Lawrence Sydney Nicasio

Belizean Roman Catholic bishop (1956–2024)

The Most Reverend

Lawrence Sydney Nicasio

Bishop of Belize City & Belmopan

Nicasio in 2017

Church| Roman Catholic
Province| Kingston in Jamaica
Diocese| Belize City & Belmopan
Appointed| 26 January 2017
Installed| 13 May 2017
Term ended| 1 January 2024
Predecessor| Dorick M. Wright
Successor| Vacant
Orders
Ordination| 16 June 1989
by Osmond Peter Martin
Consecration| 13 May 2017
by Léon Kalenga Badikebele, Patrick Christopher Pinder, Fernand J. Cheri
Personal details
Born| (1956-09-05)5 September 1956

Dangriga, British Honduras (now Belize)

Died| 1 January 2024(2024-01-01) (aged 67)
Belize City, Belize
Alma mater|

* Belize Teachers' College
* Cardinal Glennon College

Motto| Sollicitum ambulare cum Deo

Lawrence Sydney Nicasio (5 September 1956 – 1 January 2024) was a Belizean clergyman and Roman Catholic bishop in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan.

## Biography

[edit]

Lawrence Sydney Nicasio was born on 5 September 1956,[1] and came from a Garifuna family.[2] He attended Augustine High School in his hometown of Dangriga and graduated from Belize Teachers' College in Belize City. He then taught at various schools and was appointed director of the Catholic schools in the Toledo District.[3]

In 1981 he began studying philosophy at Cardinal Glennon College in Shrewsbury, Missouri, which was followed by studies at the theology college on the same grounds, Kenrick Theological Seminary, near St. Louis.[3] On 16 June 1989, he was ordained to the priesthood.[4] He was Vicar in Belmopan for 13 years from 1991 to 2004, pastor in Orange Walk Town, and then pastor of two suburban churches in Belize City: St. Ignatius (2005–2008) and St. John Vianney (2008–2013).[5]

On 26 January 2017, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Dorick M. Wright and appointed Nicasio as the new Bishop of Belize City-Belmopan.[6][4][7] He received episcopal consecration from the Apostolic Nuncio in Belize, Archbishop Léon Kalenga Badikebele, on 13 May 2017. Co-consecrators were the Archbishop of Nassau, Patrick Christopher Pinder, and Fernand J. Cheri, OFM, Auxiliary Bishop in New Orleans.

Nicasio died from cancer at his residence in Belize City, on 1 January 2024, at the age of 67.[8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Belize: Vatican appoints new bishop . In: Catholic News, Port of Spain, 5 February 2017, p. 5.
2. ^ Matthew O’Connor: "Garifuna Community Marks Settlement Day". In: The Tablet of 15 November 2017, retrieved 2 July 2018.
3. ^ a b 05/18 / second-garifuna-catholic-bishop-ordained-belize / `` Second Garifuna Catholic Bishop Ordained in Belize , accessed 2 July 2018.
4. ^ a b "Rinunce e nomine". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
5. ^ "Belize: Vatican appoints new bishop". In: Catholic News, Port of Spain, 5 February 2017, p. 5.
6. ^ "AMERICA/BELIZE - Resignation of the Bishop of Belize City-Belmopan and appointment of successor - Agenzia Fides". www.fides.org. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
7. ^ "Bishop Elect, Father Lawrence Sydney Nicasio, ordained | Amandala Newspaper". amandala.com.bz. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
8. ^ "Roman Catholic Bishop of Belize City-Belmopan has passed away". Loop News. 1 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Catholic hierarchy: Bishop Lawrence Sydney Nicasio

Catholic Church titles

Preceded by

Dorick M. Wright

|  Bishop of Belize City & Belmopan
2017–2024  |  Succeeded by

Vacant

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