Monday, August 12, 2024
Fr. Callistus Cayetano died peacefully in his sleep on August 1st in his home village of Barranco. He was laid to rest on August 9 at St. Peter Claver Parish in Punta Gorda, alongside the tombs of fellow priests who had served there. Ordained as a Catholic priest at the Holy Redeemer Cathedral in Belize City on August 15, 1973, Fr. Cayetano—also affectionately known as Fr. Cal—devoted over five decades to the service of the Diocese of Belize. He was the last priest from a generation of Garifuna Catholic priests in Belize. Did his death at age 81 mark the end of that era? Currently, there are no Garifuna priests in training, and with the decline of Garifuna catechists and youth participation in religious activities, the future of the Garifuna priesthood appears uncertain.
Fr. Cayetano was born into a large family of 14 children, with eight brothers and five sisters. Tragically, two of his sisters passed away during childhood. His father, Francis Benedict Cayetano, was a pioneering Garifuna teacher who worked in various rural Catholic schools across Belize. His mother, Florencia Lucas Cayetano, accompanied her husband to his various teaching posts. Fr. Cal was born on November 21, 1943, in the small village of San Antonio along the Rio Hondo in the Orange Walk District, where his father served as a teacher. Throughout his early childhood, the family moved frequently due to his father’s teaching assignments, including a few years in the villages of Otoxha, Dolores, and Monkey River Town. Fr. Cal spent most of his school vacations in Barranco, where he connected with his extended family and embraced his Garifuna heritage.
Like the experiences of other Garifuna teachers in the early to mid-1900s, his family’s journey to various teaching stations was fraught with challenges. For instance, to reach Dolores, where his father served as a school principal, the elder Cayetano and assistant boatmen would paddle a loaded dorey for eight hours upstream on the Temash River to Crique Sarco, followed by a 12-mile walk with his family. The trek from Crique Sarco to Otoxha was nine miles. Among the Cayetano siblings, two pursued the priesthood, with one abandoning the vocation five years after ordination. The hardships faced by Fr. Cal’s family and the broader Garifuna community as well as his admiration of Jesuit priests serving his community, shaped his calling to the priesthood.
The first Garifuna Catholic priest in Belize was Fr. Philip Marin. Ordained in 1934, he was one of the Garifuna men whose vocation was influenced by the Sisters of the Holy Family in Dangriga. The other former student of these Sisters was Fr. Osmond P. Martin, who was ordained in 1959 and became the first Belizean-born bishop in 1983. Other Garifuna priests included Frs. Martin Avila, Lazarus Augustine, Lloyd Lopez, Oswald Reyes, and Lawrence Nicasio, among others. Of the three Belizean-born Catholic Bishops, Fr. Larry Nicasio became Belize’s second Garifuna Bishop.
The involvement of numerous Garifuna priests and two Garifuna bishops in the Catholic Church is rooted in the strong Catholic faith that has characterized Garifuna communities since their early settlement in Belize. Following their forced relocation by the British from St. Vincent to Roatan in 1797, the Garinagu migrated to Belize shortly thereafter and established vibrant communities, where their cultural identity and Catholic faith intertwined. The resilience of the Garifuna people, marked by their rich traditions and communal values, has been a cornerstone of their identity, and (following some resistance early on) the Catholic Church played a significant role in preserving these values.
Fr. Callistus Cayetano’s legacy is not only tied to his priestly service, but also to the broader narrative of Garifuna representation within the Church. His passing raises critical questions about the future of Garifuna clergy and the sustainability of religious leadership within these communities. The absence of Garifuna priests in training signals a potential gap in cultural representation and spiritual guidance for the younger generations.
The decline in youth participation in religious activities and the diminishing number of Garifuna teachers and catechists further complicate this situation. It reflects a broader trend of disengagement from traditional practices and institutions, which could lead to a loss of cultural heritage and identity. The Church has historically been a unifying force for the Garifuna people, providing not only a source of spiritual sustenance but also a sense of community and belonging. This was especially so during the early years of British colonial and local Afro-colonial discrimination that excluded and severely limited Garifuna options for other professions and job opportunities in Belize.
As the Garifuna community navigates this transitional period, it is essential to explore and redefine ways to revitalize interest in religious vocations among the youth. Initiatives that emphasize the importance of cultural heritage, community service, and the role of the Church in preserving Garifuna identity could inspire a new generation of leaders. Engaging young people through mentorship programs, community outreach, and dynamically applicable religious education may help rekindle their connection to the Church, nurture their spirituality, and encourage them to consider vocations in the priesthood or lay ministry. This might also include finding ways to transform old, stifling, and repetitively ritualistic structures to make them deeply meaningful and personally inspiring for coping with the vicissitudes of life.
Especially in times of desperate need for spiritual renewal to face the challenges of a morally dilapidating Belizean society, the Church itself must reflect on how it can better support and nurture Garifuna youth as well as all other youths of Belize, ensuring that their voices and experiences are valued within the broader ecclesiastical framework. This may involve creating spaces for deep dialogue, fostering leadership opportunities, spaces for real spiritual reflection and growth, and promoting the unique contributions of Garifuna culture to the Church’s mission.
Interestingly, while the Jesuits were responsible for establishing a permanent Catholic presence in Belize beginning in 1851, and while they served Claver Parish in Punta Gorda and Sacred Heart Parish in Dangriga since the early 1860s, throughout those more than 160 years, there has been no Garifuna Jesuit priest. From then till now, those parishes have been predominantly headed by Jesuits, all of whom have been white U. S. American males.
The death of Fr. Callistus Cayetano marks the end of an era for Garifuna Catholic priests, but it also presents an opportunity for reflection and renewal. Long gone are the Garifuna teachers and their families who made deep personal sacrifices to serve as agents of the church. Also gone are the Garifuna priests who came out of those tough formative teaching years to continue the church’s mission. The future of the Catholic Church’s role in our Belizean communities will depend on collective efforts to engage and empower the youth, ensuring that the rich legacy of faith and culture continues to thrive for generations to come.