The Augustinian Recollect community of Cuba was born as an initiative of the Prior General and his council in 2018, after a process of discernment. It is an interprovincial project promoted by the Prior General. Since then, religious from all the provinces have passed through there and, in recent months, the general councilors have begun to be present to share a few months with the community and get to know the reality more closely.
Fr. Fabián Martín Gómez has been the first of the councilors to go to Cuba to live an experience of more than two months in the mission that the Augustinian Recollects attend to in the Diocese of Holguín. During his stay, he had the opportunity to integrate himself into the life of the communities of Banes, Antilla, Tacajó and Báguanos, where the Augustinian Recollects carry out their missionary work.
“Cuba struggles, resists and still has a little hope that things can change and improve.”
“I had the joy, the blessing of being present in the mission in Cuba,” says Friar Fabian, emphasizing the importance of accompanying and sharing life with the local communities. In a context marked by shortages of food, medicines and basic resources, Friar Fabian met a society that, despite the difficulties, “struggles, resists and still has a little hope that things can change and improve”.
The experience in Cuba allowed him to live significant moments that appeal to faith, hope and charity. Among them, he highlights the visit to the sick in Tacajó, where he met a man with brain cancer in precarious conditions, but cared for with immense love by his wife.“For me it was a moment I will remember,” he confesses.
In Antilla, his work with the youth was another transformative experience. “We decorated the church for Christmas and, during a power outage, we shared a prayer by the light of cell phones. It was a very pleasant memory,” he recounts. Fabian also had the adventure of learning to ride a motorcycle, facing new challenges with humor and courage.
“The hope of Cubans resembles that which is given by the beauty of a sunset; they know that a new day will emerge.”
The faith of the Cubans, according to Friar Fabián, is comparable to that of sailors on the high seas: “Full of risks and dangers, but also of good things and blessings”. Despite the adversities, the communities keep their eyes fixed on Jesus Christ and on religious figures such as the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, seeking inspiration and strength to move forward.
Hope, on the other hand, is manifested in people’s ability to find beauty and meaning in the everyday. “The hope of Cubans resembles that which is given by the beauty of a sunset; they know that a new day will emerge,” reflects Friar Fabian.
“Cubans are luminous people, like the stars in the sky on a dark night.”
Charity and solidarity are fundamental pillars in the life of these communities. “Cubans are luminous people, like stars in the sky on a dark night,” he describes. Their ability to help others, even in the midst of their own needs, left a deep impression on the religious.
“Thank you, my Cuban brothers, for having been my teachers in faith, hope and love,” concludes Fr. Fabian, grateful for the life lessons received and for the opportunity to have shared the journey with people who, despite the difficulties, keep alive the flame of hope and solidarity.
Their testimony is a reminder of the transformative power of faith and community, and how, even in the most adverse contexts, it is possible to find reasons to move forward and build a better future.