The Holy Father has appointed Fr. Lawrence Sydney Nicasio as bishop of Belize City-Belmopan (area 22,963, population 360,838, Catholics 164,019, priests 36, permanent deacons 3, religious 53), Belize. The bishop-elect was born in Belize in 1956, and was ordained a priest in 1989. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, United States of America, and a Master of Divinity in the Kenrich College Seminary, in the same archdiocese. He has served in the following roles: parish vicar of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Belmopan (1989-1995); pastor of the Inmaculada parish in Orange Walk, secretary and treasurer of the presbytery council and master of liturgical celebrations (1995-2006); pastor of the San Ignazio parish and administrator of the St. John Vianney parish in Belize City (2007-2013); and president of the Diocesan Priest Association and member of the college of consulters (2007-2009). He is currently pastor of the Cathedral of the Holy Redeemer in Belize City. He succeeds Bishop Dorick McGowan Wright, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese was accepted by the Holy Father.