“It’s Looking Like a Warehouse Now”: Montego Bay’s Catholic Bishop Seeks $200 Million to Restore His Cathedral

• The Catholic Diocese of Montego Bay wants $200 million to restore the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral
• Bishop Burchell McPherson says the 57-year-old building badly needs a facelift
• Fish fries and similar fundraisers have kept it going but cannot cover the cost
• The diocese is appealing to corporate Montego Bay and the wider Jamaica

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Montego Bay has launched an appeal to raise $200 million to restore the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, the Gleaner reported in August 2022. The cathedral stands on Queens Drive next to Mt Alvernia High School, and a groundbreaking ceremony for the restoration was held on July 30, 2022.

Bishop Burchell McPherson said that after 57 years the building needs significant work. “When you look at the cathedral, it needs a facelift for it to look like a cathedral. It’s looking like a warehouse now,” he said.

The diocese has kept the cathedral going with fundraising events such as fish fries, but the bishop acknowledged that this kind of effort would not raise the sum required. “I am appealing to corporate Montego Bay and the wider Jamaica to try and assist us in whatever way you can,” he said.

Bishop Conrad Pitkin, the custos of St James, urged the parish to support the restoration, arguing that it would benefit the wider community and help the church respond to growing needs, including services for homeless single mothers. He said the facility would “play a tremendous role in providing therapeutic counselling and healing for the many emotionally hurting individuals.”

For property watchers, the appeal puts a number on a problem facing many Jamaican churches: buildings put up in the 1960s are now reaching the age where roofs, finishes and services need major reinvestment, and congregational fundraising alone rarely stretches that far. A $200 million bill on a prominent Queens Drive site also shows how much value is tied up in church real estate in Montego Bay’s tourism capital, and why dioceses increasingly turn to corporate partners. For businesses and diaspora donors, supporting a landmark like this is both a community investment and a way of keeping a well-located public building in active use.

Follow Jamaica Homes on Youtube @jamaicahomes and Instagram @jamaica_homes and on Facebook @jamaicahomesnews Send us a message or email us at onlinefeedback@jamaica-homes.com or editor@jamaica-homes.com