US Catholic delegation in Cuba to meet with local church leaders, discuss hurricane aid

US church leaders following up on Cuba storm aid

HAVANA — A delegation of U.S. Roman Catholic bishops is in Cuba to follow up on hurricane recovery projects funded by the church.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, Florida, and Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Cantu of San Antonio, Texas, arrived in Havana Monday. They’re meeting with Cuban church leaders, including Cardinal Jaime Ortega. And they plan to visit parishes in Havana and the eastern cities of Holguin and Santago de Cuba this week.

The Cuban Catholic Church received more than $860,000 from U.S. churches after Hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Paloma struck the island last year. The storms left about 500,000 Cubans homeless, caused more than $10 billion in damage and devastated farms across Cuba.

The delegation, representing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, leaves Cuba on Friday.