FAITHFUL STEWARDS OF A MISSION ON THE MOVE
On Saturday, October 3, the 25 people in charge of finances across Mission Cuba gathered in Placetas for training, to look back on a year of work, and to deepen the pastoral meaning of their mission.
Buying a sack of rice and two liters of oil for the Báez comedor (soup kitchen) is about as ordinary as it gets in the daily life of the mission. A receipt, a handover to the Mission’s accounting office, a top-up of the Cáritas cash box for the next purchases, and that’s it. And yet, behind this routine, many meals are served every week across the mission, in Placetas, Báez, Fomento, Falcón and Cabaiguán. Following that thread, from the receipt to the work accomplished, was the purpose of the morning.
They run cash boxes, daycare centers, soup kitchens, fincas (farms) or the boarding house, in Placetas, Fomento, Cabaiguán-Guayos, Báez and Falcón. Whether employees or volunteers, often unseen, they are nonetheless indispensable: without them, no work would last for long.
Ellos llevan cajas, guarderías, comedores, fincas o el internado, en Placetas, Fomento, Cabaiguán-Guayos, Báez y Falcón. Trabajadores o voluntarios, muchas veces discretos, son sin embargo indispensables: sin ellos, ninguna obra se sostendría mucho tiempo.
Ils tiennent des caisses, des garderies, des comedores, des fincas (fermes) ou l’internat, à Placetas, Fomento, Cabaiguán-Guayos, Báez et Falcón. Salariés ou volontaires, souvent discrets, ils sont pourtant indispensables : sans eux, aucune œuvre ne tiendrait longtemps.
A year in review
The day opened with a review, in figures, of 2025 and of 2026 so far. Since everyone is absorbed by the needs of the project they manage, it is good to step back regularly and see the full scope of the Mission they belong to.
In education: nearly 140 children in the daycare centers, 15 boys at the boarding house, and about 240 students in after-school tutoring. On the Cáritas side: more than 150 meals served each week, 400 Christmas food bags, two farms in Placetas and Báez, and the relaunch of Proyecto Renacer for young people with disabilities. On the building side: new roofs in Placetas and Fomento, a new daycare center in Fomento, solar panels on several houses, and many repairs. Today, 57 people work for the Mission.
Simple tools
Then came the training. How do you move money from one cash box to another without mistaking it for an expense? How do you write a receipt that says both what was bought and what it is for?
These small habits make it possible to give an accurate account to those who place their trust in us. A workshop for each project helped everyone apply these tools to their daily work. A new pay scale, fairer and adjusted to the cost of the basic food basket, was also presented to those in charge.
The heart of the mission
The closing synthesis put the economy back in its proper place. It is only a tool at the service of evangelization: it makes the works possible and measures their vitality. It is also a form of charity within the Church, after the manner of the collection Saint Paul organized for the Church in Jerusalem (2 Cor 8–9). Finally, it reflects communion: working together, producing, sharing, reinvesting. Participants were also reminded how important it is to report on the work accomplished: photos, reports and news allow benefactors to see what their gifts make possible.
«Whoever is faithful in small things is faithful in great ones too, says the Lord» Lk 16,10
Every receipt carefully filled out, every cash box well kept makes possible an open daycare, a meal served, a roof repaired. Thank you to these faithful stewards, and thank you to all who, through their generosity, help the Mission keep moving forward. The morning ended with a fraternal lunch.