Kelly Village offers a cultural focus that can be explored through two named places: St. David’s R.C. School and Holy Family Chapel. Their history touches on education and religious life, though in different roles. If you would like to consider a destination’s local history when choosing where to visit, you’ll find a clear point of connection here: the educational needs of children in the village and surrounding areas, as well as the chapel above the school.
School and chapel: two historical roles
St. David’s R.C. School in Kelly Village was founded in 1952 to meet the educational needs of children in the village and surrounding areas. At the time, there was no Roman Catholic church in the village, so the school also served as a place of worship. Education and worship therefore had a historical connection there: the school fulfilled its founding purpose and also took on a religious function arising from the situation in the village at the time.
Holy Family Chapel was built in 1983 above St. David’s R.C. School in Kelly Village under the leadership of Father Reginald Hezekiah. It is a place for prayer, reflection, and community. The two dates mark different stages: the school’s founding in 1952, with its educational and worship functions at the time, and the chapel’s construction in 1983. This places the connection between educational history and religious life in its historical context, without equating the school and the chapel.
Another historical focus in Tunapuna-Piarco
The wider destination of Tunapuna-Piarco has another distinct historical focus in Mount St. Benedict. Mount St. Benedict is home to Benedictine monks who settled there in 1912. Three monks from the Benedictine monastery of San Sebastien in Bahia, Brazil, came to the foothills of Trinidad’s Northern Range under the leadership of Abbot Dom Mayeul de Caigny. The history of Mount St. Benedict therefore includes both the monks’ origins and their settlement. For travelers interested in religious history, this offers a different perspective from the local history of the school and chapel in Kelly Village.
Caura Valley: river and outdoor activities
Caura Valley is also within the wider destination of Tunapuna-Piarco. The valley is accessible via Caura Royal Road, which branches off Eastern Main Road. Along the winding access road through the valley, visitors can picnic or swim in the clear waters of the Caura River. At the abandoned pump house, Pool Number 1 and Pool Number 2 are described as popular spots for a “river lime.” If you include these options in your plans, check current road and water conditions locally. The choice of focus depends on your interests: Kelly Village is associated with the history of the school and chapel; Caura Valley with picnics and river activities.
Discover more destinations: Arouca, Saint Augustine, Piarco, Trincity, Saint Joseph, Tacarigua
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