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Last Saturday, September 19, a Eucharistic celebration was held in this capital in honor of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, in solidarity with the people of Cuba, to commemorate the centennial of the birth of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Dominica (1996–2026).
The religious ceremony brought together officials, members of the Cuban community residing in Dominica, Dominicans who graduated from Cuban universities, Cuban collaborators, and friends of Cuba, in an atmosphere of faith, gratitude, and brotherhood. The singing of an excerpt from “La Guantanamera” during the Mass was a very moving moment of the day.
Among those present were Her Excellency Josette Matthew, Acting President of the Commonwealth of Dominica; the Honorable Dr. Vince Henderson, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Dominica; the Ambassador of Dominica to Cuba, Ian Douglas; the Ambassador of Cuba to Dominica, Miguel Fraga; and other members of the Parliament of Dominica. Father Frantzo Simbert presided over the celebration. In his homily, he expressed gratitude for Cuba’s historic solidarity in the fields of health and education, not only with Dominica but with the Caribbean as a whole.
In his remarks, Ambassador Miguel Fraga addressed those present “as a Cuban who simply wants to say thank you.” He also thanked the Church for hosting the celebration, dedicated to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, in a year that combines a tribute to Fidel with three decades of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The ambassador referred to the difficult situation Cuba is facing due to the intensification of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States, and in particular to the new measures regarding fuel supplies, which—he asserted—constitute “a silent genocide” with human consequences, such as an increase in infant mortality and a decline in the survival rates of children with cancer. “Behind these measures there are not just numbers: there are families, there are children, there are the elderly, there are the sick—there are human beings,” he said, emphasizing that “Cuba is not a threat; the Embargo is.”
Despite the difficulties, the Ambassador reaffirmed hope as something that no sanction can take away from the Cuban people, recalling the words of Pope Francis, who called the Virgin of Charity “Mother of Hope,” and the recent prayer of Pope Leo XIV asking for her protection for all the children of that beloved land.
Quoting José Martí—“with all and for the good of all”—the ambassador emphasized that Cuba will continue to move forward with the strength of its people and the solidarity of brothers and sisters like those in Dominica.
The ambassador emphasized: “Cuba is alive! Cuba is fighting!”
He also extended his best wishes for the well-being of the Dominican people on their own path, legacy, and future, and for the continued strengthening of the deep bonds of friendship that unite both peoples.
The celebration concluded with a message of blessing for the peoples of Cuba and Dominica, and with a renewed call for solidarity and peace among peoples.
EMBACUBADOMINICA
Last Saturday, September 19, a Eucharistic celebration was held in this capital in honor of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, in solidarity with the people of Cuba, to commemorate the centennial of the birth of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Dominica (1996–2026).
The religious ceremony brought together officials, members of the Cuban community residing in Dominica, Dominicans who graduated from Cuban universities, Cuban collaborators, and friends of Cuba, in an atmosphere of faith, gratitude, and brotherhood. The singing of an excerpt from “La Guantanamera” during the Mass was a very moving moment of the day.
Among those present were Her Excellency Josette Matthew, Acting President of the Commonwealth of Dominica; the Honorable Dr. Vince Henderson, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Dominica; the Ambassador of Dominica to Cuba, Ian Douglas; the Ambassador of Cuba to Dominica, Miguel Fraga; and other members of the Parliament of Dominica. Father Frantzo Simbert presided over the celebration. In his homily, he expressed gratitude for Cuba’s historic solidarity in the fields of health and education, not only with Dominica but with the Caribbean as a whole.
In his remarks, Ambassador Miguel Fraga addressed those present “as a Cuban who simply wants to say thank you.” He also thanked the Church for hosting the celebration, dedicated to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, in a year that combines a tribute to Fidel with three decades of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The ambassador referred to the difficult situation Cuba is facing due to the intensification of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States, and in particular to the new measures regarding fuel supplies, which—he asserted—constitute “a silent genocide” with human consequences, such as an increase in infant mortality and a decline in the survival rates of children with cancer. “Behind these measures there are not just numbers: there are families, there are children, there are the elderly, there are the sick—there are human beings,” he said, emphasizing that “Cuba is not a threat; the Embargo is.”
Despite the difficulties, the Ambassador reaffirmed hope as something that no sanction can take away from the Cuban people, recalling the words of Pope Francis, who called the Virgin of Charity “Mother of Hope,” and the recent prayer of Pope Leo XIV asking for her protection for all the children of that beloved land.
Quoting José Martí—“with all and for the good of all”—the ambassador emphasized that Cuba will continue to move forward with the strength of its people and the solidarity of brothers and sisters like those in Dominica.
The ambassador emphasized: “Cuba is alive! Cuba is fighting!”
He also extended his best wishes for the well-being of the Dominican people on their own path, legacy, and future, and for the continued strengthening of the deep bonds of friendship that unite both peoples.
The celebration concluded with a message of blessing for the peoples of Cuba and Dominica, and with a renewed call for solidarity and peace among peoples.
EMBACUBADOMINICA
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It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
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