![]() ![]() These touching scenes show how strong devotees’ faith is in this saint that grants miracles. Red Cross members are there, ready to come to the aid of those who are tired or pass out. Some arrive breathless crawling on their knees or on their backs, some even dragging rocks behind them all the way from central Havana to honour promises made to St Lazarus. However, especially, on the 17th of December, one can see a vast crowd of pilgrims walking along the path that leads to the gates of the sacred site. It is not very easy to reach El Rincón, a small town in the municipality of Rancho Boyeros. Revered throughout Cuba, this saint is represented as an old man with sores on his body, wearing rags, with crutches, accompanied by two small dogs which, according to legend, licked his wounds to soothe the pain. People crawling in a religious ceremony at San Lazaro Catholic Church in El Rincon. This miraculous old man is loved as much as Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, the patroness saint of Cuba.Įvery 17 December, the day of homage to the saint, a vast crowd gathers at the small town of El Rincón, about 15 kilometres from the centre of Havana, either to honour promises for graces they obtained or to ask the saint for health, money and love, essential elements, according to many, to achieve happiness. The place is packed with devotees paying homage to Saint Lazarus, the saint of the poor, the healer of the diseases of the skin. Pilgrims arrive breathless crawling on their knees along the path that leads to the National Sanctuary dedicated to Saint Lazarus in El Rincón. ![]() “Only Cubans know the mysteries that Saint Lazarus hides”. The Devotion of a People.Įvery year thousands of people go to pay homage to Saint Lazarus in El Rincón, a few kilometres from the capital Havana. In the African Diasporic religion of Cuban Santeria or Lukumi, Saint Lazarus is associated with the orisha Babalu Aye in this guise he is seen as an especially benevolent spirit for those who suffer with long-term illnesses like AIDS.Cuba. The dogs mentioned in Christ's parable are present, licking Lazarus' wounds in an attempt to help him heal. In his iconography, Lazarus is depicted as a thin man, often in few clothes, with sores of leprosy on his body. Dives then pleads for Lazarus to be sent back to Earth to warn his five narcissistic and greedy brothers about the punishments that await those who are not kind to the poor, but, it is said, men as hard-hearted as they would not heed a call to charity, even from one who rose from the grave, and so there the matter ends. Looking up, he sees Lazarus above him, and begs Lazarus for a drop of water to drink, but Lazarus cannot help him. Due to his stinginess and unkindness, Dives is sentenced by God to an eternity of punishment in a lake of fire. As a virtuous man, Lazarus goes to his reward in Heaven and rests in the bosom of Abraham for all eternity. Dives and Lazarus both die on the same day. The wealthy man, whom tradition later named Dives, never gives Lazarus a bite of food, although he dines extravagantly himself every evening. Mercy is shown to the man by dogs who come to him and lick his wounds while he sits outside of a wealthy man's gate. In that story, Lazarus is a poor, homeless beggar suffering from leprosy. Saint Lazarus is actually a character taken from a parable told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. Lazarus is the patron saint for those who suffer from leprosy. Saint Lazarus is called upon to help victims of stroke, AIDS, those who are in comas, and those who suffer from other long-term, chronic health issues. ![]() Saint Lazarus depicted as suffering from hunger and leprosy and attended to by helpful dogs. ![]()
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