Visit of Pope Benedict to Cuba

In March 2013 I accompanied a small group of Boston pilgrims traveling to Havana for the historic visit of Pope Benedict. During the trip, pilgrims toured the city, experienced some of the Church’s charitable programs for the poor and the elderly and celebrated Mass with Cardinal Sean O’Malley. The visit concluded with a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict in Havana’s Revolution Square.

Mass and dinner with Boston Pilgrims in Havana, Cuba, March 27, 2012. Photo by Gregory L. Tracy, The Pilot
Mass and dinner with Boston Pilgrims in Havana, Cuba, March 27, 2012. Photo by Gregory L. Tracy, The Pilot
Mass and dinner with Boston Pilgrims in Havana, Cuba, March 27, 2012. Photo by Gregory L. Tracy, The Pilot

Apartments along Havana’s once-splendid waterfront boulevard, El Malecón, show the effects the nation’s poverty. The average Cuban lives on only $20 per month.