Santuario de San Lázaro

The object of one of Cuba’s most important pilgrimages, this small, sparkling church in the village of El Rincón just outside Santiago de las Vegas is the venerated shrine of San Lázaro, a Christian saint known for his ministrations to lepers and the poor. Every year on December 17 (Saint Lazarus’ feast day), thousands of Cubans descend on the sanctuary en masse, some on bloodied knees, others walking barefoot for kilometers through the night to exorcise evil spirits and pay off debts for miracles granted. San Lázaro is paralleled in Santería by the orisha Babalú Ayé, the Yoruba god of sickness. A statue of the saint made of wood with gold and marble finishes stands on the church’s main altar, and the shrine is busy year-round with people laying flowers and making donations.