In 1612, an African slave and two indigenous Cubans rowed a boat to collect salt in the Bay of Nipe in Cuba. As a violent storm subsided, they spotted a 16-inch wooden statue of Blessed Mother Mary on a tablet floating on the waves. In the statue’s left hand was Baby Jesus, and in the right a cross.    

A sign beneath the statue said, “Yo soy la Virgen de la Caridad.” (I am the Virgin of Charity.) And even though the statue was discovered in the bay, the statue’s clothing was miraculously dry. This is the story of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre (Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre, patroness of Cuba), whose feast day is celebrated on September 8.     

Charity statue: the original and a replica

Under this title, Mary is venerated by many Cuban Catholics in the U.S. and on the island – a symbol of hope and devotion. The original statue is kept at the Basilica of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, located in the village of El Cobre about 12 miles west of Santiago de Cuba (second-largest city in Cuba). An identical replica is venerated by Cuban Americans at the  Our Lady of Charity National Shrine in Miami. 

On Sunday, September 7, the annual Our Lady of Charity Mass will be held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, scheduled for 4 p.m. The assigned principal celebrant and homilist is Father Ernesto Alonso-Aguila, his third consecutive year celebrating the Mass. The priest is Cuban-born and a parochial vicar at St. Leo Church in the Corona section of Queens (Diocese of Brooklyn). The Our Lady of Charity of Cobre Committee, Archdiocese of New York, is planning the Mass in conjunction with the archdiocesan Cultural Diversity Apostolate

“The Cuban people more than ever need many prayers, much spiritual accompaniment,” Father Alonso-Aguila told The Good Newsroom in an August 28 phone interview. “And the presence of the Virgin of Charity, as the patroness of Cuba, has been a beacon of light for the people, a guide. In celebrating the Eucharist together, we give thanks to God for life and prepare ourselves for a better future with hope – above all, with a message of hope.”

Father Alonso-Aguila added that the Cuban people on the island have been “very oppressed, without hope and in misery for a long time… And sincerely, it is faith, it seems, that is the only thing that keeps them standing.” He said his homily message will include the need for spiritual accompaniment for people in Cuba, and for peace throughout the world.

Among Cuban devotees, the image of Our Lady of Charity is given the affectionate title of “La Cachita.” The color yellow is associated with the Virgin of Charity, and her shrines are often filled with yellow flowers. A chapel of Our Lady of Charity is located within the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

A word from a committee leader

“This is a very important devotion for the Cuban people – we know that they are suffering over there on the island,” said Carolina Beteta, vice president of the Our Lady of Charity of Cobre Committee, Archdiocese of New York, noting the political and societal ills on the Caribbean Island nation. She said the committee very much appreciates Father Alonso-Aguila agreeing to celebrate the Mass.

Beteta is Peruvian-born and raised, but she has long been involved with various Marian Mass celebrations at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, including Peruvian-tradition devotions. She has visited Cuba and is close friends with past and present lead members of the Charity of Cobre committee; she has developed a solidarity with people from Cuba.