A small Anglican school on Ambergris Caye has quietly become one of San Pedro's most important community institutions. Holy Cross Anglican School turned 20 on Monday, September 14, marking the milestone with a commemorative service at Holy Cross Church and a relaxed mixer afterwards in the school's computer lab.

The service was led by the Most Reverend Philip S. Wright, Archbishop, Primate and Metropolitan of the Anglican Province of the West Indies and Bishop of Belize, with Reverend Dr. Kesner Ajax and Deacon Reverend Dr. Julia Hall taking part. In a nice touch, founder Vernon Wilson presented Archbishop Wright with a plaque laser-engraved from one of the school's old desks — a fitting keepsake for a man who was there when it all began. "Having been here at the very start of it all 20 years ago and seeing how far we have come, I think it is nothing short of a miracle," Wright told the congregation.

The numbers tell the story of the growth. When Holy Cross opened in 2006 it had 62 students; today it teaches more than 500. And its reach goes well beyond the classroom: there's an evening program, literacy and academic support, music and youth development, adult ESL classes, and community partnerships. Principal Elsy Torres says the school still works to its founding motto of "Growing, Loving, Serving God, Serving His Children."

The anniversary guest list showed just how woven into San Pedro life the school has become. Senator Gabriel Zetina attended — and happened to be one of the school's original students. He credited Holy Cross with tackling a real gap: educational opportunity for children on the island. "It's a huge part of San Pedro," he said. Also present were Area Representative Honorable Andre Perez, Deputy Mayor Adaly Ayuso, Ministry of Education representatives, Rotary Club members, ESL volunteers, and a delegation from All Saints in Belize City.

Founder Vernon Wilson was keen to stress that none of it was pre-planned grandeur. Volunteers and residents of the San Mateo neighborhood helped build the school from its first foundation post onward. "This has been a community project from the very first foundation post that went down," he said.

There's more to come, too. School leaders say future plans could include reclaiming land and developing vocational or secondary education programs — a significant step for an island where secondary options have long been limited.

Why does this matter to visitors? San Pedro can look like nothing but beach bars and dive shops if you stick to the tourist strip, but Holy Cross is a reminder of the real town behind it — and of how much of that town was built by volunteers, many of them travellers and expats who pitched in over the years. If you're heading to Ambergris Caye and want your trip to give a little back, community-rooted outfits like this school's adult ESL program and partners such as the Rotary Club and Hope Haven are exactly the kind of local efforts worth knowing about — or supporting — while you're there.

Twenty years in, Holy Cross has gone from 62 kids in a fledgling school to a cornerstone of San Pedro life. If Archbishop Wright calls it a miracle, the island's own handiwork deserves plenty of the credit.

Story via San Pedro Sun.