San Juan Bautista Episcopal Church
Palma Soriano, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
The seminarian Noel Josué Rodríguez Santos leads the church, under the pastoral care of Rev. Halbert Pons Santana
The Church was founded in the fifties by the Rev. Juan Bautista Mancebo. It was always a small congregation attended by West Indians who worked on the railroad and in the fields around the city.
In the eighties, due to the lack of ministers and the deterioration of the property, the church was closed for 15 years. During this time several attempts were made to restart the church, which failed until a group of enthusiastic young people began to visit the old members and neighbors of the chapel. Thus was reborn the present congregation of San Juan Bautista. On December 2, 2012, the restored church was consecrated thanks to the efforts of many friends and neighbors of the community.
It is currently a living and dynamic congregation, with many children and adults, involved in various projects of the Missionary Development Program and the Council of Churches of Cuba. There is a 12-day child care service, Purified Water service thanks to the generosity of the Diocese of Minnesota and Rotary International.
Despite the progress, the infrastructure of the Church of St. John the Baptist needs to be expanded, and the Rectory needs to be renovated.