Cardinal García blesses the Pinar del Río diocese

Last Saturday, June 9, S.E.R. Juan de la Caridad Cardenal García, archbishop of Havana, presided over the Eucharistic celebration in the Pinar del Río cathedral of San Rosendo, which was attended as concelebrants by the current bishop of the diocese, Mons. Juan de Dios Hernández and his two bishops emeritus, Monsignors José Siro González Bacallao and Jorge Serpa.

This is the second diocese that the Cuban prelate visits after being created cardinal of the universal Church. Previously he was in Matanzas and will soon go to Holguín and Camagüey, in the latter he will preside over the mass on February 2, the holiday of his patron saint, the Virgin of Candelaria.

The cardinal and archbishop of Havana blessed the returnees and together with them sang the anthem of the westernmost province of Cuba, after the emotion caused by the presentation that two committed laywomen gave him of a beautiful pectoral, which was made by the artisan from Pinar del Río, and Catholic, Noel Castillo López. According to the current bishop of Pinar del Río, Mons. Juan de Dios Hernández, “with this work, the artist embossed in wood what the beloved
shepherd lives in his heart.”

Because Pinar del Río is a diocese animated not only by its faithful, but by a large number of missionaries who come from various countries and join the evangelizing work of the Church in Cuba, the cardinal thanked God for his work. Thanks to them, he said, “our Church is in the hearts and in the home of the people of Pinar del Río.”