Placetas

Since 2006, the Saint Martin Community has been active in the Diocese of Santa Clara, in the heart of Cuba. Today, the Placetas Mission serves three parishes—Placetas, Fomento, and Cabaiguán—covering a vast rural area of nearly 1,500 km² and home to around 110,000 people.

In a context marked by material poverty, emigration, and fragile institutions, the priests of the Community primarily offer a spiritual and fraternal presence. They walk alongside the people in their daily lives, sharing their joys and struggles, and strive to strengthen hope where it may be fading.

The mission goes beyond simply proclaiming the Gospel: it is lived out through numerous educational, social, and charitable initiatives. Tutoring programs, soup kitchens, daycare centers, senior homes, and boarding schools are concrete ways of witnessing Christ’s love in action.

In Placetas and the surrounding villages, the priests can count on the generosity and dedication of many parishioners and volunteers: catechists, choir members, altar servers, liturgy leaders, as well as men and women who freely give their time to serve the poorest.

Amid the daily challenges, the Placetas Mission seeks to be a sign of hope and a reminder that God never stops walking with His people.