Exiled Cubans join in prayer campaign called for by archbishop

Miami, Fla., Feb 22, 2008 / 13:14 pm

The large Cuban community in southern Florida has joined in the prayer campaign convened by Archbishop Dionisio Garcia Ibanez of Santiago, Cuba on the occasion of the visit of Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who will visit his archdiocese on Saturday.

In a letter, Archbishop Garcia said the Archdiocese of Santiago would welcome Cardinal Bertone this Saturday “as a pilgrim to the Shrine of Our Mother and Patroness, the Virgin of Charity.  It will be a profound moment of prayer.  Young people from neighboring dioceses and from communities in our own archdiocese will join him in praying the Holy Rosary for reconciliation and fraternity between all Cubans.”

Therefore, he continued, “I invite all those who cannot be present at the Shrine together with us to join in our prayers and intentions, whether at home with family members and neighbors, in houses of prayer or in churches, by reciting the Rosary or attending Holy Mass.”

In Miami, the Cuban Catholic ministry “CRECED” announced that in response to the invitation, hundreds of the faithful “will meet in prayer at the Shrine to Our Lady of Charity in Miami” together with Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Estevez of Miami.

CRECED invited those who can not be present at the Shrine to join in prayer at 5:45pm local time and follow the rosary on Radio Paz, the Catholic station of the Archdiocese of Miami.

“How beautiful it would be that all of us show our love to the Virgin and to Cuba and join together if possible at the same in prayer to obtain these intentions which all Cubans of good will long for.  If we do this we are already beginning to obtain this longing,” Archbishop Garcia said in his letter.