Our Work in Cuba
In the summer of 2021, Cuba became part of the Piarist Fathers Province of the United States and Puerto Rico. We have ministries in Guanabacoa, Cuba: Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Mary; Guanabacoa, Cuba: Socio-educational Center for Non-Formal Education; and Havana, Cuba: San Judas and San Nicholas de Bari Parish. This is a very unique ministry within the Province that navigates the challenging political climate currently in Cuba. The need for Cuban Piarist community support, building and structural repair to The Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Mary and St. Jude/St. Nicholas parish, vocation efforts, support for the Socio-educational centers in Guanabacoa and Havana and basic humanitarian aid is our current focus.
Because of the complex nature of this ministry, it is best to contact the Piarist Fathers Province of the United States and Puerto Rico Development Director, Mr. Kevin Owens, at piaristfl@bellsouth.net with any specific questions you may have.
The Province is blessed with a very large, supportive and loving community of Cubans. We are working hard, hand in hand, to make a difference.
Projects Include:
Donations received for the Cuba Project will be dispersed to the donors wish.
We are excited to announce our collaboration with ITAKA to help fund our work with youth in our Cultural Centers in Havana and Guanabacoa. ITAKA assists to cover some of the the costs of this ministry including scholarships, teacher training, transportation, meals, materials for the various educational programs offered and maintenance of the facilities. The goal is to offer these much needed programs without further burdening the severe economic hardships that most families in Cuba currently face.
Who is ITAKA?
“ITAKA ESCOLAPIOS is a Foundation created and encouraged by the Piarist Fathers and the Scolopi fraternity.
We are convinced that education of the most disadvantaged people is the better way to change the world and to create a better future by encouraging new generations to take responsibility in sharing the best of themselves.
We think it is possible to make a world as God dreamed only if we try to make it real. Because of this, our path is education, which announces the Gospel of Jesus and gets deeply involved in our environment, involving our whole life.”
WHAT IS THE THEME OF THIS YEAR’S SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN?
2026
25 years of extending roots. In March 2026 we will celebrate our 25th anniversary. 25 years of shared journey between Order and Fraternities. 25 years accompanying a multitude of Piarist actions and works with a clear spirit of international solidarity and shared mission between religious and lay people. Today we are a large family with presence in 22 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe; more than 60 locations and nearly 400 projects, and most importantly: our people. More than 3,000 volunteers and professionals serve 40,000 participants. It has been 25 years of good and bad news of joys and sorrows of beginnings and also closures of works or projects, of many and many campaigns, of stories, names, faces, places, etc. 25 years of progress and growth. Always with a committed focus on education as a tool to transform society, in the style of Calasanz, in whom we are rooted. This year, especially, we look back with gratitude and forward with hope. With the motto " 25 YEARS EXTENDING ROOTS," we want to celebrate the journey we've taken and encourage you to continue participating in Itaka Escolapios. In this campaign, and in all the work we do (through your volunteering, financial support, prayers, etc.), Calasanz continues to guide us in the search for that beautiful world God desires for his beloved sons and daughters. We have in our hands a great tool to create community and promote the Piarist mission, and you can help build a fairer and more humane world, achieving a new society transformed through education. Because this journey has only just begun.
Under way!
“25 YEARS EXTENDING ROOTS”
Since the beginning of the Itaka-Escolapios network, we have worked to support the Piarist mission in different parts of the world. In this 2025-2026 academic year's “25 Years Extending Roots” campaign, the donations raised will allow us to maintain and expand the reach of educational and social projects in various countries, providing an opportunity to transform the lives of many people.
The funds raised will contribute to the projects we support in the countries of our network, where the Piarist Schools continue to forge paths of hope through formal and non-formal education. With your help, we will continue to offer quality education, socio-educational support, school meals, sustainable development programs, and assistance to the most vulnerable groups, whether children, young people, or the elderly.
With your collaboration, we are helping to create a better, fairer, and more compassionate future. "25 Years of Spreading Roots" invites us to walk together toward a world where education is the key to change and social justice.