A church in Santiago de Cuba held a mass for the Cubans who have emigrated and the families separated by the exodus, calling for the maintenance of ties with those who had to leave the island and now live scattered across numerous countries.
The Parish of Santo Tomás Apóstol published this Saturday a fragment of the homily delivered by its pastor, Father José Manuel Hernández del Toro, during a “Mass for the Cubans who have emigrated.”
"Today we are remembering our relatives who have left this country," said the priest, who urged everyone to keep in mind those who live far from Cuba.
In every part of the world, there is a Cuban, deep in Russia, in Asia there are Cubans, and they are our brothers," Hernández affirmed.
The parish priest insisted on maintaining a sense of belonging and connections between those who remain on the island and those who have emigrated: "Let us learn to embrace brotherhood because they were born here just like us, one day in this land that they had to leave," he noted.
The reference to those who "had to leave" Cuba takes on special significance amid the exodus that has drastically reduced the country's population in recent years and separated many families.
The parish's publication sparked numerous reactions from Cubans living abroad. In the comments, many expressed gratitude for the acknowledgment of the diaspora and spoke about the pain caused by family separation.
One person claimed to have had to leave "with a broken heart," while another expressed gratitude that those of us who have "involuntarily had to leave our homeland" are being remembered.
Others expressed their wish for Cuban families to be able to reunite and noted that, from abroad, they also keep their relatives and friends who remain on the island close to their hearts.
The reactions reflect a reality that transcends demographic figures: the emigration in recent years has spread Cuban communities across numerous countries and turned family separation into a daily experience for a significant portion of the population both inside and outside of Cuba.
Nevertheless, the concern over emigration had recently reached the pulpits of Santiago de Cuba. In July, Archbishop Dionisio García Ibáñez lamented the massive exodus of youth and linked the phenomenon to the country's productive decline, questioning from the Sanctuary of the Cobre: "Who cultivates our fields?".
Additionally, the Mass of Saint Thomas the Apostle was held on the eve of the start of the novena dedicated to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, where the faithful will pray for their loved ones, including those who are abroad.
This Sunday, August 30, the nine days of preparation began for the celebration on September 8, with activities planned in churches and Cuban communities, as well as a special program at the National Sanctuary of El Cobre.
The mass held in the Santiago church has a devastating context.
The latest official data places Cuba's effective population at 9,434,593 residents by the end of 2025, down from 9,748,007 a year earlier. This represents a loss of 313,414 residents in just twelve months.
The National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) defines this figure as "effective population," a methodology that takes into account, among other factors, the duration of stay within the national territory.
Emigration was once again the most significant factor in this contraction. The ONEI reported a negative migration balance of 245,264 people during 2025, along with only 68,064 births and 136,214 deaths.
Cuban emigration has shifted towards countries in Latin America, primarily Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay.
A report from the International Organization for Migration published in March 2026 indicated that net regular migration from Cuba to Brazil nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025, while applications for asylum from Cubans in that country increased from 22,288 in 2024 to 41,919 in 2025.
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