Cuba’s patron saint, kissed by Pope Francis, comes to Miami

Cuba's patron saint, kissed by Pope Francis, comes to Miami

Celebrations commemorating the 100th-anniversary of the declaration of
Our Lady of Charity as Cuba's patron saint will be held simultaneously
on the island and in Miami, home to the exile community. Miami
Archbishop Thomas Wenski will receive the statue of Cachita, which was
kissed by Pope Francis during his visit to the island last year.
MARIO J. PENTÓN
staff@InCubaToday.com

The statue of Cachita kissed by Pope Francis during his visit to Cuba
last year will be received in Miami on Tuesday evening as part of
celebrations commemorating the 100th-year anniversary of the official
declaration of Our Lady of Charity as Cuba's patron saint.

A similar celebration commemorating the 100th-year anniversary also will
be held in Cuba.

The commemoration on the island will include a Mass at the National
Shrine dedicated to la Caridad del Cobre (Our Lady of Charity) in the
village of El Cobre in Santiago de Cuba.

In Miami, home to Cuban exiles, a Mass will be held at 7 p.m. at the
Ermita de la Caridad, 3609 South Miami Ave., in Coconut Grove.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski will receive the statue of Cachita, as the
saint is affectionately known among Cubans. It is the same statue that
was delivered to Pope Francis during his visit to the island in September.

The ceremony in Miami focuses on the unity of the Cuban family and is "a
significant gesture of brotherhood and inclusion that many people of
faith will appreciate," according to a statement by church authorities.

On May 10, 1916, Pope Benedict XV — at the request of a group of Cuban
veterans from the war of independence from Spain — proclaimed Our Lady
of Charity as Cuba's patron saint. According to the papal decree, the
statue was found floating in the Bay of Nipe in the early 17th century
and was later recognized by the Catholic Church as queen and mother of
all Cubans.

In Santiago de Cuba, Archbishop Dionisio García Ibáñez, will officiate a
Mass at the El Cobre church. Thousands are expected to attend.

The image of Our Lady of Charity was found around 1612 by two Indians
and a slave of African origin in the Bay of Nipe. The representation of
the saint has transcended the religious sphere to become a symbol of
Cuban identity and has been widely reflected in art and literature of
the island.

In the Afro-Cuban religion, Cachita was syncretized with Oshun, the
powerful orisha queen of fresh waters.

Source: Cuba's patron saint, kissed by Pope Francis, comes to Miami | In
Cuba Today - http://www.incubatoday.com/news/article76583752.html