Hurricane Melissa seriously damaged the Cuban sanctuary of the Virgen del Cobre

The passage of Hurricane Melissa through Cuba left a trail of destruction, considerably affecting the Basilica of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre, patron saint of the country.

The hurricane entered Cuba on October 29 at 3:05 am through the municipality of Guamá, in the province of Santiago de Cuba, with category 3 and sustained winds of 195 km/h, mainly affecting the east of the country.

The town of Cobre is “devastated”

The town of El Cobre, located at the foot of the Sierra, about 20 kilometers west of the city of Santiago de Cuba, was one of the most affected areas.

Father Rogelio Dean, rector of the sanctuary, He reported that during the passage of the hurricane There were moments of “a lot of tension, a lot of pain, a lot of worry.” In the voice of the population, the priest explained that “they had never seen anything like this.”

Regarding the damage suffered in the temple, Father Dean explained that Melissa “has torn the sanctuary (…) some stained glass windows (are) unfortunately damaged. Water got in and well, it has been very difficult times.”

Despite precautionary measures, such as placing aluminum frames and embedded screws to protect the stained glass, “this hurricane has knocked down masonry structures from the wall.”

Regarding the consequences on the population, the priest pointed out that in his journey he has been able to confirm that “people have lost practically everything. We are experiencing a very painful situation right now. Very, very painful.”

Turn your gaze to Cuba

From your website, Cáritas Cuba reported that, although the eye of the hurricane has already left the national territory, the winds and cloud bands “continue to affect a large part of the interior and the northern coast of the eastern region,” in addition to having caused the “overflowing of local rivers, flooding a high percentage of homes and institutions in the eastern settlements.”

Faced with this emergency, Father Dean called on society and institutions to “direct their gaze toward eastern Cuba at this moment.”

“We are activating the parish Caritas mechanism to provide food, which is what we can do for the moment. Obviously we are still without electricity,” explained the priest.

For its part, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba (COCC) deeply regretted tragedy and recalled that this disaster adds “to the already difficult daily reality of our people.”

The prelates asked for “everything” for the victims: food, clothing, mattresses, household supplies, shelters “especially for so many lonely elderly people and for all those who live this hour with natural sadness and discouragement.”

Finally, they called for solidarity “to Cubans from other parts of the world and from all over the country. To all those who, with good will, want and can help us.”