Procession of the Virgin of Carmen in Cojimar, Havana

Photo Feature by Nike

HAVANA TIMES – Since as far back as 1879, the people of Cojímar have celebrated the fiesta of their patron saint, the Virgin of Carmen. The eve of her celebration coincides with the date traditionally recognized as the founding of the town, July 15, which in this case dates to 1649, the year construction was completed on the military watchtower we all know as El Castillito de Cojímar.

The procession of the Virgin of Carmen, Star of the Sea and patron saint of sailors, thus coincides with the celebration of the founding of this small fishing village.

I went to visit a friend who is now 86 years old and was raised by her parents in a deeply Catholic tradition. She shared with me her childhood memories of going to church with the entire town and then following the Virgin to El Cachón beach.

A group of parishioners would place the statue of the Virgin in a boat and take her on a procession around the small bay. They would then bring her to the Cojímar seawall, from where her pilgrimage continued back to the church. Before the Virgin could reenter the church, she had to face the town with her back to the church, so that she could greet the people and bid farewell to her village until the following year.

My friend, who was only a little girl at the time, was deeply moved because she believed the Virgin was alive. She felt the Virgin looked at her and greeted her before disappearing into the dim interior of the village’s small church.

After the pilgrimage ended, all the faithful would gather in the town square, where the patron saint festivities truly began, with food, drinks, and dancing in celebration.

Sadly, in the 1970s the government banned the pilgrimage. Nevertheless, the faithful continued to observe the tradition inside the church.

Years passed, and in the 1990s the government once again allowed the procession, though with restrictions. In 1993, for example, they brought the Virgin outside and carried her only around the church.

In the years that followed, the pilgrimage gradually resumed through different streets of Cojimar. Several years ago, they added a stop at the local polyclinic, where prayers are offered for the health of the sick.

This year, people answered the church bells’ call to Mass, and afterward the procession began. There were many people, both familiar faces and strangers. As the procession made its way through the streets, several people approached and placed their hands on the Virgin of Carmen’s altar, praying for freedom for the Cuban people, as well as for good health, which has always been one of the faithful’s most heartfelt prayers.

This year, however, something surprised me. A young woman suddenly began shouting for freedom. I never got a good look at her because she was taken away almost immediately, and I was left worried. I waited before writing this so I could find out what had happened to her. Fortunately, I later learned she was unharmed. They said she had been drunk and was simply taken home.

The procession now once again includes a stop along the small seawall that borders part of the bay, where prayers are offered asking the Virgin to protect the fishermen whenever they go out to sea, as well as the residents of Cojímar.

And, of course, the traditional festivities themselves have not existed since the 1960s. They were customs brought from Spain along with the Catholic faith and had brought the townspeople together in a great celebration every July 16.

I leave you here with some photographs so you can get a sense of what it is like.

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