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¡Vamos!
A blog about the Church in Latin America
by Fr. Andrew Small, OMI, Director for the Church in Latin America
“The World Should Open Itself To Cuba, and Cuba to the World”
So urged Servant of God Pope John Paul II during his visit to Cuba in 1998. A good portion of the world was represented in the Benedictine Monastery in Havana recently as they welcomed a delegation from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Cardinal Séan O’Malley concluded the visit in the Monastery church - a former Carmelite convent [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1BQiYrXFtU] - and led the group in the great hymn to the Blessed Mother - Hail, Queen of Heaven known by its Latin opening words Ave Regina Caeolorum. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqxDljqBhDg] The monks hail from Asia (Philippines) Africa (Togo) and Europe (Germany). Together with the North Americans, the “two or three gathered” in prayer that day showed how the Catholic Church - from the East to the West - was opening itself more and more to the Cuban people.
Headed by Cardinal Séan O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston [http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/08/28/visiting-cuba/] and accompanied by Bishop Tom Wenski of Orlando and Bishop Oscar Cantu from San Antonio, the group traveled to Havana, Holguin and Santiago de Cuba where they visited the Shrine to Our Lady of Charity [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSdcSvPBj_Q] and other major cities in Cuba an expression of solidarity with the Cuban Church. It was especially important since the Cuban people are still trying to recover from the series of hurricanes that hit the island last September that destroyed a half a million homes. Only half of them have so far been rebuilt.
Rebuild What You Have, Because You Can’t Build Anything New
The Church in Cuba has not been able to build new churches in 50 years. This is a problem since the population has grown and many people live in areas where there are no churches for miles around. The hurricane damaged many of the small chapels. With help from the Collection for the Church in Latin America, chapels were repaired [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LirVqKgoDNY] and in some cases rebuilt [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz5ARRpDy_Q] so that people can gather and celebrate mass. People are creative in Cuba! This group of sisters converted their garage into a meeting place where mass can be celebrated and CCD classes can take place [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emzATp1rH9A]. The Head of the U.S. Interests Section, Jonathan Farrar even acted as a bridge so that the Collection could support those Churches that needed most help. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inNOaW_jVBk]
The storms destroyed over half a million homes as well as crops and food supplies leaving millions of people scrambling for shelter and sustenance. Complicating the recovery effort was the difficulty in getting help to Cuba from the United States. Through the Collection for the Church in Latin America, administered by this office, over $850,000 was sent to Cuban church officials to help with the clean up.
Hope for the Future
There’s been one notable exception to the “no new Churches” rule in Cuba. We visited the construction site of the new National Seminary that is currently being built just outside of Havana [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGiupiLjXfs]. It is expected to be open by September 2010 and will house up to 100 seminarians. It was made possible by generous donations from the United States. Bishop Cantu offers an insight into what life for one of the Cuban seminarians will be like [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIbb_oTwhTI]. It’s interesting to note that this will be the first building that the Church has been allowed to put up in 50 years. Bishop Wenski expressed the importance of this building by quoting the Letter of Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi (Hope that Saves) in the Miami Herald [http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/1200852.html?story_link=email_msg]: “A world without God is a world without hope.” The great story of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre is recounted in his video [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI6NmT7LYY4]. Cuba is preparing to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of Our Lady of Cobre in 2013 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfhgAtFE0pQ].