Cuba pilgrimage for Saint Lazarus draws thousands

Thousands of Cubans took part at the weekend in one of the island's most important religious rite...  More »

Thousands of Cubans took part at the weekend in one of the island's most important religious rites, a pilgrimage to the El Rincon church to pay homage to Saint Lazarus. Some pilgrims weighed themselves down with concrete blocks and stones to make their journey to the church, 25 kilometres outside of Havana, more arduous. Many Cubans regard Lazarus as a mix between the Catholic saint and the Afro-Cuban deity Babalu-Aye. Saint Lazarus, often represented as a beggar in rags, is believed to cure people of their skin ailments, paralysis, amputations and HIV/AIDS.  « Less