Cuban Catholics began this Sunday the nine days of preparation for the celebration of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, with calls to participate in prayers and activities that will culminate on September 8, the date when this Marian devotion is celebrated and which coincides with the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba announced the invitation to the novena, which begins on August 30 and will last for nine days, inviting the faithful to check the schedules at their churches and communities and to join each day of preparation.
One of the main meeting points will be the National Sanctuary Basilica Minor of the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, in Santiago de Cuba, which announced a special program for these days.
During the novena, the Sanctuary will extend its usual afternoon hours by one hour and will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The masses that are typically held in the morning will be moved to 5:00 p.m., after the scheduled Rosary prayer at 4:30 p.m.
In the mornings, small celebrations will be held to accommodate the needs of the pilgrims arriving in El Cobre.
The programming will be even more extensive during the central days of the celebration. The Sanctuary announced that it will remain open continuously from 6:00 p.m. on Monday, September 7 until midnight on Tuesday, September 8.
On Monday, the 7th, there will be Mass at 9:30 a.m. and at 7:00 p.m., the latter as the first celebration of Vespers. On Tuesday, the 8th, the Feast of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, there will be a first Mass at midnight presided over by the archbishop, another at 9:30 a.m., also led by the prelate, and a parish Mass at 8:00 p.m.
During this event, there will also be celebrations for the pilgrims, and at 9:00 p.m., a concert of Marian music dedicated to the Virgin is scheduled, featuring the choral groups Orfeón Santiago and Vox Lucis.
Beyond the religious nature of the novena, the prayer corresponding to this first Sunday contains direct references to some of the social issues facing Cubans.
The text appeals for the needs of families, the sick, and the deceased, and includes a specific request concerning those who govern the country: "Illuminate the minds of our leaders."
It also calls for solidarity with the most needy sectors by asking that "the hearts of those who have be moved to give to those who lack everything," in addition to mentioning children as "the hope for a better future" and asking for "the separated hearts" to come together and for the Cuban family to be protected.
Another request calls for the prevailing of "peace, justice, and love," words that hold particular significance at a time when Cuba is experiencing one of its most severe economic, energy, and social crises in recent decades, characterized by prolonged blackouts, shortages of fuel and medications, inflation, and increasing challenges in meeting basic needs.
The celebration also comes in a significant year for this tradition. The Parish of Our Lady of Charity of Sancti Spíritus begins on August 30 a Jubilee Year to mark its 300 years of history, which will last until September 2027.
The date also marks the 110th anniversary of the proclamation of the Virgin of Charity of Cobre as the Patroness of Cuba, which was made in 1916 by Pope Benedict XV at the request of veterans of the Liberation Army.
The country's challenges have already directly affected these celebrations. In September 2025, a massive blackout in eastern Cuba forced the cancellation of the traditional youth pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of El Cobre, just an hour before it was set to begin.
On that occasion, the Archbishopric laid at the feet of the Virgin "the difficult moments our homeland is going through."
Related videos:
Filed under: