St. Peter Claver School and Parish
St. Peter Claver School and Parish in Punta Gorda, Belize.
Founded in 1862, St. Peter Claver is the oldest Jesuit institution in Belize. St. Peter Claver Parish serves a community unlike any other in the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province. While the parish is based in Punta Gorda, Belize, it serves 36 other small villages in the far south of Belize’s Toledo District.
In addition to the village churches, the parish is responsible for 30 schools employing 242 teachers to educate more than 5,200 students. Southern Belize is mountainous and sparsely developed with villages connected by dirt roads.
several infrastructure projects underway will strengthen the parish, school, and community in the heart of the Toledo district.
A new sea wall was completed in 2023 to ensure St. Peter Claver’s parish buildings and grounds, which are on the shore of the encroaching Caribbean Sea, will stand for generations to come.
St. Peter Claver Middle School’s old wood termite-damaged buildings are being replaced with new modern concrete buildings. The parish is also adding new security features. The recently completed education/demonstration produce garden, refurbished football field, and brand-new basketball courts are beloved by students and the Punta Gorda community.
Belize2020 funds St. Peter Claver’s food pantry which serves over 100 parish families.
New partnerships have formed among the Belizean Ministry of Health, St. John’s College in Belize City, St. Louis University, Hillside Clinic, and others to establish improved healthcare infrastructure and a nursing training program in the Toledo District.