La Maya, Cuba. This past April 16th , the community of La Maya celebrated an event without precedent: an exhibition of religious art in homage of the Virgin of Charity of Cobre, Patroness of Cuba.

The event was framed within the celebrations of the 400th jubilee year since her discovery and presence in the history of the country.

The initiative for the event was taken by the Claretians who staff the Church of San José de La Maya in the Parish of The Immaculate Conception of Her Arrival. It was also coordinated with the “St. Anthony Mary Claret Cultural and Missionary Animation Center (CCAM), founded by the Claretians of Santiago de Cuba. The showing, entitled “My Image of Charity”, included part of the patrimony from the art gallery of the CCAM.

For the Claretian Missionaries of Santiago de Cuba, the event is an extension of the sustained work that has been happening in the creation of spaces for dialogue between faith and culture which, since 1999, this community has been dedicated.

At the opening ceremony, Fr. Juventino Rodríguez, CMF, Pastor, welcomed all present and gave thanks for the help and the facilities offered by the authorities of the municipality for the fulfillment of the project

Later, Fr. Carlomán Molina Echeverri, CMF – Founcer and Director of CCAM – gave reference to the importance of the dialogue between faith and culture from a fraternal and respectful perspective, as well as the role the Church as played throughout their history with art as a means of expressing the highest values of Christianity. Finally, Mirtha Clavería, collaborator with CCAM, gave the opening presentation.

A large number of the public filled the vestibule of the “La Maya Theatre”, turned into an art gallery for the occasion, and were amazed at the showing of the thirteen pieces of art presented in this unprecedented exhibition.