He was ordained as an auxiliary bishop in 2002 and yesterday Dorrick Wright was installed as the new Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City and Belmopan. The installation ceremony was aired live on Channel 7 and here are some highlights from that broadcast.
Alfonso NobleReporting,
The Landivar Gym was almost full as Catholics from all across the country came to witness the installation of the new Bishop of Belize City and Belmopan Dorrick Wright. Papal Nuncio Archbishop Luigi Pezzuto presided over the handover from the retiring OP Martin. The commentary is by Fr. Noel Leslie.
Fr. Noel Leslie,
"We see Bishop Wright being led there by the Papal Nuncio and the shepherd staff is now passed on to Bishop Dorrick Wright as he takes his seat in the Bishop's chair, that's a very special chair. Sometimes he speaks from the chair, meaning he speaks officially. So now he is the new Bishop of Belize City and Belmopan and the congregation joyously applauds for him."
Following the applause, the members of religious orders went forward to pay their respects to their new leader. But in his homily, the new Bishop of Belize and Belmopan said sometimes he feels unworthy of this lofty post:
Bishop Dorrick Wright,
"Sometimes I look at the task and I say, for instance this morning when I was combing my hair and my beard, I looked at the man in the mirror and I said, 'you surely wouldn't be my choice.' But this is God's work. Sometimes the task looks huge and I wonder if I'll be able to fit into the shoes of the seven previous bishops but then I tell myself what I've told people many times: you see you have to talk to yourself every now and again. And I told myself, 'God never calls you to do a job and he leaves you on your own. He is always there to assist you.'"
And the Bishop says Belize must be assisted by stern laws that befit a biblical kind of justice:
Bishop Dorrick Wright,
"The other day we had young men killing one another and then it turned to men killing women or their wives and it was done in the presence of the children. The scripture teaches us that thou shall not kill. Jesus tells us that for anyone who leads the little ones astray, it would be better that you tie a millstone around his neck and he be thrown in the depth of the sea. He was concerned about them not leading young ones astray and when a father stands in the presence of his children and he kills their mother, to me he is fit to have a millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea. Let's not go through the judicial system; one millstone, a piece of chain, and let's go."
The service remained topical with the prayers of the faithful which were presented by lay people from different ethnic groups. And the Creole representative had some stern words for the Prime Minister.
Creole Woman,
"I also lift to you Lord Jesus the government leaders, especially our Prime Minister. Give him a heart of flesh. Take away his heart of stone so that he can hear the cry of all the Belizean people...we pray to the Lord, Lord hear our prayer."
And while the Prime Minister wasn't there to hear his prayer, three of his ministers were. But those stiff remarks didn't dampen what for Catholics was a celebration - and at the end of the three hour mass/ceremony - this new shepherd was mobbed by his flock.
Wright's predecessor, Bishop O.P. Martin has retired at the age of 75. The event also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Diocese in Belize.
