The historical links between Belize and Jamaica were further realized when the first Bishop of Jamaica, Christopher Lipscombe, arrived in Belize to consecrate St. John’s with the cemetery of Yarborough on the 13th of April, 1826. The church which had been built only 14 years was now to be incorporated under the Bishop of Jamaica’s jurisdiction which also included the Bahamas. The Anglican community of the English speaking Caribbean which has continued to this day. The Diocese of Belize today is still a diocese within the Province of the West Indies. However, Belize was not to have its own bishop until 1891 when Bishop Holme arrived from St. Kitts to become the first Bishop of British Honduras with St. John’s as the Cathedral Church of the newly formed Diocese.

St. John’s was the scene of pageantry and ceremony when the Kings from the Mosquito Coast were crowned in the Cathedral. They were the Mosquito Indian Kings from the coast of Nicaragua who were anxious to preserve their British connections with the Monarchy and with the Established Church of England on a Continent which was predominately Roman Catholic. Their names were George Frederick, crowned in 1815 by the Rector of St. John’s, John Armstrong. Robert Charles, crowned in 1825 and George Augustus Frederick, crowned in 1845 were both crowned by the Rector, Dr. Matthew Newport. They also brought with them their chieftains and the baptismal register of 1815 record the baptism of five children of the chieftains who were baptized in the Cathedral on the same day as the coronation of King George Frederick. In Sir Harry Luke’s “Caribbean Circuit” there is a good account of the last coronation in 1845, with a copy of the Order of Service belonging to a “very old Belizerean lady.” The Royal Church of St. John’s became well-known throughout Central America.

These coronations helped to preserve the old British connections between Belize and the Bay Islands off Honduras and the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua. This connection originated from the early days of buccaneering and woodcutting and helped to create the Settlement of Belize. It also helped to shape the future Anglican Diocese in Belize, which once extended from Belize to Panama, with St. John’s as the Mother Church of the Anglican community in Central America. St. John’s was not only to be linked with the English speaking Caribbean, but also with the Latin speaking Continent of Central America.