MANDEVILLE, Manchester — It was in 1512, according to records at the Catholic Pastoral Centre in Mandeville, that Catholic missionaries first set foot on Jamaican shores.

Following from last year — when Jamaica celebrated its 50th anniversary of political Independence — there are still celebratory activities marking the 500th anniversary of Catholic Christianity here.

In 2012, recently retired Pope Benedict the XVI also declared the opening of the Year of Faith for members of his flock worldwide.

In an effort to recognise these three “distinctly significant” events a pictorial exhibition was launched last month and mounted at the Manchester Parish Library for almost two weeks.

The display captured the theme “The Catholic Church on a Mission — Living the Faith” by highlighting the work being done by several ministries of the church, which are impacting the lives of members of the community in Central Jamaica.

Hope Wood-Salmon, managing director at the Mandeville-based Bishop Boyle Distribution Centre, in an overview at the launch said that the Church has continued the work of those before.

“The Diocese of Mandeville in celebration of these jubilee occasions needed an event that would encompass all three milestones to show where it all began. Like our forefathers who took that first step of faith, we ourselves are on a similar journey of faith in our mission of evangelisation,” she said.

She put into perspective the contributions that are being made.

Wood-Salmon said that across the parishes of Manchester, St Elizabeth and Clarendon there are 27 Catholic churches and missions being served by priests, sisters, deacons and lay ministers.

There is a homework centre at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Maggoty and combined there are 20 early childhood, primary and secondary-level educational institutions.

The 20-year-old Catholic College of Mandeville, which has courses from diploma up to master’s degree levels, has expanded and relocated to Williamsfield in Manchester.

There are five clinics that provide “exceptional” daily health services, a Catholic-operated children’s home, a home for the aged and a distribution centre that provides counselling service if needed and — in partnership with Food for the Poor — food, clothing, medical and other supplies to individuals and institutions.

Hundreds of recipients, Wood-Salmon said, have continued to benefit from a housing programme.

Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic Church in Hayes, Clarendon is involved in the small-scale production of peanut butter, pizza and bread.

The St John Bosco Boys’ Home in Manchester has a butcher training centre and a catering department.

Reverend Deacon Ronald Hamilton told Observer Central that the social outreach arm of the church is important since intrinsic to the mission of Catholics is the empowerment of people, not only their conversion.

Catholic churches, he said, are deliberately in some of the poorest areas of Jamaica because of the nature of the work that is done.

“The social impact that we make is significant, being under two per cent of the population,” said Hamilton.

The long-standing educator who is currently acting as principal of the St Vincent Strambi High School in Bull Savannah, St Elizabeth said that, in his view, the work that is being done sends a message of hope.

However, he believes that despite the aid made available a culture of dependency should not be encouraged.

“We don’t help you because you are Catholic; we help you because we are Catholic. We see the work that we are doing as the work that as a Christian you have to do. We need to preach forgiveness in Jamaica and give (people) hope that things can get better. Traditional churches need to emphasise and teach their basic philosophy in education. I think that it is important that we influence the Government to set up institutions that encourage people to help themselves,” he said.

“The best practices that churches have (can be used) to influence the national policy,” he said. “It is not a right and wrong thing, we just need to strike a balance,” he added.

Some of the plans of the Diocese of Mandeville for Central Jamaica include expanding the clinic in Santa Cruz, finding a location to set up another church in Clarendon and dedicating a new church that was constructed in Braes River in St Elizabeth.

Hamilton believes that commemorative events, which will culminate in November, are important for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

“(It is) re-energising for Catholics and for non-Catholics to see that the church is alive and is active. People tend to think that if you don’t make a lot of noise you are not alive,” he said.