7 News Belize

SCA’s Proud Day
posted (January 20, 2017)
St. Catherine's Academy's Mercy Center had been in the works for years and in the planning stages for possibly decades.

But construction on the building has been complete for a while now, and it's been the venue to many important sporting events, including FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship Qualifier and the Central American Senior Table Tennis Championship.

But the multi-purpose center was just officially opened today. SCA held a ceremony to officially inaugurate the building as well as celebrate the 134th anniversary of the school. We spoke to principal, Salome Tillet about the importance of the new center, and Sister Lisa Griffith, about some new changes SCA will be seeing...

Salome Tillet, Principal, SCA
"Today is a very special day for us. We celebrate 134 years of existence and service by the sisters of Mercy to Belize, so it's a happy day for us."

Alex Courtenay, 7News
"And it's also the official inauguration of this new building that's been years in the making."

Salome Tillet, Principal, SCA
"Yes, it is the official inauguration day, it's not quite complete but as you know we have used it before and it's important for us that our building be blessed and be a part of this foundation that we celebrate."

Alex Courtenay, 7News
"And as we've seen throughout the years, there's been more growth to the school. This building is one of the examples of that. How does this building help serve not only the students but it's also a building that serves the community as well?"

Salome Tillet, Principal, SCA
"Yes when we began this building, we thought about Belize city. At that time there was no place for sports. There were very little places with wheel chair access. Very little bathroom, accommodations that people with wheel chair can access, and so we thought that we will build something that our community could use. Also because it has been built as a result of the good will of our community. We have had so many persons who contributed in large or small numbers whether it was a gift, a loan, they still haven't given it yet but their planning to give it. This is what this building represents, the good will of our community to Saint Catherine's Academy and our reciprocating that feeling."

Sister Lisa Griffith, Exec. Dir, Mercy Education System
"Over the last several years, our mercy school that are in seven different countries and we are 57 schools strong which represent over 20,000 students in these countries, have been working together to see how we can ensure the mission of the sisters of mercy and that charism can be forwarded into the future. That is what we have been working on and the fruits of that labor and that work will come into existence in July. Our purpose is not to change the curriculum or the schooling as you know and as the citizens here in Belize know. Saint Catherine's does a wonderful job. Women excel here and after 134 years we don't want to mess with something that works. What we are doing is really making sure we can ensure the mission and the charism of the sisters of mercy who come before us and ask our lay counterparts and our students to carry that into the future."

The Mercy Center will eventually be connected to the rest of the school and part of the building will be used as a science wing and entertainment center.

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7 News Belize