The image of Saint Mercedes, mounted a flight of stairs above the altar at Our Lady of Mercy church, is the reason many Santería practitioners visit. When they look at the image, they see Obatalá, the parent of all orishas. Yojander Pérez López, a volunteer at the church, said it can be frustrating when people enter and call the statue by the orisha’s name. “She is not Obatalá, she is the mother of Christ,” he said. (Photo by Paxtyn Merten/The GroundTruth Project)

In Cuba, Santería flourishes two decades after ban was lifted

HAVANA — A young woman in a blue shirt is thigh-deep in the Straits of Florida, carrying a blue and white frosted cake. She bends down, releases it into the water as an offering and watches as it floats away. This simple act of gratitude takes place two days after Mother’s Day and in the … Continue reading In Cuba, Santería flourishes two decades after ban was lifted

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