Serving in Cuba
In March of 2020 Father Jim Hamilton and Deacon Vaughn Vigil from Church on the Square, Baltimore traveled to Havana for an event to celebrate the reuniting of the Diocese of Cuba with the Episcopal Church. The Diocese of Cuba had been separated from the U.S. Episcopal Church since 1966. Jim and Vaughn where there to welcome them home.
While they were on the trip in Cuba Jim and Vaughn established partnerships with 5 churches in Eastern Cuba; San Lucas, Santa Maria, and San Pedro in Santiago; San Juan Bautista in Palma Soriano, and San Joaquin in Bayamo. Our plans included an annual mission trip to build relationships and learn from the Cuban people. Their wish was to serve side-by-side with Cubans to complete work projects for our church partners.
In February, 2023, 15 people from Church on the Square and the Church of the Holy Apostles and St. Stephen, traveled to Santiago de Cuba on our first mission trip! Together with the Cuban people we be completed several work projects and helped at a daycare center run by one of the churches.
Getting even the bare necessities for life in Cuba can be a struggle, even clean drinking water is a scarce resource. Our Cuban partners asked that we bring all the work project supplies with us to Cuba from new water filters that will provide safe drinking water to the communities around each church, to paint brushes and over-the-counter medications.
In April of 2024 we are returning to Santiago to assist with some other work projects. If you want to learn more please join us for one of our Information Sessions on Zoom. The schedule will be:
Wednesday, December 13, 7pm
Wednesday, December 20, 7pm
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87822090921?pwd=J8lbfb8oCOyZ0v5wMikaEanS68dKvX.1
2023 Project Details
Three different Projects
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The Church, San Lucas in Santiago is in need of new paint inside and out in order to protect the building from the weather and preserve its beauty for the community. Your Cuba missions team goal is to completely repaint the entire church. The team will be bringing all supplies from the U.S. as brushes, rollers, tape and other painting supplies are extremely difficult to get in Cuba.
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The Church of San Pedro in Santiago runs a day care for community children. Each day while in Cuba, your Cuba Mission Team will help care for the kids, prepare meals for the children and community members and complete several small repairs around the building. Our goal is to be helpful to the daycare center and build relationship with the community.
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Our five partner churches in Cuba provide clean drinking water to their surrounding communities. On water day (Cuba does not provide water each day) people line up at each of the churches to fill containers of clean water for their families. The water purification systems at each church need replacement filters so they can continue to provide clean water. Your Cuba Team will bring new filters, and related parts, for each church water system to provide clean water for the next year.
