With a fervent and massive procession that travelled through the main streets of this city, the Diocese of Ciego de Ávila experienced a historic day in honour of the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, Patroness of Cuba. The pilgrim image, received with jubilation by faithful of all ages, not only strengthened the faith of the Catholic community, but also reaffirmed its profound role as a fundamental pillar of national identity.

From the San Eugenio de la Palma Cathedral, the sacred image, carried on shoulders by devotees and escorted by a multitude intoning songs and prayers, began its journey. The ringing of bells and the clamour of “Long live the Mambisa Virgin!” mingled, creating an atmosphere of profound emotion and collective reverence.

For the Avilanians and Cubans in general, the visit of “Cachita” transcends the merely religious. Her figure is a standard of cubanía, a unifying symbol that narrates the history of the island.

The Procession in Ciego de Ávila served as a powerful reminder that devotion to the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre is one of the most resilient and beloved cultural pillars of the country. In a world of constant changes, her image remains as a beacon of unity, resilience and patriotic love, reinforcing the bonds that define the Cuban people, inside and outside the island.

At the end of the procession the priest Dariusz Jozef Chalupczynski, diocesan administrator, evoked the chant to the Mambisa Virgin and her call for us to be brothers in good fortune as in adversity to strengthen faith, hope and charity, including a general blessing, leaving those present with the certainty that faith and nation, under the mantle of Charity, always march united.