“The Church Roof Is Gone”: Hurricane Beryl Left an 83-Year-Old St Elizabeth Mother Church in Ruins

• Hurricane Beryl caused the entire roof of St Peter’s Anglican Church in Pedro Plains to cave in
• The church, built in 1941, is the mother church of six Anglican congregations in St Elizabeth
• The rectory where the rector lives was also damaged
• Seven weeks after the storm, repairs had not begun and no cost estimate had been given

Seven weeks after Hurricane Beryl struck Jamaica in 2024, St Peter’s Anglican Church in Pedro Plains, St Elizabeth, was still without a roof. The storm brought down the whole roof of the 83-year-old building, the Gleaner reported in August 2024.

St Peter’s was built in 1941 and serves as the mother church for six Anglican churches in St Elizabeth. It was designed to seat 300 worshippers, though its congregation now numbers between 30 and 40. Beryl also damaged the rectory, where the rector, Reverend Marjorie Downer, lives.

Rev Downer was blunt about the state of the building. “The church roof is gone. It’s caved in. It has to be rebuilt. You can’t go in there,” she said. She was reluctant to put a figure on the cost of repairs, which had not yet started at the time of the report.

The Gleaner listed the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands as the contact for anyone wishing to help, on 876-926-8925 or 876-926-2498.

St Peter’s illustrates a financial squeeze facing many rural churches in Jamaica. Historic buildings sized for large congregations are now maintained by a few dozen members, and a single hurricane can leave them with a bill far beyond what weekly collections can meet. And Beryl came before Hurricane Melissa, which brought fresh damage to churches across the island. For denominations and trustees, the lesson is to review insurance cover, plan for storm-resistant roofing and keep reserve funds. For diaspora members with roots in rural parishes, supporting the upkeep of a home church before the next storm can be one of the most practical gifts they can give.