FIRST RELIC OF CRISTIANITY IN THE NEW WORLD

The Cross of Parra (tree indigenous to Caribbean countries), the oldest symbol of Christianity in America, was planted in 1492 by Christopher Columbus during his first voyage to the New World, in the extreme north eastern Cuba.

Diego Velázquez, a Captain accompanying Columbus on his second voyage to America, was in Hispanola (present day Dominican Republic), received the title of Advance Governor from King Ferdinand of Spain, to the island of Cuba, and the authorization for the search of gold, the founding of towns and evangelizing Indians. Pursuant to the Royal Order, Velázquez, aided by some companions of the first voyage of Columbus, was fortunate to discover in perfect condition, the Cross of Parra, planted twenty years before, and founded there, in 1512, the first town of Cuba, known as Our Lady of the Ascension of Baracoa.

The appearance and possession of the Cross was considered a good omen in the colonization and evangelization in actual implementation of the royal mandate. The primate Spanish villa on the island was only a village of forty huts, but following the formalities of the time, Velázquez gave it the title of city, gave it his coat of arms, the plaza, symbolically and installed the first bishop of Cuba.

Columbus, during his first voyage to America (1492), planted 29 of these crosses in many places in the New World and the one in Baracoa, Cuba, is the only one that is preserved. The Cross of Parra was made of wood and the ends are protected with uvilla brass silver lining to prevent the faithful from pulling their chips as a relic. Scientific research (including the carbon 14 test by an American university), confirmed the antiquity of the Christian symbol.

Residents and visitors to the first city pay respectful tribute of admiration and faith at the location of the Cross of Parra, relics of incalculable historical value to Cuba and humanity.

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I thank the Most Rev. Carlos de Jesus Baladrón, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Guantánamo Baracoa for providing this Blog with a copy of the article published in the magazine "Claras Luces" of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba which was written by Fr Valentín Sanz González, CM.