More history about Moruca and the Catholic Church

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.