History of St Joseph

The  above  quotation  is  quite  apt  as  it  places  into  context,  the  need  for  the  laity  of  

St.  Joseph,  Spanish  Town,  to  appreciate  the  origins  /  history  of  their  church.

 

When Spanish Town was Santiago De La Vega, the Spaniards had an Abbey Church in the little Town’s Plaza.  There  were  too few  Catholics  and  fewer  priests  to  merit  a  Cathedral  and  a Bishop, so an Abbot was sent from Havana, Cuba and with him, one secular priest. North  of  the  town  on  the  banks  of  the  Rio  Cobre,  the Dominicans  built  a  monastery of  stone and  attached  to  this  monastery was  their  chapel  dedicated  to  Our  Lady  of Perpetual Help. About half-a-mile south of that monastery, the Franciscans  who  predated  the  Dominicans,  built  their  monastery  dedicated  to  the  patron  of  Spain,  St.  James  of  Compostela,  and  a  church  dedicated  to  the  Expectation  of  the  Blessed Virgin  Mary.  This  little  church  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  present  Anglican  Cathedral.  The  monasteries  and  the  church  have  been  destroyed,  but  the  remaining  historical  evidence  is 

White  Church  Street  and  Red  Church  Street  in  Spanish  Town.

 

The  Spanish  era  came  to  an  end  with  the  invasion  by  the  English  forces  at  Portsmouth,  St.  Catherine on May 10, 1655.  Given the split with the Roman Catholic Church in England, the English banned  the  Roman  Catholic  church   in  Jamaica.  This ban remained in force for 136 years and was lifted in 1791.  It was not until 1792 before Roman Catholic priests began to arrive in Jamaica.  In  the  days  and  weeks  that  followed  the  English  invasion,  the Roman Catholic churches in  Spanish  Town  were  burnt  to  the  ground  and  the  bells  were melted down into shots for  the  cannons  to  defend  the  island  against  the  Spanish  who  fought  the English. The Spanish did not surrender until both countries (Spain and England) signed the Treaty of Madrid in 1670 which officially  gave  Jamaica  to  England.

  

In  1837, the  Roman Catholic Church  in  Jamaica became  a Vicariate  of  Rome  and  was entrusted to the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits). Only two of the planned four Jesuits arrived in the island.  One was an  Englishman,  Father  William  Cotham  and  the  other  was a  Frenchman,  Father  James  Dupeyron.  Both  men  tried  to  establish  a  church  in  Spanish  Town, which  was  the  nation’s  capital.

 

Father Francis Osbourne S.J.   author  of  the  book,  “History  of  the  Catholic  Church   in  Jamaica”,  wrote  that  the  Vicar Apostolic  and  Cotham  set  out  to  seek  the  Catholics  who  had no opportunity  of  receiving  the  sacraments  of  penance  or  Holy  Eucharist  except  on  a  visit to Kingston.  Spanish Town  which  was  thirteen  miles  away  was  their  first  stop. They found 130 soldiers and  about  100  civilians.  By December 1838, Father Cotham and Father  Dupeyron, settled in  an  old  house in Spanish  Town  which  they  rented  for  twenty-  four  pounds (£24.00 )  per year. The building served as a rectory, chapel and school.

In fine  weather  it  was  comfortable,  but  in  the  rainy  season,  umbrellas  had  to  be  used  in 

hallways and  staircases.  When the Catholic citizens  of  Spanish  tried  to  purchase  the  house,  the  owner increased the price from Four Hundred and Fifty pounds ( £450.00)  to  Eight  Hundred Pounds (£800.00)  Eventually,  a  school  was  opened  with  five  scholars  who  paid  one  shilling  and  five  pence  per  week.  The  Fathers  were  discouraged  by  the  turn  of  events  because  of  the  slow  progress  of  the  mission.

 

In  one  of  Father  Cotham’s  letters  dated  February  3,  1839,  Father  Osbourne  quoted  from  it, the following :

        “ The  Lord  knows  what  good  we  shall  do  here,  our  prospects  appear  very

           gloomy  to  me  at  present;  but  things  can  scarcely  be  in  worse  state:  a

           great  many  have  never  once  been  to  chapel,  only  about  five  have  made

           their  last  Easter  Communion,  possibly  there  may  be  eight  or  ten  next   Easter;

           Very few of the children come for instructions.  A  Protestant lady called for 

            Instructions   of  the  Catholic  doctrine  but  we  have  not  seen  her  for  several 

            weeks  and  her  Catholic  husband  has  never  been  to  Mass...

            As  a  specimen  of  the  drunkenness  of  the  soldiers,  Sunday  before  Mass  no

            less  than  six  of  the  sentinels  at  the  gate  of  the  barracks  of  Spanish  Town

            were  unarmed ,  stripped  of  their  belts  and  coats,  handcuffed  and  tumbled

            off  into  confinement  for  being  drunk;  this  was  at  ten  in  the  morning.

            When  soldiers  are  going  to  church,  the  officers  are  obliged  to  examine

             them  by  parading  them  for  some  time  to  see  which  of  them  are  too  drunk

             to go  to  prayers” .

 

The above quotation epitomizes the disillusionment of the Fathers then.  Despite  this  though,  the records  revealed  the  growth  of  the  church  in  later  years.  In 1850, the population of 

Jamaica amounted to 400,000.  Of  this  number,  5000  were  Catholics,  but  only  a  handful  of Priests.

 

​In 1870, the need for a new church in Spanish Town was evident. The Catholics of the then capital city began a building fund. The vicar apostolic, the very Rev. James Dupeyron S.J., issued a general appeal for contributions. He donated £120, a sum bequeathed to him and £80 that he received from the Association for the Propagation of the Faith. Father Bertolo raised another £600 and the new church was completed in 1872 at a cost of £800.

​

In the period 1908 to 1919, the church in Spanish Town played a pivotal role in forging its missions.  It  assisted  with  the  establishment  of  a  mission  station  in  Clarendon. Father Frederick Grewn who resided in Spanish Town,  travelled twenty–three miles away to celebrate Mass on one Sunday of each month at a private home in the parish. In  addition  to  the  establishment  of  this  mission,  the  church  in  Spanish  Town  was  also instrumental in  establishing  a  home  for  lepers.  This home was run by the Marist Sisters who 

worked  with lepers in the Fiji islands.  Other missions evolved over the years.  The churches along Junction Road were mission stations of  Stony  Hill,  St.  Andrew.  The mission  station  on the  hill  above  Annotto  Bay  bear  witness  to  the  tireless  journeys  of  the missionaries.

 

In his book   “History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Jamaica  BWI”  and  published  in  1929,  Father  Francis  Delaney  S. J.,  states  that  the  Sacraments  were  administered  in  Spanish   Town  by “1866”.  By 1868, St.  Joseph  Parish  was  under  the  stewardship  of  Father  Mark  Bertolo  S. J.   According  to  research  done  for  the  125th  Anniversary  of  the  Parish,  the  writer  states  that

 “ there  is  a  plaque  on  the  church  wall  commemorating  this  beloved  pastor  who  died  in  1876 after serving the church for seven years”.  

 

St.  Joseph is credited as being the base of many missions.  Present day churches, such as, Good Shepherd, Reconciliation, Atonement, St. Francis Xavier, Sacred Heart and St. Helens, all owe their genesis to St.  Joseph.   

 

Since Fathers Cotham and Dupeyron began their education journey, schools affiliated to St.  Joseph have  grown  exponentially  to  keep  pace  with  an  ever  increasing  population.  Their achievements over the years have been phenomenal. St. Joseph's remarkable achievements are grounded in our Mission Statement which is:  

          “We, the Parishioners of St.  Joseph respond to God’s Covenant with us

          by Proclaiming  His  Word,  Building  His  Community,  Celebrating  His

          Liturgy and serving His people, through Evangelization”.

 

Education  continues  to  be  the  hallmark  of  the  Catholic  church  and  St.  Joseph  has  played  a  pivotal  role  in  the  education  and  development  of  the  children  of  its  members  and  the  wider  society.  In  1838,  Fathers  Cotham  and  Dupeyron  founded  a  school  in  Spanish  Town  with  five students.  In  1948,  noted  Jesuit  priest,  Father  Matthew  Ashe,  continued  the  work  started  by the  foregoing  Fathers.  His successors, the Religious Sisters of Mercy and the Franciscans (Brown and Blue Sisters) followed in their footsteps.  The following schools are a testament to their hard work.

​

St. Catherine Primary

St. Catherine Basic and Infant Schools

St. Catherine Preparatory 

St. John’s Primary

St. Catherine High

McAuley Primary

                  

As a church, we have produced several individuals who have devoted their time, talent and treasure to building and enhancing God’s Kingdom here on earth. The following are a testament to this vision

 

Home Grown Priests:

• Father Leslie Russell   S.J.   (Deceased)  -  (First home grown Priest)

• The Most Reverend Kenneth Richards  (First home grown Bishop to be ordained Archbishop   of  Kingston  - 2016)

• Father Richard Brown     

• Father Roger Graham

 

Home Grown Deacons:

• Reverend David Yee Sing  - (First home grown Deacon)

• Reverend  Winston  Mars (Deceased) 

• Reverend Stanford Lyew

• Reverend Joseph Fung

• Reverend Collin Christie

 

Other Religious who are home grown products of St.  Joseph are:

• Sister Jacquelyn – Folkes  -  Blue  Sister

• Sister Gertrude Fletcher   (Deceased) - Blue  Sister

• Sister Clotilde - Mercy Sister

• Sister Simone Maris - Daughter of Divine Love

 

 

St. Joseph  is  truly  built  on  solid mission and vision crafted by  those  who  went  on  before. The  work  continues by a clergy and laity who are cognizant of  the  need  to  reach  out  to  the less fortunate and those who  are  in  need of God’s redeeming  Hand.  May God bless St. Joseph as it strives to be the  “Beacon”  in  an  ever  changing world.