The U.S. joins Cubans on the Day of the Virgin of Charity of Copper

Mike Hammer during a visit to the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre The United States Embassy in Cuba joined the celebrations for the Day of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre this Tuesday with a message directed at Cubans both on the island and abroad, highlighting faith, hope, and love for Cuba. «Today, on the Day of the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, we join Cubans inside and outside the Island who are celebrating 'Cachita' and all that she represents: faith, hope, health, and love for Cuba», stated the U.S. diplomatic mission. The post was accompanied by a video recalling a visit from the U.S. Mission Chief in Cuba, Mike Hammer, and his wife Margret to the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Charity in El Cobre, Santiago de Cuba. According to the Embassy, the tour took place during a visit to Santiago de Cuba to speak with beneficiaries of the assistance provided by the Trump Administration after the passage of Hurricane Melissa. "Our Head of Mission Mike Hammer and his wife Margret visited the Sanctuary of the Virgin in El Cobre, where they lit a candle for Cuba and its people," stated the U.S. representation. In the video, a female voice recalls both the individuals affected by Melissa and that visit to the iconic Cuban sanctuary. «Remembering all those affected by Hurricane Melissa and that visit we made last year to El Cobre, on this Day of the Virgin of Charity, may our beloved Cachita continue to protect and watch over Cuba and all her children», the narration states. The images also include the testimony of the parish priest of El Cobre regarding the profound symbolic significance of the candles that pilgrims leave before the Virgin. "In each candle offered by a pilgrim, there is an illusion, a hope, a good wish," explains the priest, who highlighted the faith and devotion with which numerous people come to the place to light them. The religious leader also recalled the damage inflicted on the Sanctuary during the hurricane's passage and the intensity with which the wind struck a building located in an elevated area. "The wind did not understand. It seems that because of the height of the Sanctuary, it blew very hard," he reported. He explained that the force of the phenomenon managed to tear the paint and caused damage to one of the angels of the structure. "We humorously say that evil left its signature because it was a fallen angel," he commented. The reference to the hurricane links the religious message of this September 8th with the humanitarian efforts made by the United States after Melissa. After the cyclone passed, Hammer publicly expressed his prayers and solidarity with the Cuban people and those affected, especially in the eastern part of the country. Moreover, the diplomat's relationship with the Sanctuary of El Cobre and the Patroness of Cuba is not new either. In February 2025, Hammer visited the temple and brought a bouquet of sunflowers as an offering to the Virgin. On that occasion, he described the experience as "beautiful and moving" and expressed his hope that the devotion to the Virgin Mary would grant Cubans "their wishes for a better and free future." The U.S. Embassy had previously used September 8th to send messages of closeness to Cubans. In 2025, the diplomatic mission also congratulated those celebrating both inside and outside the island in honor of the Virgin of Charity, popularly known as "Cachita."