Corozal Town, Belize
The Viatorians went to Belize in 1998 at the request of the local bishop, O. P. Martin, due to the grave shortage of priests and religious in his diocese. He entrusted to them the care of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Corozal Town. The parish encompasses over 17,000 people who live within Corozal Town and in 23 surrounding villages, many of which are only accessible by dirt roads.

The zeal of the people to nurture their faith and ensure their children receive a catholic education is very strong. Besides the church and parish school in Corozal Town, the parish also encompasses 19 village primary schools that serve over 5,000 students, a vocational high school and 23 village chapels.

For such a vast undertaking, lay ministry is essential. Lay leaders direct and teach the schools and lay ministers conduct communion services approximately three Sundays a month in the village churches.

In 2003, Fr. Christopher Glancy, CSV led in the creation of Chunox St. Viator Vocational High School whose mission is to provide the necessary training to students to work in the agricultural and tourist industries, two major sources of employment.

St. Francis Xavier Church Corozal Town, Belize	St. Francis Xavier Parish The local community constructed the church approximately forty years ago. The church is vulnerable to hurricanes because the shutters are not hurricane proof.
One of the village primary Schools administered by St. Francis Xavier	19 village primary schools Dedicated lay teachers and staff provide Catholic education to over 5,000 local children. Even though every effort is made to keep the tuition as low as possible, many families are not able to pay the full amount.
Construction on one of the village chapels	23 chapels Recognizing their need to have a dignified worship space, villagers band together and share their time and talents to construct their local chapels. One has recently been completed, four are partially completed and three hope to start construction in the near future.
Construction continues at Chunox St. Viator Vocational High School	Chunox St. Viator Vocational High School Located on the outskirts of the village of Chunox, St. Viator Vocational High School combines classroom learning with practical experience. In class the students study a basic high school curriculum as well as the principles of farming, marketing and tourism. On the grounds they plant fruits and vegetables and raise hogs and chickens. Construction on the first floor of the school building has been completed and is proceeding on the second. The cafeteria walls are made of branches and thatched leaves the roof. One day the students hope to have a cafeteria that can serve hot lunches. Other needs include pouring a concrete outdoor basketball court and adding a roof so that it could also be used as an auditorium. Another need is to have a full kitchen for culinary arts. While the school has a tractor and the implements, it needs various tools for auto mechanics class and welding. Every effort is made to keep the tuition as low as possible. However, many families need assistance to make the payments.
Students proudly display their crop.	Students work together during the spring planting season.
Viatorian associates and professed after one of their periodic meetings	Lay Ministry The need for trained lay ministers is obvious. There are over 200 teachers in the schools and 150 lay leaders in the parish. They are very dedicated in their work and they would like additional training. The parish is beginning an evangelization program to meet this need. The three year program will offer a systematic study of doctrine, morality, Scripture, and pastoral care. The parish based program will provide a necessary and accessible means for the majority of lay leaders to receive the needed training. Others would benefit from specialized training such as in music ministry. However, the parish and local people do not have the necessary financial resources.