Washington D.C., Oct 25, 2010 / 23:12 pm
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced that it is sending a delegation to attend the opening of a new seminary in Havana, Cuba – the country’s first facility of its kind in more than 50 years.
The USCCB Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America will travel to Cuba November 3-6, for the opening of the new seminary located 30 miles outside of Havana. The building will be able to house 100 candidates for the priesthood.
John Paul II blessed the cornerstone of the seminary during his visit to Cuba in 1998. The construction has been financed by numerous international institutions, including the Knights of Columbus.
The USCCB delegation will be led by subcommittee member Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, as well as Fr. Andrew Small, National Collections Office director for the Church Latin America, and local clergy from the Archdiocese of Miami.
In addition to the inauguration of the seminary, the group will visit parishes and missions in Havana supported by the Collection for the Church in Latin America.