MIAMI.- This weekend, the community of faithful in Miami is coming together to honor the Virgin of Charity, Patroness of Cuba, with several celebrations that will culminate in a great religious festival. As is tradition, the festivities have taken place over several days, and will culminate on Sunday, September 8 at the Shrine of the Hermitage of Charityan event awaited by thousands of parishioners.
However, this year, for the first time, the main mass in honour of the Virgin will take place outside the Hermitage.
On Saturday, September 7th, at 8:00 PM, Hialeah’s Milander Park, at 4700 Palm Ave, will be the setting for this solemn ceremony. The park gates will open at 5:00 PM to allow for organized entry, and the Mass will be officiated by the Archbishop of Miami, Monsignor Thomas Wenski.
On Sunday, September 8, the Great Festival in honor of the Virgin of Charity will be held at her National Shrine of the Hermitage, located at 3609 S Miami Ave. From 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, the faithful will be able to pay homage to the “Queen and Mother of all the Cuban people,” in an event that will bring together thousands of believers.
Every year, September 8 marks a special day in the Cuban faith, when devotees gather to pray for health, prosperity, the unity of their families and, especially, for the freedom of Cuba. Many of those attending are exiles who see in the Virgin Mambisa a symbol of hope and resistance.
Program for the weekend:
Solemn Mass
Saturday, September 7th
8:00 PM (doors open at 5:00 PM)
Milander Park, 4700 Palm Ave, Hialeah, FL 33013
Great Festival for the Patron Saint
Sunday, September 8th
7:00 AM to 6:00 PM
National Shrine of the Hermitage, 3609 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL.
This weekend promises to be a time of great devotion and celebration for the Cuban community in Miami, reaffirming their faith and hope in the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre.
