Nestled on the outskirts of Havana, the capital of Cuba, lies the humble Monastery of Saint Spyridon, a unique beacon of Orthodox spirituality in the Caribbean.
On Friday, January 24, Archbishop Makarios of Australia visited the monastery as part of his official trip to Cuba. The visit coincided with the 20th-anniversary celebrations of the Church of Saint Nicholas in Havana, where the Archbishop represented the Mother Church and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Accompanied by Metropolitan Iakovos of Mexico and Bishops Athenagoras of Myrina and Timotheos of Assos, Archbishop Makarios was warmly received by the monastery’s monk, Fr. Makarios, along with a group of pilgrims, including Greek expatriates from the United States.
Inside the Katholikon, the Archbishop venerated the holy icons and led the chanting of the Apolytikion of Saint Spyridon and the mention of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The visit included the Service of the Small Sanctification, followed by the traditional blessing and cutting of the Vasilopita.
Symbolically, pieces of the Vasilopita were dedicated to the Cuban people and given to a young local resident, as well as to the suffering populations of Haiti and Venezuela.
Before departing, Archbishop Makarios engaged with local residents living near the monastery. In a particularly moving moment, he presented a Vasilopita to a family and shared a heartfelt conversation with them, emphasizing the monastery’s role as a spiritual haven for the community.
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
