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Marian Prayer Program
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A new Marian Prayer Program in honor of Our Lady of Charity begins Orderwide on September 8, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
This program features an image of Our Lady of Charity, the patroness of Cuba.
Our Lady of Charity has special significance to the Knights of Columbus, given the Order's first principle of Charity, which was also the theme of Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est.
Therefore, although the Virgin of Charity has her origins in Cuba, devotion to her is altogether appropriate for Knights of Columbus everywhere.
As a sign of spiritual solidarity with Pope Benedict XVI, the Holy Father and his intentions will be remembered during each prayer service.
For more information on the Our Lady of Charity image and devotion, please see this
letter from Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and the September 2007 issue of Columbia.
Our Lady of Charity Prayer Booklet
Our Lady of Charity Holy Card
Flyer for St. Joseph Council 7528's Program
For more information contact:
Marian Hour of Prayer Chairman
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Our Lady of Charity of Cobre
Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre
Patroness of Cuba
Submitted by Deacon Juan Lezcano
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The Origin of the statue now venerated at Cobre in Cuba is lost amid legends and confusion. What most probably is the history of the statue is this.
A young officer, Alfonse Ojeda, who accompanied Columbus on his second voyage to America, was in command of a group of Spaniards sent to explore the cost of Central America.
Ill with fever, he and his companions were captured by the pirate Talavera. They were finally released in a tempest off Cuba, and drifted in half- dead to find that the natives would not help them at all.
Many of the men died. Finally a Christian chief came upon them for his kindness; Ojeda gave him his most treasured possession, a statue of the Our Lady which he had brought with him from Spain.
The chief was very pleased with the little Madonna, and helped to build a small chapel for it. He and his people decorated the shrine, and danced and sang for the entertainment of the little Queen.
But soon after Ojeda’s departure, other chiefs, who were pagan, challenged him to prove the powers of his God against theirs. There are various conflicting accounts of the contest, but in any case, the Christians won it.
Probably because of rumors about the contest between the chiefs, the next group of Spaniards to arrive told the chief they were going to remove the statue to one of the Spanish settlements.
The following morning, the chief and the statue had disappeared into the swamp. They stayed there until every Spaniard was safely gone.
Even the famous Father Las Casas, whom the Indians loved and trusted, had no more success when he asked the chief to trade statues with him; once more the little Lady was taken into the swamp to hide.
It is thought that the chief was drowned during a flood when he had hidden in the swamp with his beloved statue and that statue was washed out in a flood sometime later.
That is one theory advanced for the presence of the statue floating in the Bay of Nipa in the part of the story that is best known. But no one knows for sure.
What is known is that in the early seventeenth century there was a shortage of salt in the Spanish dominions, and a royal order went out that several shiploads should be obtained from the salt beds of Nipa Bay.
Among those sent out to help raise the quota were three men in a small boat with three days’ provisions and were well out of reach of land when a hurricane struck them.
Terrified, they prayed to Our Lady to help them, and were amazed and delighted when the hurricane abated and they were left to go on their way. After the darkness of the storm had passed, the little black boy caught sight of a white object floating in the distance.
They watched it for a while and then decided that it must be a pelican, washed out to sea by the storm. However, it followed them until finally they abandoned their course and rowed over to see what it was.
As they drew nearer they could see that it was a small and very lovely statue of Our Lady, standing upright on a plank which floated easily on the water.
They pulled the plank in and removed the statue into the boat. On the plank was carved a legend; “ I am the Virgin of Charity.”
They decided among themselves that they had best put in at the nearest port and leave the statue in safe keeping while they went on their errand, so they did this.
They delivered her into the keeping of the Spanish officer there, and explained to him that she was a Lady of Miracles, because she had ridden out the storm without even one drop of water dampening her white silk dress.
The officer was impressed with the story, and set up the little statue in a temporary chapel. At some time after this, when the excitement had died down somewhat, someone discovered that the statue was gone.
It was known that the little black boy felt a special ownership for the statue because he had been the first to see it; he was tied to a post to be whipped, but as the first blow was struck someone came running to say that the statue was back in it’s place.
There was some dispute over where the statue would finally be placed. Some time after the episode of the disappearance, a child by the name of Appolonia saw a vision of Our Lady on top of a rock at Cobre.
The statue, which was destined for Santiago de Cuba, was being carried there when by some mistake the bearers took the wrong way and arrived at Cobre. Several other signs indicated that this was the place of Our Lady’s choice, so it was here that the church was built.
The Church of Our Lady of Charity is today a place of pilgrimage. The little statue, about sixteen inches high, has a copper—colored face which pleased her Indian friends of Cuba.
Her face is very beautiful, her expression kindly, and her baby winsome. The main feast of the shrine is kept on December 8th, and Our Lady under this title is patroness of Cuba and the Antilles.
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| Council Notes:
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First Degree followed by the Planning Meeting on Tuesday, May 15th, in room "A" starting at 7:00 PM.
Nativity House breakfast. Meet at St. Vincent's Youth Center at 7:50 AM on Saturday, May 19th, and carpool to Nativity House in Tacoma. Contact the
Nativity House Breakfast Chairman
for more information.
General Meeting on Tuesday, June 5th, in the South Narthex with Rosary in the Chapel at 7:00 PM.
All of these events are worthy of your support. Volunteer and/or participate.
Come and get involved....
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