What I did not know about this place was that on one of the sides of the church is the Mother Teresa of Calcutta Holy Field Garden, a charming place surrounded by lush vegetation and is also where the ashes of several personalities of Cuban culture rest.
The Garden was inaugurated in 1999 in honor of the revered missionary Teresa of Calcutta, a renowned religious woman and activist in favor of peace and the neediest people. For her tireless work for the welfare of the dispossessed, this woman was canonized by the Catholic Church, and today is a symbol of peace. Our country had the honor of receiving her on two occasions.
Upon entering this beautiful garden, the first thing you notice is a great sense of peace and tranquility. The bustle of the lively square seems a faraway and distant place, and for a moment, we forget that we are in one of the busiest places in Havana.
Here is a bronze sculpture of the saint. It is placed on one of the sides of the garden and presents an aspect so collected and humble that I almost do not notice its presence. The sculpture shows Mother Teresa seated, reading a book, on which a white rose is always placed. Behind her back there is a large cross and a plaque that remind us of the work of this tireless woman.
The Garden
In all the surroundings you can see lush vegetation, with different trees, ornamental plants and flowers that brighten up the view. It is a perfect place to connect with nature. It also has several benches where you can rest and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.
To enhance this natural beauty, the place has several sculptures, works of different artists. One of the ones that caught my attention was "The table of silence", where three people are represented sitting around a table in a silent attitude, each in their own world. I think that here is intended to reflect the problems of communication, even when people are physically close, the lack of communication causes them to be distant from each other.
I also saw some crafts that resemble eggs, they are made of ceramic with slab inlays. When I saw them, they reminded me of dinosaur eggs, although I don't know where I got that idea, but it was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw them.
In a section of this Cemetery lie the remains of historian Eusebio Leal Spengler, the man who made possible the rescue and renovation of many areas of Old Havana, including buildings, avenues, churches and parks, in order to preserve our historical and cultural heritage. For this reason, he is a well-known and beloved figure in the city.
His tomb, at Eusebio's request, is located next to that of his beloved mother, the most important woman in his life. Both tombs are adorned with beautiful bouquets of roses, white for him and pink for his mother. Around his marble tombstone is a path of slabs representing each of the years lived by the historian. And just in front of it, the Cuban flag.
Almost at the end of the garden is the Sacred Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Nicholas of Mira. A simple construction, elaborated in stone with wooden windows and doors. Its main door has a beautiful carving. The roof, crowned by a cross, is covered with reddish tiles that match perfectly with the tone of the doors and windows.
At the back, behind the church, there is a colorful mosaic with landscapes allegorical to Jesus, a beautiful place where baptisms are celebrated.
This garden is an incredible place where it is impossible not to admire the beauty that surrounds it. I was delighted to discover it and have the opportunity to enjoy all it has to offer.
I would like to end my post with this moving poem by Mother Teresa of Calcutta about life:
"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is a beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is costly, care for it.
Life is wealth, keep it.
Life is love, enjoy it.
Life is mystery, know it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is a sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is Life, fight for it!" ❤️
"La vida es una oportunidad, aprovéchala.
La vida es belleza, admírala.
La vida es bienaventuranza, saboréala.
La vida es un sueño, hazlo realidad.
La vida es un reto, afróntalo.
La vida es deber, cúmplelo.
La vida es un juego, juégalo.
La vida es preciosa, cuídala.
La vida es riqueza, consérvala.
La vida es Amor, gózala.
La vida es misterio, devélalo.
La vida es promesa, cúmplela.
La vida es tristeza, supérala.
La vida es un himno, cántalo.
La vida es un combate, acéptalo.
La vida es una tragedia, véncela.
La vida es una aventura, arróstrala.
La vida es felicidad, merécela.
La vida es la vida, ¡lucha por ella!” ❤️
🌻🌻🌻
See you next time!👋
Bibliography: For more information about this place you can consult this 👉 web site of a Cuban radio station.
All photos are my authorship, taken from my Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 cell phone.
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