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Father Varela is fighting anonymity

Father Varela is fighting anonymity

Pope Benedict XVI, visiting Cuba this week, gave Father Félix Varela a much needed "plug." The "Perfect Stranger," as we have called him on these pages, will…

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Pope Benedict XVI, visiting Cuba this week, gave Father Félix Varela a much needed "plug."

The "Perfect Stranger," as we have called him on these pages, will eventually be widely known across this nation of ours, the United States of America, where he lived most of his life. Perhaps he will eventually become as popular here as he is today in Cuba, where he lived only a portion of his life.

"Padre Varela" is an American, and also an "Americanist," who in the first half of the 19th century lived in the United States, doing exceptional pastoral work that is long overdue for recognition.

(Read Spanish Version / Lea versión en español: El papa sacó a Varela del anonimato)

The "Cuban Saint," as José Martí called him, was in reality a defender of immigrants, in this nation of immigrants at the point in history when they were coming from Europe (mostly from Ireland) ,as poor and in need of warm shelter and food as those who today still dare to brave the odds of coming here.  Now they come by foot or by sea or on airplane — from places like Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Perú, Brazil or even Argentina.

Things are turning around in those nations, though, and the need to emigrate has become less urgent. Who wouldn't, if given the choice, prefer to stay put in one's homeland, cozy and comfortable, where one's accustomed to living?

There might even be a time when, as it happened with England, and Germany and other developed economies (formerly nations from which many immigrated to our shores but now very stable nations with populations that largely stay put) that the flow of immigrants from Latin America may one day stop altogether.

Father Varela came at a time when few would dare to show up this far north. He came as a sacrifice and in exile and then, in an act of love, stayed here for the next 30 years.

We are sure he will eventually be recognized and publicly acknowledged in Philadelphia and Havana and all over the Americas, as he deserves. 

Here at AL DIA we do our small part to ensure that it is so.

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