As a little boy, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Octavio Cisneros loved going to his grandmother’s house for Christmas, just like the popular holiday song “Over the River and Through the Woods.” But there was no “drifted snow,” because his grandmother lived on the outskirts of Havana, Cuba.
When Father Jose Henriquez, the pastor of St. Finbat Church, said he wanted to restore the chapel in the church’s former convent, the parishioners made it happen by raising thousands of dollars to pay for the renovation and then doing much of the work themselves.
The 200th anniversary of Father Félix Varela’s arrival in Manhattan is celebrated this year. His cause for sainthood is gathering momentum, with Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Octavio Cisneros of Brooklyn serving as vice-postulator.
