Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
San Isidro (Agenzia Fides) - During his visit to Cuba, Pope Francis praised the work done by the so-called "mission houses", which in the absence of churches and priests, function as places of prayer, catechesis and meeting for Catholics (see Fides 22/09/2015). In the Cuban province of Holguin, where the Pope went, there are different Argentine missionaries working in the animation of the mission houses. One of them is Father Adrian Santarelli, who went on a mission to Holguin 20 years ago and on Monday, September 21, along with other priests of the diocese of San Isidro (Argentina), concelebrated the Mass with Pope Francis.
"I wanted to go to Africa, but the Bishop of San Isidro at the time, His Exc. Mgr. Jorge Casaretto, met the Bishop of Holguin, who asked for priests – said Fr. Santarelli to the Argentine newspaper La Nacion -. It was 1990, and Holguin was a diocese that had about two million people and only 11 priests. Faced with this reality, Mgr. Casaretto asked me to go to Cuba to open a permanent mission; and so in 1995, along with three other priests, we went to Cuba".
"The Bishop entrusted the parish of St. Joseph with a warning: 'there is nothing here, do what you can'. So we opened the 'mission houses' in suburban neighborhoods. Sometimes we received the visit of the Committee Defense of the Revolution, who told us we could not hold religious meetings. Sometimes I told those in charge of the Committee: 'Why did you give us a visa if we cannot work with the poor?' but then they did nothing".
Father Santarelli stresses that the Catholic Church has never broken off relations with the Cuban government, and has always tried to find a meeting point in order to live together. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 23/09/2015)
