Our Lady of Charity - Caridad Del Cobre

Our Virgin Lady of Charity of Cobre or simply Cachita as she is affectionately known to to the people of Cuba has a simple and beautiful story. Around the year 1600 three local boys from Santiago Del Prado, which is presently known as El Cobre, were sent to

Shrine to Cachita

sea to gather salt used to preserve the meat in the town’s slaughterhouse.  The boys were brothers Rodrigo and Juan de Hoyos native Indians and Juan Moreno a young black slave about 10 years old.

Halfway across the Bay of Nipe, a fierce storm threatened to sink their small boat and they prayed for divine help.  The seas calmed down suddenly and the boys saw a white  bundle floating in the distance atop a piece of wood.  At first the boys confused it for a bird but as they got closer they saw that it was a small statue of the Virgin Mary.  She was holding Baby Jesus in her left arm and carried a gold cross in her right hand.  In the wood the words, Yo soy la Virgen de la Caridad (I am the Virgin of Charity) were inscribed. 

The boys gathered the statue noticing that despite the strong storm that had just passed and the high waves of the ocean it was not wet.  The young men brought the statue back to their village and a chapel was built.  Soon the chapel became a pilgrimage site and  the town where her sanctuary was built was named “El Cobre”.  In 1916 Pope Benedict XV declared Our Lady of Charity patroness of Cuba. 

Her feast day is celebrated September 8^th the same day that the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria celebrates the feast day of the Oricha Ochun.   African slaves identified Cachita with Ochun the Oricha or Goddess of love, femininity and sensuality.  To this day practitioners of the Yoruba Religion synchretize Ochun with the beloved Catholic image of Our Lady of Charity.   

Regardless of whether you pray to Cachita or Ochun believers always light a yellow candle on September 8^th.  And ask them to look upon us mortals with eyes of charity and invite them to spread their love and kindness into our hearts.  Nothing you request is too small or too big for them.