“This Is a Debt-Free Church”: Thirteen Years After an Earthquake, Portsmouth’s Catholic Church Rises Again

• Dominica’s Portsmouth Catholic Church was destroyed by an earthquake in November 2004
• Reconstruction began in 2011 and the new church was dedicated in August 2017
• The rebuild cost over $2 million, paid by church groups, government, a bank and parishioners
• The parish priest said the church was completed free of debt

After almost 13 years, the Catholic congregation of Portsmouth, Dominica, has its church back. Dominica News Online reported on 21 August 2017 that the rebuilt Portsmouth Catholic Church had been dedicated on Friday 18 August.

The original church was destroyed by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake on Sunday 21 November 2004. Reconstruction began on 3 September 2011. The new building, designed by Bernard Lauwyck, includes a baptismal font and incorporates restored elements from the original church, including its marble altar.

The project cost more than $2 million. Funding came from Catholic organisations across the Caribbean and worldwide, the Government of Dominica, the National Bank of Dominica, a special appeal by Bishop Gabriel Malzaire, the parish and individual parishioners.

Parish priest Fr Herman Sharplis was proud of the finances. “We have no debts, so Bishop this is a debt-free church and we can speak of a debt-free church, because we still have money in the bank,” he said.

The long timeline, seven years before building even started, shows how hard it is for a congregation to raise millions after a disaster. Yet by drawing on many sources, local and international, the parish finished without borrowing.

Jamaican congregations rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa face the same challenge. Portsmouth shows the value of patience and of a broad funding base: church networks, government, businesses and parishioners all contributed. Building debt-free may take longer, but it leaves the congregation free to serve rather than service loans. Diaspora parishioners, who often want to help their home churches, can be part of that mix through targeted appeals.

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