The Orthodox community in Cuba marked a milestone of spiritual growth on Saturday, December 6, as eight new members were received into the Church during a mass baptism at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral.
The ceremony, which coincides with the Feast of St. Nicholas (New Calendar), was presided over by Metropolitan Iakovos of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. Six adults and two children were baptized, a significant figure for the local mission, which has seen steady growth since the early 2000s.
Prior to the liturgy, Metropolitan Iakovos visited a specialized clinic for children with cerebral palsy. During the hour-long visit, the Metropolitan distributed ten specialized wheelchairs and various medical supplies. The donations were funded by the Metropolis’s philanthropic arms, underscoring the Church’s dual mission of spiritual care and social welfare in the Caribbean.
The resurgence of Orthodox Christians in Cuba
While Cuba is traditionally Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christianity has carved out a unique and official space in Havana’s religious landscape over the last two decades.
The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, located in the historic San Francisco de Asís square in Old Havana, holds a unique distinction. It was the first new church building permitted by the Cuban government in over forty years. In 2004, Fidel Castro famously handed the keys to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, calling it “a gift from the people of Cuba.”
Just a short walk from the Greek cathedral stands a Russian Orthodox one, Our Lady of Kazan, consecrated in 2008 by the Moscow Patriarchate. A traditional Byzantine structure with five golden domes, it serves as a spiritual home for the Russian diaspora and Cuban citizens who studied in the former Soviet Union.
While the Orthodox community remains a small minority (estimated at roughly 0.45% of the population in 2025), it is one of the most visible religious groups in Havana. Services are often held in Spanish to accommodate the increasing number of Cuban converts drawn to the ancient liturgical traditions of the East.
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