools in Belize. He is calling it the Lighthouse Ride in honor of the historic Baron Bliss Lighthouse in Belize City. The journey begins on July 1 in Brunswick, Maine, and will conclude when Father Ruhl reaches Santa Monica, Calif. He hopes to raise $5 million.
This is an excerpt of a story that originally appeared at AmericaMagazine.org and used by permission. Click this link for the full story.
Donate to support Fr. Ruhl’s efforts. In the Designation drop menu, choose “Jesuits of Belize-Catholic Primary Schools-Lighthouse Walk.”
Photo at top of page: Father Matt Ruhl, SJ, poses with local schoolchildren following a morning Mass in the Toledo District. (Photo courtesy of Mike Johnson)
