Between February and April 2025, Sisters Maria Teresa Cuervo and Maggie D’Costa travel on behalf of the General Team to the Province of Vedrun-America.
Below we share the second chronicle of their trip, between February 24 and March 9, 2025, which they spent in Cuba together with the community of sisters of Aguada de Pasajero, and the Lay Associates in Palma Soriano. It was there that they celebrated the Congregation’s Foundation Day, February 26.
Passenger watering place
The community of four sisters in Aguada de Pasajeros performs various pastoral and educational tasks.
Our first visit was to the parish of Jesus the Nazarene. We shared with a small group of the Christian community the Word and then the Eucharistic bread. It is gratifying to hear the echoes that the Gospel has in their lives and the spontaneous connection with reality. For example, the petitions are for concrete health situations, attitudes of service, solidarity and great gratitude for the rain that they have been urgently awaiting for a long time. This group is accompanied by two of the sisters. Since there is no priest in the parish, the sisters, together with the members of the Christian community, are in charge of all the daily dynamics of the community, accompanying the parish pastoral. The bishop celebrates the Eucharist on Fridays and Sundays.
They also accompany Christian communities in the countryside and bateyes, areas on the periphery. In addition, the sisters work with Caritas, where they provide lunch for 15 elderly people. They also provide support to a group of people with disabilities or mental limitations.
Two of the sisters are state employees in the area of education. We were very happy to learn from some of the teachers and administrative personnel how much the educational authorities value the sisters for their contributions to the animation and organization of the school. The visits they make to the students’ homes when they miss classes or are sick are very much appreciated.
Finally, from a distance, and with the resources they have – scarce and creative – they accompany the community of Lay Associates and Vedruna friends.
We visited the school of Captain San Luis -Eliseo Diegue-, a young man who participated and died in the revolution. Two of the sisters work in this school: one as director and the other as a teacher. We greeted some of the teachers, the secretary and saw the atmosphere of the school. Many people attend there, since it is the center that provides education to the generation from 12 to 15 years old.
In addition, we also walked through the neighborhoods on the outskirts of the town of Aguadas de Pasajeros, and were able to visit the chapel of La Real Campiña and the Batey de Venero.
Meeting with the Bishop of Holguin
We visited Emilito A. bishop of Holguin. He welcomed us with great affection, remembering the sisters who shared pastoral work with him in his diocese. Whenever he has the opportunity, he expresses his gratitude. During the dinner conversation in the priestly house he shared with us something of the reality of the country.
Community of Lay Associates of Palma Soriano
The community is located in Palma Soriano, about a 12-hour drive from the Vedruna Community of Aguada de Pasajeros.
It is a community composed of 12 lay people, who have their mission in the parish. They are in charge of leading the liturgy on the days when it is their turn, participating in catechesis in preparation for the sacraments and visiting the sick. In addition, those who cannot leave their homes for various reasons, such as health problems, welcome Christian communities in their homes. During our visit, we had the opportunity to meet with two Vedruna laywomen in their homes, as they are ill and the religious who reside in what was once our home.
February 26th Celebrations
On February 26, we shared the celebration of the Word with some of the people closest to the sisters, belonging to the different groups that they accompany and animate. The family atmosphere made us enjoy, not only for the participation in the celebration, but also for the solidarity and help of the neighbors, who even lent their chairs so that we could all be comfortable.
The Betania group, composed of teenagers, young people and adults, offered a concert on the occasion of the 199th anniversary of the foundation of the congregation . The repertoire included some songs of Ain Karem, adapted with Cuban-style arrangements. The soloists also performed in English several Cuban melodies that have been successful in the United States. This group was founded by the sisters and is currently accompanied by Anibal, a music teacher.
We also had a meeting with the group of teenagers “Crazy for Jesus”, with whom we shared a prayer to celebrate the 199th anniversary of the foundation of the Congregation. They made interesting echoes of the letter that Joaquina wrote to the bishop of Vic, Pablo de Jesús Corcuera, requesting permission for the foundation: they noted that Joaquina started with poor young people, living by work, solidarity and helping people. At the end of the celebration of the Word we shared refreshments and cookies. There was a dynamic and a raffle with very simple prizes.
Some particularities that caught our attention were:
- Cuba is a town that has a special affection for the Virgin Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre. Her feast day is September 8 and almost nobody misses the celebration.
- Transportation is diverse, they are recursive. In the absence of fuel, they use many alternative resources for transportation: horse-drawn carts, tricycles, cabs, bicycles, “riquimbili”, which is a motorcycle with a small body…
- The roads are almost empty, there is no more fuel to implement public means of transportation. This affects many aspects: for example, the doctor who has to visit families moves with a method called “asking for a bottle”, what other places call “echar dedo”, “palomita”, “auto stop”. And, if he does not succeed, he resigns himself to what many do: walk, and walk, and walk…
- The creativity and resources of the people, the way they overcome difficulties and shortages is admirable. For example, with an empty tuna can they make a reverbero, to heat the food.
- The number of elderly people who work and travel by bicycle or cart is striking.
- One expression that caught our attention was “He goes to the doctor, but he has to wear a suit”. This means that the patient must wear a gift that somehow guarantees special attention.
The other chronicles of the visit are already available:
