Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santa Clara (Fides Service) - “Sunday 26 February was a morning for blessing for Santa Clara diocese ” says Rev. Raul Rodríguez National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Cuba. Some communities in the diocese were visited by the Bishop Marcelo Arturo Gonzalez who blessed two particular holy images which accompany the daily life of the faithful.
Fr. Raúl says it is a tradition in Cuba for holy Images to go from house to house. On the occasion neighbours are invited to come during the week to read the Bible and spend the night in prayer. In the small village of Sierra Morena in the northern part of Santa Clara diocese the Bishop blessed an image of the Child Jesus before it started its pilgrimage to Catholic homes. In his homily the Bishop called on Catholics to pray that Cuban families may be ever more united in love.
The Bishop then went to the village of San Vicente which belongs to the parish of Rancho Veloz and where there is not even one church and so missionaries organise a Sunday Mass in a different home every week. After celebrating Mass the Bishop blessed a ceramic image of Our Lady of Charity, patroness and queen of Cuba. The image will be hung as a signal outside the next home to host Sunday Mass. “The image will be the only religious symbol visible in the village where there is a community of Catholics but no church, not even a chapel” says Rev. Raul. The Bishop encouraged the people to contemplate the image frequently and to invoke the maternal intercession of Mary for all the families of Cuba. “Both these celebrations - Rev Raul concludes- were fruits of pastoral work to strengthen the faith of Cuban Catholics and encourage popular piety and devotions”. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 6/3/2006 - righe 23, parole 325)
