San Lázaro was also present at the celebrations for the 500 years of Havana

Small, simple and surrounded by humble people, this Sunday came the pilgrim image of Saint Lazarus to the S.M.I Cathedral of Havana, as part of an initiative carried out by the members of the community of El Rincón and its rector, Father Elixander Torres Pérez, to celebrate the Jubilee of San Cristobal and the 500th anniversary of the founding of Havana.

Father Elixander expressed that Cubans have a lot of devotion to San Lázaro and this allows the participation of the whole town in the festivities for the 500 years of the city. For this reason, for a week now, the pilgrim image of St Lazarus has been touring parishes in different areas of the archdiocese, including some located in places far from the center of the capital. “St. Lazarus is poor and the humble are the closest to the gospel. That’s why we decided to take it to villages in areas like Mayabeque and Artemis,” he explained.

“Through the Facebook page of the National Shrine of St. Lazarus, people have thanked us for bringing to all these communities so that we can see the Catholic Church not only with the faithful inside, but with all the people outside as well,” he added.

On his journey, the image visited the following parishes: St Julian’s, in Goines; St. John the Baptist, in Jaruco; the Assumption, in Guanabacoa, the nursing home and church of San Francisco de Paula, on October 10; the parish of the Wajay, Avocado, South Mane, Batabanó and San José de las Lajas areas.

The visit to the Cathedral was the last stop of this great pilgrimage. For Norma Padilla, who is a neighbor of the historic center of Havana and a devoted of the miraculous saint, this event was a great blessing for her life because The closeness of St Lazarus to the capital people of the Cathedral gives her greater certainties: “He has shown us on numerous occasions that he constantly intercedes before God for all of us”.

In this sense, Father Yosvani Carvajal Sureda, parish priest of the Cathedral, thanked Father Elixander and his entire community for this initiative they have had for the celebrations of the 500 years of Havana. “St. Lazarus is the poor one blessed by God, it is the image that helps the poor identify as His favorites,” he said.