Caribbean—Part 1

This blog will cover the three largest island nations in the Caribbean—Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.

Cuba

Columbus landed in Cuba in 1492 and the Spanish established colonies there as early as 1511.  The United States claimed Cuba in 1898 as a result of the Spanish-American War, but granted Cuba its independence in 1902.  Since 1959, Cuba has been ruled by a Communist dictatorship, which has limited freedom of religion.  Cuba has 9.4 million Catholics (85 percent of the total).  There are three provinces:  Santiago, Havana, and Camaguey.

Province of Santiago

The province consists of the eastern Cuban civil provinces of Las Tunas, Granma, Holguin, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantanamo.  The Diocese of Santiago was created in 1518.  It became the Archdiocese of Santiago in 1803 with the creation of the new Province.  The Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption was built in the 1520s, but it has been destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt several times.  Pope Leo XIII named it a minor basilica in 1882—one of three in Cuba.  The Cathedral has a Facebook page.  The Archdiocese’s website is arzobispadosantiagodecuba.org—in Spanish.

From TripAdvisor and Wikipedia

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Holguin was created in 1979.

·         The Diocese of Bayamo y Manzanillo was created in 1995.

·         The Diocese of Guantanamo-Baracoa was created in 1998.

Province of Havana

The province consists of the western Cuban civil provinces of Artemisa, Havana, Mantanzas, Mayabeque, and Pinar del Rio, as well as the City of Havana and the Isla de la Juventud.  The Diocese of Havana was created in 1787.  It became the Archdiocese of Havana in 1925 with the creation of the new Province.  Havana’s Metropolitan Cathedral is dedicated to the Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception.  It was built between 1748 and 1777.  The Archdiocesan website is arquidiocesisdelahabana.org—it’s in Spanish.

All three pictures are from Wikipedia

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Pinar del Rio was created in 1903.

·         The Diocese of Matanzas was created in 1912.

Province of Camaguey

The province consists of the central Cuban civil provinces of Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, and Camaguey.  The Diocese of Camaguey was created in 1912.  It became the Archdiocese of Camaguey in 1998 with the creation of the new Province.  The Metropolitan Cathedral was originally built in the early 18^th Century and has been renovated several times.  It is dedicated to Our Lady of Candelaria.  The Archdiocesan website is arzobispadocamaguey.com—in Spanish.

Wikipedia

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Cienfuegos was created in 1903.

·         The Diocese of Santa Clara was created in 1995.

·         The Diocese of Ciego de Avila was created in 1996.

Dominican Republic

Columbus landed in the Dominican Republic in 1492.  Santo Domingo was soon established—it is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Americas—and Catholic missionaries quickly followed.  The Dominican Republic claimed independence from Spain in 1821, but was taken over by Haiti the next year.  The Dominican Republic regained its independence in 1844, but would again lose its independence to Spain before finally regaining it in 1865.  It has retained its independence since then, although there have been two occupations by the United States—one lasting eight years.

The Dominican Republic has 9.6 million Catholics, or 95 percent of the total population.  There are two provinces:  Santo Domingo and Santiago de los Caballeros.

Province of Santo Domingo

The province consists of southeastern Dominican Republic.  The Diocese of Santo Domingo was established in 1511—the first in the Western Hemisphere.  The Archdiocese of Santo Domingo was established in 1546 with the creation of the new Province.  St. Mary of the Annunciation Metropolitan Cathedral was built between 1514 and 1546 and is the oldest cathedral in the Americas.  Pope Benedict XV named it a minor basilica in 1920—one of two in the Dominican Republic—and UNESCO named it a world heritage site in 1990.

At one time, the Cathedral was the burial site of Christopher Columbus.  There is a story involved.  The Spanish claim that they took the body from the Cathedral and transported it through Cuba (temporarily keeping it in the Havana Cathedral) to Spain, where the body is now (perhaps) in the Seville Cathedral.  Cubans believe that the Spanish took the wrong body to Spain and that Columbus’ remains reside in Havana.  Folks in the Dominican Republic believe that the Spaniards took the wrong body from the San Domingo cathedral and thus Columbus’s body has never left their country.  In 1986, the Dominican Republic built a grand new monument to Columbus in Santo Domingo and moved the body from the Cathedral to the new tomb.  Or did they?  Poor Chris!  The Archdiocesan website is arquidiocesisd.org—in Spanish.

All are from Wikipedia

The Province has five suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Nuestra Senora de la Altagracia en Higuey was created in 1959.

·         The Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana was created in 1969.

·         The Diocese of Barahona was created in 1976.

·         The Diocese of Bani was created in 1986.

·         The Diocese of San Pedro de Macoris was created in 1997.

Province of Santiago de los Caballeros

The province consists of northwestern Dominican Republic.  The Diocese of Santiago de los Caballeros was created in 1953.  It became an archdiocese in 1994 with the creation of the new Province.  The Metropolitan Cathedral is dedicated to St. James (the Greater) the Apostle.  It was built between 1868 and 1894.  The Archdiocese’s website is clerosantiagord.org.  The Cathedral has a Facebook page.

Both are from Wikipedia

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of La Vega was created in 1953.

·         The Diocese of Mao-Monte Cristi was created in 1978.

·         The Diocese of San Francisco de Macoris was created in 1978.

·         The Diocese of Puerto Plata was created in 1996.

Haiti

Columbus came to what is now Haiti in 1492 and claimed it for Spain.  Spain began importing African slaves there as early as 1512 and soon the native Caribs no longer existed.  France claimed Haiti in the 17^th Century and the Capuchins brought the Faith to Haiti in 1681.  Haiti gained independence from France in 1804 and cut off ties with Rome.  Relations were restored in 1860.

Haiti has 5.8 million Catholics (55 percent of the total population).  There are two provinces:  Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien.

Province of Port-au-Prince

The province consists of the southern Haitian civil departments of Grand’Anse, Nippes, South, Southeast, and West.  The Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince was established in 1861 with the creation of the new Province.  The Metropolitan Cathedral, which was built between 1884 and 1914, is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption.  Sadly, it was destroyed during the 2010 earthquake that killed the Archbishop and his vicar general.  Plans are being made to rebuild the Cathedral.  The Archdiocese’s website is archidiocesedepaup.org—in French.

Both are from Wikipedia

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Les Cayes was created in 1861.

·         The Diocese of Jeremie was created in 1972.

·         The Diocese of Jacmel was created in 1988.

·         The Diocese of Anse-a-Veau et Miragoane was created in 2008.

Province of Cap-Haitien

The province consists of the northern Haitian civil departments of Artibonite, Center, North, Northeast, and Northwest.  The Diocese of Cap-Haitien was established in 1861.  It became an archdiocese in 1988 with the creation of the new Province.  The Metropolitan Cathedral is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption.  The church was built in 1670, although major modifications were made from 1941-2.

From Pinterest and Wikipedia

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Les Gonaives was created in 1861.

·         The Diocese of Port-de-Paix was created in 1861.

·         The Diocese of Hinche was created in 1972.

·         The Diocese of Fort-Liberte was created in 1991.

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include vicariates apostolic and prefectures apostolic—both are missionary territories below the level of a diocese.  The difference is that a vicar apostolic holds the rank of a bishop and the prefect apostolic is a priest, but not a bishop.  There is also a jurisdiction called a mission sui juris.  A mission sui juris may be part of a province and is often administered by a bishop of another diocese. 

Most Catholics in the world belong to the Latin or Roman rite.  Rite refers to liturgical practices, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage.  Many Catholics belong to one of two dozen Eastern rite churches.  Eastern rite churches trace their heritage to Eastern Europe and the Middle East.  Eastern rite churches sometimes use different terminologies.  For example, a diocese might be called an eparchy and is led by an eparch.  A vicariate apostolic is called an exarchy and is led by an exarch. 

A basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  Some cathedrals are also basilicas.  Each basilica has a ceremonial umbrella in the papal colors of white and yellow and a ceremonial bell (although some basilicas do not display them).  Both of these are symbolic of the Pope’s special relationship to the basilica.