BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Apr. 16, 2020– Belizeans are mourning the loss of one of the most prominent religious leaders in the country, Bishop Dorick Wright, the Bishop Emeritus of Belize. He was known across the country for his lifetime of service to the Catholic Church before his passing on Wednesday morning at the age of 74.

Bishop Wright was a proud graduate of St. John’s College before entering the Conception Seminary run by the Order of St. Benedict in Kansas, Missouri, where he was trained for the priesthood. After being ordained at the Holy Redeemer Cathedral in 1975, Bishop Wright served as a pastor at many Catholic institutions, such as St. Joseph’s Parish, Holy Redeemer Cathedral and Inmaculada Parish in Orange Walk.

For over forty years, thousands of parishioners attended Bishop Wright’s sermons, which were described as “calming”, “humorous” and “inspiring” by many members of the Church. Many Belizeans also know the endearing personal tale of Bishop Wright’s loss of his mother and three siblings during Hurricane Hattie in 1961, and how he managed to survive by clinging to a tree, which he mentioned during his sermons.

Bishop Wright ascended to the post of Auxiliary to Bishop O.P. Martin in 2002, and was consecrated at St. John’s College. He was later appointed Bishop of the Diocese in 2006 and installed in January of 2007.

In addition to his daily pastoral duties, Bishop Wright is also known for being the founder of the St. Benedict Diocesan Seminary, a minor seminary which offers two years of college training to aspiring priests in Santa Elena. He also acted as a representative for the conservative arm of the Catholic Diocese which appealed the ruling that Section 53 (which prohibited same-sex relations) was “unconstitutional.”

Bishop Wright was also known to suffer from failing eyesight, among other medical complications, and requested assistance to carry out his duties, which led to the appointment of Auxiliary Bishop Christopher Glancy in 2012.

Father Noel Leslie, a long-serving pastor and friend of Bishop Wright, remembers Bishop Wright as being a vibrant person who loved to dance, sing and make people laugh, which he so often did.